The Truth About Solar Charging: How Much Power Do You Really Need
Solar chargers convert sunlight into electricity—pretty simple in theory, but there are different styles built for different needs: Portable Solar Panels: Foldable or rollable, these
Solar chargers convert sunlight into electricity—pretty simple in theory, but there are different styles built for different needs: Portable Solar Panels: Foldable or rollable, these
That''s exactly why we built this free Solar Panel Calculator 12v. No engineering degree required—just a simple way to figure out: what kind of battery setup you actually need.
PDF version includes complete article with source references. Suitable for printing and offline reading.
Reference: Basic RV (2,000-3,000 Wh) • Moderate Use (3,000-5,000 Wh) • Heavy Use (5,000+ Wh) Solar panels convert sunlight into DC electricity, which charges your battery bank through a charge controller. An inverter converts stored DC power to AC power for household appliances. The system operates independently of shore power or generators.
Choose the size closest to your solar panel set up. Each has a complete list of the components needed. Choose your solar panels. There’s a number of different types and you can read more about them in our camper solar panels post. Once you’ve selected the type of panel, measure the available space on the roof so you know what sizes to buy.
Running AC on solar requires a substantial system. A 15K BTU unit needs 1,500W+ and would require 2,400W+ of panels plus 800Ah+ of LiFePO4 batteries for meaningful runtime. Many RVers use solar for everything except AC, running generators only for cooling. What happens during cloudy weather or winter?
Use this solar calculator to size your campervan or RV camper solar setup. If your device doesn't specify watts, use the watt calculator to convert amps and volts. List each device - every electrical component - its usage in watts, maximum number of hours used each day & if it's an AC or DC model.