Which Portable Solar Panels to buy?

harryajh

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looking to buy some folding Solar Panels to charge our phones/tablets and even if possible, the Leisure Battery but know literally next to nothing about electricity.

I've been looking at 100w-300w Panels, I assume 300w charges a lot quicker than 100w? would that damage smaller devices? would the lower wattage ones charge the leisure battery (albeit slower)?

many thanks in advance
 
The wattage is irrelevant to the target device, more wattage is typically always better especially on overcast days when a typical panel may only be producing a few % of the claimed rated output.

Panels can’t typically be used directly on their own they are connected to a controller.

On a typical camper van the panels are connected to a branded Mppt solar controller which in turn is connected to and charges a leisure battery.

Your various devices, lights, usb chargers etc are also connected to the battery.

If you have a particular folding product in mind I suggest you put a link to it on here.

Fyi
Many of the ‘kits’ are often let down by including poor quality controllers
There are also a lot of fake controllers out the claiming to be MPPT but in fact are less efficient PWM.
Don’t worry about those two terms for now it’s just something you will pick up on as part of the learning curve!
Solars all about maximising the available power from the panels especially when charging leisure batteries.
 
CriftinsCampers said:
The wattage is irrelevant to the target device, more wattage is typically always better especially on overcast days when a typical panel may only be producing a few % of the claimed rated output.

Panels can’t typically be used directly on their own they are connected to a controller.

On a typical camper van the panels are connected to a branded Mppt solar controller which in turn is connected to and charges a leisure battery.

Your various devices, lights, usb chargers etc are also connected to the battery.

If you have a particular folding product in mind I suggest you put a link to it on here.

Fyi
Many of the ‘kits’ are often let down by including poor quality controllers
There are also a lot of fake controllers out the claiming to be MPPT but in fact are less efficient PWM.
Don’t worry about those two terms for now it’s just something you will pick up on as part of the learning curve!
Solars all about maximising the available power from the panels especially when charging leisure batteries.
Click to expand...
thanks for your reply, I've been looking at something like THIS
 
In rigid domestic panel terms £300 is expensive for an inferior low efficiency panel (13.3% efficient) combined with a poor quality pwm controller (worth perhaps £10 tops) and a few pounds worth of cabling.

However efficiency (which is just the ratio of panel size versus claimed output) is not such a big issue for something foldable and portable what's more important then is probably longevity, anything electrical that fold can break at the connections so focus on the quality of the panel and the warranty.

If you go for that it will probably do the job, personally if you want to maximize the available energy I would bin the included controller and add a quality mppt controller instead such as one of the excellent tracers from the Epever range.
 
I don't have a link as can't remember which Youtube video it was, but I am pretty sure I saw the one in the link reviewed along with a few others (and was not a sponsored promo) and IIRC it came pretty well.
I would agree that changing to an MPPT controller would be a good idea, especially in a panel array that size.
 
I invested in a portable solar panel some months ago. Dumped the controller and replaced it with a small Victron one. Hanging on the side of Murky I've seen 5 amps. Murky has some switched 12 volt terminal posts for other 12 volt uses. I connect to these and add to the habitation charging. Works well with the two Victron controllers playing nicely together on their network.
 
I use folding solar panels to boost harvesting in the Winter. I would say how useful they are will depend on how you use your van. If you use camp sites, attend meets, always stay with your van, always have someone who can keep an eye out they are great. If you tend to park anywhere and leave the van you have to think about security and that may mean you don’t leave them out.

I have seen people in camper vans unfolding the flexible panels on their room which makes them less obvious 👍
 
nabsim said:
I use folding solar panels to boost harvesting in the Winter. I would say how useful they are will depend on how you use your van. If you use camp sites, attend meets, always stay with your van, always have someone who can keep an eye out they are great. If you tend to park anywhere and leave the van you have to think about security and that may mean you don’t leave them out.

