Author Topic: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging  (Read 4642 times)

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Mary B

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$300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« on: November 04, 2011, 02:38:56 AM »
I have a $300 budget for solar panel(s). Going to be charging a pair of T105-RE batteries in series. My old beat up Harbor Freight panels are sold and I am looking for something more reliable. Preference would be a single panel for mounting simplicity.

ghurd

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2011, 09:36:11 AM »
Not sure the single panel will be the best bang for the buck.
It will be oversize for shipping, which will eat some of the budget.
Larger single panels tend to be 24V, meaning the controller will need to be MPPT and eat more budget.

I'd recommend looking around for a pair of 60~75W class panels.

Depends on the situation.  My situation is usually mounting 1 or a few on a shed or small barn roof.
Labor, DIY mounting brackets, etc,... for simplicity I would much rather mount two 50W panels than a single 100W.
G-
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TomW

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2011, 10:06:02 AM »
I have to agree with Glen here (I hate it when that happens).

I often work alone so smaller parts means easier to do.

It adds a layer of redundancy, also. Should one panel get hammered somehow you have the other(s).

My 75 watt SP75 Siemens panels were lots easier to handle than the KC130 Kyocera 130 watt panels for instance.

Tom

dnix71

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2011, 09:41:13 PM »
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ramsond-New-50-Watt-50W-W-Solar-Panel-Charger-Charge-Controller-Regulator-RV-Kit-/180748215882?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item6fc4d6fba4

$139 each including shipping and each comes with a charge controller. Made exactly for what you are doing, charging 12v batteries.

Mary B

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2011, 10:40:09 PM »
Better dollar per watt and 90 watts for $220. More reputable than an unheard of ebay brand too. Was hoping someone may run into something cheaper.

birdhouse

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2011, 12:36:30 AM »
maryalana-  where you live may weigh in on the decision.  sunelec.com has killer pricing, and if you live close enough to miami or phoenix, you could nix the spendy shipping. 

i tend to disagree with the others above about panel size.  i like the big ones.  less connections/wire runs ect.  and hey, you only really mount them once right?  get a friend to help for a few hours if need be. 

my most recent panel purchase was 245 watters, and i can still move them around solo with some elbow grease.

adam

ghurd

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2011, 10:00:41 AM »
Do not be too fixated on the budget... within reason.
Sometimes an extra $50 will get a lot more bang for the buck, especially in small systems.
The controller, mounting, and wire costs will be about the same, usually.
Shipping won't be a lot different.
etc.

Shipping <85W panels is not so bad:
(in both examples there was more than one box, which lowers the cost a little bit)

75W Shell/SolarWorld monos, 2 per box, UPS, to a residential address, only cost me ~$35 per box, ~$17.50 per panel., $0.233/watt.

50W GE polys, 4 per box, UPS, residential address, cost about $40 per box, $10 per panel, $0.20/watt.

Can't drive very far for $40 and save money.

UPS can be considerably cheaper to send to a bona fide brick-and-motar business address.  Have them sent to you at work?
G-

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Mary B

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2011, 03:39:00 PM »
In MN so sunelec is a bit far  :) wholesale solar has the 90 watt panels for $220, somehow I forgot to link that. I am in the looking stage still, just bought a cheap charge controller off ebay, Sunwize 30 amp for $25. Have a Samlex 1,000 watt pure sine inverter ordered. Next is panels then save for batteries.

wdyasq

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2011, 08:15:20 PM »
sunelect.com is advertising panels for as low as $0.78W - in the blog he states no minimum. He does indicate the fewer the panels the more the cost to ship per Watt.

Ron
"I like the Honey, but kill the bees"

Bruce S

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2011, 01:22:29 PM »
Another route to go; would be to determine how much PV you're going to need for charging these within a given time frame and select the best wattage based on that? Say 100w panel (or 2) to recharge the bank on 5 hours of sunlight?
Plus a little more just because :-).
This is what I'm doing as I look at the time when my little 90W of HF's become less than useful.
 I based my bank on how long it will take to recharge to 90%+ .
I know a little backwards but the batteries are built using recycled NiCds and the panels and their power is the known value of the equation. ( 6 HF PVs last Saturday connected to a watt-meter showing 75 watts on a cool day and lots of sunshine for 4 hours).
I linked my two 16Ahr banks for a good deep charge, then charged ALL the cell phones and AA/AAAs the rest of the day.
 
I personally like the idea of more than one panel, just looks cooler  ;)

Cheers;
Bruce S

A kind word often goes unsaid BUT never goes unheard

Mary B

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2011, 06:36:02 PM »
The plan is to keep adding panels as the budget allows.

kenl

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2011, 08:56:10 PM »
In MN so sunelec is a bit far  :)

Check out their laminates for  $.50/watt. $90 per 180w panel is hard to beat and their shipping is reasonable.

kenny
seemed like a good idea at the time

just-doug

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Re: $300 budget panel(s) for 12 volt charging
« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2011, 03:34:08 PM »
have you given much thought as how you will give these batteries a equalization charge?on a small solar system with owner present,often the charge controller  prevent good equalizing.i put a by pass curit with a toggle switch in mine.this allows half the system to bypass the charge controller to equalize the batteries randomly as sun light is available.my not need a charge controller at all.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2011, 03:41:19 PM by just-doug »