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How to calculate your solar power requirements | iTechworld

Solar power

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19 views9 pages

How to calculate your solar power requirements | iTechworld

Solar power

Uploaded by

njdh96wsh4
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to calculate your solar power

requirements
How much solar power do you need?
Apr 13, 2016

So you want to set your rig up for Solar but you are not sure what size
of set up you need? This blog is designed to give you the tools needed
to be able to work out exactly what are you are drawing from your rig's
batteries and what type of solar set up you need. Knowledge is key
when setting up your rig for solar so the more information you have on
each and every one of those home comforts devices you plan to take
away with you the better. If anyone has a question pop it in the
comment section below. I will try my best to answer everyone.
:
How to work out Watts, Amps and Volts

A larger solar panle will collect more energy in less time, but just how
big does the solar panel need to be?

The power consumption of appliances is usually given in Watts. To


calculate the energy you will use over time, just multiply the power
consumption by the hours of use. For example:

10 watt device used over 3 hours equals 10 x 3 = 30 Watt

How to convert Amps to Watts

The energy in Watts is equal to the electric charge in Amps times the
voltage in volts:

Watts = Amps × Volts


:
Example

If your device doesn’t have the Watts labelled on it, then it should at
least have the input Volts i.e. 240V and the Amps AC it draws such as
240V – 1.5A. You can then use the equation Watts Volts x Amps so
240v x 1.5amps = 360 Watts.

How to convert Watts to Amps

The electric charge in Amps is equal to the energy in Watts divided by


the voltage in volts (V):

Amps = Watts / Volts

Example

Find the electric charge in Amps when the energy consumption is 300
watts and the voltage is 240 volts.

300 Watts / 240 volts = 1.25 Amps

Do I need a battery?
:
Solar panels are commonly used to charge a battery – not to charge a
device directly. There are a couple of reasons for having batteries. Solar
panels might not generate enough wattage to directly power an
appliance, but they can build up a higher wattage via a battery.
Secondly a battery can regulate the power going in to the appliance at
a constant rate. When solar panels are charging a battery it is usually at
a varying rate which could harm an appliance if not regulated.

Battery capacity is measured in Amp Hours (e.g. 120Ah). You need to


convert this to Watt Hours by multiplying the Ah figure by the battery
voltage (e.g. 12V) – see calculations above.

AH refers to amp hours. This rating is usually found on deep cycle


:
batteries. If a battery is rated at 100 amp hours it should deliver 5 amps
of power for 20 hours or 20 amps of power for 5 hours.

When choosing a battery, keep in mind the equipment you will be


powering and the time in which they will be running. Theoretically a
100Ah battery can deliver 5 amps over a 20 hour period (and so on).
Taking into account the average small campsite - with a small 45W
fridge running for 6 hours, 3 hours of 15W lighting and 20W of other
electronic equipment - the minimum consumption to be expected is
335W. Take this wattage and divide it by the voltage, 12V, gives 28Ah.
With the aim of leaving 50% in the battery brings the requirement to 56
Ah per day. A smarter battery setup would be to use an iTECH120
lithium battery. This new type of battery is a fraction of the weight of
old style AGM batteries. AGM batteries usually weigh 35kg but and
iTECH120 battery weighs just 13kg. You can also use more of the
battery capacity in an iTECH120 - 80% which means its usable Amp
Hour rating is similar to a 200 Amp Hour AGM. Read more about the
iTECH120 HERE

What size solar panel do I need?


:
Solar Panels power generation is commonly given in Watts e.g. 120
Watts. To calculate the energy it can supply the battery with, divide the
Watts by the Voltage of the Solar Panel.

120 Watts / 18v = 6.6 Amps

Please note that Solar Panels are not 12v, I repeat Solar Panels are not
12v. Any one who works out the Amps of a solar panels using 12v as the
voltage calculation does not understand solar or has been misinformed.
All solar panel voltages should be marked in the item description of our
website or on the unit itself.

Check out the iTechworld Solar Panel range HERE

Inverters
:
The power inverter converts your storage battery power into the 240
volts AC that runs your appliances. Unless you only run 12 volt DC
appliances you will need a power inverter to supply your AC.

There are 2 types of Inverters

Pure sine wave and Modified sine wave.

The Pure Sine Wave matches the power to that of which you get from
your Electricity Supplier, its clean and you can run any appliances safely
even sensitive equipment.

The Modified sine wave used to be considered a dirty power but some
:
aren't as bad as they used to be, you can use this inverter type for
things that don't have sensitive electronics for example fridges,
cookers, pumps, You may have to be careful with some appliances
such as laptops and TVs so check first.

Check out the iTechworld range of inverters HERE

Charge Controllers/Regulators

All Solar Panels 30 watts and above need a Solar Charge


Controller/Regulator. A Charge Controller/Regulator is necessary to
protect the batteries from over charging and supply them with the
proper amount of energy to promote long battery life. If the charge isn’t
regulated it can have a damaging effect on the battery being charged.

Check out the iTechworld range of Charge Controllers/Regulators


HERE
:
Article author

Ian

[email protected]
:

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