Thor Forums

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Chance

If you go with 300 Watts (rated capacity) of panels, then you’d expect about 900 Watt-hours per day. That’s only 75 Amp-hours for a 12-Volt system. If using batteries a lot, you’d run a little short each day.

The question is whether you’d want to have excess battery or solar capacity, given a limited budget. I’d probably invest more on batteries if I couldn’t get it balanced just right.

Well maybe your right....and im not expecting too much out of my system.

I dont want to overthink this either. I want to start kinda small (200 watts) and add one or two more panels as I go. Plus Im limited on room for batteries and roof space for pannels.

But dont they say "for every 100 amh battery you need 100 watts of solar" as a general rule? Of coarse they are refering the to "entire" battery knowing that your only need to charge for 50% of that.

AND most are figuring the full 5 hours of sunlight a day where you and me are being more realitic with 3 hours a day to be safe. If every day was sunny and you live in the southern states you should realize 5 hours a day (but around 3 in the winter).

So 100 watt solar x 5 hours = 500 watts and if you figure 50 amh of useable juice then you get back around 41.2 amps per a day with that setup (as a general rule). But in reality Im sure its less.

Im just going to start slow. I dont really need solar .... it just something I want to do.

This is really my test project for when I add solar to my house in 5 to 10 years. I like to be close to net zero at home by the time im ready to retire.