Wiring Up Solar Panels Motorhome

I started of with a 80 watt panel most are resonable quality and value by the time you add solar panel brackets a gland and wiring you will nearer the 200 mark and was more than happy for a while however i ended up going mad fitting a 20 ah mppt controller alond with 2 x80 watt panels in series costing approximately 450 00.

Wiring up solar panels motorhome.

Product list and cost of components. Wiring rv solar panels in parallel. Selecting the proper batteries for the battery bank is the key to the entire solar charging system. Wiring solar panels in parallel causes the amperage to increase but the voltage remains the same.

Many but not all charge controllers will accept higher voltage from the solar panels automatically recognizing when you have bumped up to a 24 volt system. This can be done with the usual mc 4 solar panel connectors. Solar panels get wired directly to the battery and inverter charger unit so while there s some upfront work to get them up and running the big benefit is that you can be almost totally self reliant for your electrical needs. Here s how i wired my solar panels for rv boondocking why i chose 10 gauge romex wiring.

Solid wire passes electricity at a capacity 1 size greater than stranded wire. Solar calculator for rv or camper van conversions. We have seen several different methods of what is called pre wiring for solar. Wiring in series is done by joining the positive wire of one solar panel to the negative wire of another panel.

Connect your charge controller. Most solar panels for rv use come with mounting hardware and cabling to the combiner box. With parallel solar panels the positive terminal from one panel is connected to the positive terminal of another panel and the negative terminals of the two panels are connected together. Mount your solar panels step 2.

Shop solar power or learn more about these 4 steps. Diy wiring diagrams for 100w 200w 300w 400w 600w 800w kits. Install your inverter optional. That means the 10 gauge wire works as if i had used 8 gauge automotive.

For my installation of rv solar panels 10 gauge household romex wiring was chosen for a few reasons. Solar panels can be mounted to the roof by either drilling into the roof or by using industrial strength adhesive tapes on flat smooth surfaces. 10 gauge solar rated wiring is rated to handle 30 amps.