I have seen people in camper vans unfolding the flexible panels on their room which makes them less obvious 👍
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Just don't forget when you drive away!
I have 270W fixed on the roof but still found the 100W portable panel handy for some extra power at the Kelso meet.
 
wildebus said:
Just don't forget when you drive away!
I have 270W fixed on the roof but still found the 100W portable panel handy for some extra power at the Kelso meet.
Click to expand...
Yes I find mine useful but I am often in what a lot of people would class as high risk park ups so thought security worth a mention.

The people I saw putting the panels on the roof had the cables going in through either front or side window so less chance of forgetting ha ha
 
nabsim said:
Yes I find mine useful but I am often in what a lot of people would class as high risk park ups so thought security worth a mention.

The people I saw putting the panels on the roof had the cables going in through either front or side window so less chance of forgetting ha ha
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Quite right to consider security :(

At Kelso, I took mine in each evening (well, put under van so less visible) as we were by a main road, albeit with a high wall between. On a campsite I would probably run a bike lock through the handle to stop it being easily carried away.
 
wildebus said:
Quite right to consider security :(

At Kelso, I took mine in each evening (well, put under van so less visible) as we were by a main road, albeit with a high wall between. On a campsite I would probably run a bike lock through the handle to stop it being easily carried away.
Click to expand...
At Kelso I would probably leave mine out, I do on the Drove if I need to use it but only when I have friends around to keep an eye out. 👍
 
harryajh said:
thanks, as a guide for me what would you expect that spec to cost?
Click to expand...
I think that is about right for a 120W suitcase solar with rigid frames using a half decent MPPT controller. 100W around £30 less and 100W with PWM controller around £110 less.
 
My own portable panel kit came with a PWM controller. As we know, MPPT offers significant benefits so FWIW (as I tend to do things a bit differently :) ), I made a change to mine so the panel connects into an MPPT inside the Motorhome, but I can switch it to use the PWM (if say someone was going to borrow it to use on their van for example).

I don't know if the array in the link is overpriced really. The last flexible portable kit I bought was I think this one - https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en...-solar-charging-kit-with-MPPT-controller.html
£260 for a 100W lightweight kit with MPPT. That kit was actually very nice with a good travel bag.
 
wildebus said:
My own portable panel kit came with a PWM controller. As we know, MPPT offers significant benefits so FWIW (as I tend to do things a bit differently :) ), I made a change to mine so the panel connects into an MPPT inside the Motorhome, but I can switch it to use the PWM (if say someone was going to borrow it to use on their van for example).

I don't know if the array in the link is overpriced really. The last flexible portable kit I bought was I think this one - https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en...-solar-charging-kit-with-MPPT-controller.html
£260 for a 100W lightweight kit with MPPT. That kit was actually very nice with a good travel bag.
Click to expand...
I do the same, left the PWM controller glued to the panel but changed wiring and Anderson connectors so it connect through my Victron MPPT but could be put back fairly easily 👍
 
You can get a 50 w or above in a nice plastic frame and put it in the front screen area, do get a good mppt regulator and fix it near the battery, use a second ciggy socket on the dash wired to the control unit, then fit a ciggy plug to the panel wires, the MPPT unit should be wired to the less batts, from where you can then wire in a USB charge socket somewhere handy, I have them in mine.van g.jpg4 way panel.pngusb a.jpgusb c.jpg.jpgusb e.jpg
 
trevskoda said:
You can get a 50 w or above in a nice plastic frame and put it in the front screen area, do get a good mppt regulator and fix it near the battery, use a second ciggy socket on the dash wired to the control unit, then fit a ciggy plug to the panel wires, the MPPT unit should be wired to the less batts, from where you can then wire in a USB charge socket somewhere handy, I have them in mine.View attachment 63887View attachment 63883View attachment 63884View attachment 63885View attachment 63886
Click to expand...
Behind glass reduces the efficiency though...
So convenient BUT you won't be getting max benefit.
 
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