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Andy - here's a great page at redarc that 'splains a lot of that for you, and if you scroll down a ways on that page, will find about solar needs for fridges and typical adventure rig setups, etc:
Solar FAQS.
More details:
Just about any decent 100w panel will provide from 5-7 or so amps/hour. Some panels are more efficient than others.
Multiply that by an avg of 8hrs sunlight, and you get from 40-56 Ah (Amp hours) of storable energy/day.
Many 100w panels will come with a cheap controller fixed to the back that will do just fine. Better is to have the controller much closer to the battery, so the controller on the back is often bypassed with a better controller that you install near, or in the same compartment as, the battery.
There are all sorts of charge controllers used for small solar setups. Here are just two:
- A simple 15amp charge controller like the
Zamp Solar 15AW will handle a 100w panel with no problem. It will give you a bit of breathing room, too, if you choose to go with a bigger panel later. It can be set for various battery types and shows right on the controller a variety of info; battery voltage, charging current, charging capacity (amps per hour), battery types, full charge, and system faults.
- You can go for a bit more advanced charge controller like the
Victron 75/15 that may tweak a wee bit more power from your panel and has bluetooth, so you can monitor/control the charge controller from your phone or tablet. This one does not show you much on the controller itself, other than a couple lights. You need to use the free app on a device to monitor and see what it's doing.
I have the Zamp 15AW in my trailer, controlling and sending the power from my 120w folding panel into 100 A/h of deep cycle batteries. Plenty for my ARB 50 fridge, with power to spare.
I'm adding almost the same exact system to my van, though with a Victron charge controller like linked to above, because it came with the used panel I just bought.
A lot of folks new to solar get their whole kit from
Renogy; panel, controller, wiring, and all. Renogy is said to be pretty good at helping customers understand what they need and how to install, though I have no personal experience with them myself.
Questions for you:
- Is the battery you want to charge with the panel your only battery, the one that starts your vehicle?
- If so, are you planning to add a "house" battery later to power the fridge and other 12v accessories like lights, small battery chargers, usb ports for mobile devices, etc?
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