![]() You must balance all of this for an optimal system. How much energy do your solar panels provide to your battery/batteries? ( energy stored).How many watt-hours will you use each day? (energy used).These two parts of the equation help you determine how many solar panels you’ll need for the sun’s power to deliver the electricity you want. Knowing how much solar power you need for your camping comfort involves figuring out a couple of pieces of information. ![]() ![]() Theoretically, you can power anything with the sun’s energy provided you have enough solar panels, batteries, and conversion ability! How To Know How Many Solar Panels You Need For Your RV If you want to run a 120-Volt appliance when you’re boondocking in the desert, you can harness the sun’s energy through solar panels -> charge controller -> batteries -> inverter, and voila! = 120-Volt electricity at your command! There are 120-Volt outlets scattered throughout your RV, but those don’t have power unless you’re using a generator or your RV is plugged into shore power. However, you can also take that 12-Volt DC, pass it through an inverter, and convert it to 120-Volt AC (alternating current) electricity (like the outlets found in a sticks-and-bricks house) to power 120-Volt devices such as a coffee pot. This DC power runs lights, appliances, and electronics in the RV. This DC power from the solar panels and batteries is typically 12 volts. This energy becomes DC (direct current) electricity that charges your RV’s house battery or batteries, essentially “storing” energy to be used to power devices and appliances in your RV or charge devices for your later use. The electrical current is fed through wires to a charge controller that controls the battery’s current. Within your solar panels’ cells, circuits take the energy absorbed by the sun’s cells and turn it into electrical current. If your RV is on the road or parked during the day, sunlight hits your solar panels, and cells on the panels absorb energy from the sun. Let’s imagine you have a couple of solar panels on the roof of your RV. While nothing like the simple panels of today, attempts to harness solar energy have been ongoing for over 100 years. Let’s find out how it all works! This photo from 1935 shows an early “Solar Engine”. The technology has evolved over the years, but the concept remains the same.Ī solar panel is a panel filled with solar cells that capture the sun’s energy and turn that energy into usable electricity that powers homes, businesses, coffee pots, and, yes – your RV! This initial discovery led to the development of solar cells that could harness the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that scientists discovered that silicon (found in sand) could create a much more efficient solar panel. Attempts were made over the years to create “solar engines,” as they called them, but most had very low efficiencies. In the 1800s, scientists observed something called the photovoltaic effect, where some materials would produce an electric charge and current when exposed to sunlight. But what are RV solar panels? How do they work, what can they do for you, and are they worth the investment? Let’s find out! What Are RV Solar Panels?
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