The more time you want to spend in your RV, the more consideration you must give to power consumption. One solution is to install solar power, a power source that will for while you drive and camp in out-of-the-way places. To help you determine whether solar is right for you, Nohr’s RV Center compiled some helpful information on adding solar to your motorhome.
Going Off Grid
Most RV solar systems
include a 3000-watt inverter to transform DC current into household current for
ordinary appliances. Keep in mind that power inverters are not one-to-one
transformers, and the more wattage being generated, the faster your DC source
will be depleted. For best results, look into installing DC-powered appliances
and low-power LED lights. Powering your motorhome home with DC current where its possible helps to reduce
the requirements for your solar installation.
How Much Solar Do You Need?
The size of your solar system depends on what you are trying to
accomplish. If you only want to keep your existing system charged between
weekend trips, a small battery maintainer system is all you need. For powering
the motorhome, you have to calculate the amount of energy you will need at any
given time. In general, 400-800 watts of solar panels will power most RV
requirements, scaling upward with RV size.
Storing Energy
Solar panels operate any time the sun is shining,
including while you are driving down the road. Energy is stored in batteries,
ranging from a bank of deep cycle batteries to battery systems designed
specifically for mobile power storage. The more storage you have, the longer
your system will operate at night or on rainy days, including appliances which
run on inverted current. Around 300 amp hours of storage is fine for small RVs,
but higher energy use may require 500Ah or more.
Heating Water
There are 12,
24, and 48-volt water heater elements available for solar power systems. If
your motorhome is not already equipped with these DC systems, it would be a
good idea to swap over. Heating water with traditional house current is faster
and hotter, but it requires a lot of energy which is already losing efficiency
by being inverted. Another idea is to install a solar water heater on top of
the RV with a DC-powered circulating pump.In most cases, there is plenty of room to mount solar panels on top of your RV. If you prefer, they are also available in portable frames that can be set up when you are parked. To find out more about installing solar panels on your motorhome, or to have our service department check out your energy requirements, stop by Nohr’s RV Center.
