100W 12V Panels Vs. Higher Watt Panels For Ambulance

[joe311]

Why Would I Want 100W 12V panels vs others? (I Have an ambulance so I have the extra space)
What are the pros and cons?
Price Difference?

 

[Will Prowse]

Small panels are: Easier to mount. Lightweight. Super strong.

Larger panels are a pain to mount on vehicle roofs. But if you can do it, go for it.

Also, be sure to add a safety cable in case your mounting methods fail.

Larger panels are cheaper.

I could never mount them on my rv roof's because I had vents/skylights in the way. 100w panels fit roof racks and small spaces between vents nicely.

So it depends on your roof.

 

[MrNatural22]

My plan is for one 327 watt panel instead of three 100w panels because I have the room. 45lbs for the 327w and 65lbs for the three 100w. Not sure if partial shading on one would be detrimentally worse performance wise
Than shading of one of the three.

 

[joe311]

That would be interesting to know MrNatural22. What kind of controller would handle charging for this? Isnt there a efficiency advantage to using 12v solar penels or does the MPPT convert it regardless?

 

[Cajunwolf]

I just finished helping a friend of mine put panels on top of his 35-foot (might be near 40-foot) class A that he got really cheap. Here's what we did, using 1-inch .125 wall aluminum tubing and 1/4 inch plate we made a rack, like a giant luggage rack, raised above and level with all the vents, and two A\C roof mounts and made a grid that holds 2.5kw worth of solar panels (25 100watt panels), and he has two 12v 400ah batteries paralled into a 12v @ 800ah battery bank. It didn't cost that much either, he rented the welding rig, I can weld aluminum, and he bought two 12v 400ah kits from Amazon and using Will's handy little book we had it all hooked up and running in no time. With the solar he's got, he's thinking of adding another battery. I think the two battery kits were like $2150 each? Anyhow, I'll get him to send me some pictures, it looks awesome from above.
Build you a rack on top of that ambulance custom-designed for the panels, and you won't have to worry about mounting issues.

 

[MrNatural22]

Small panels are: Easier to mount. Lightweight. Super strong.

Larger panels are a pain to mount on vehicle roofs. But if you can do it, go for it.

Also, be sure to add a safety cable in case your mounting methods fail.

Larger panels are cheaper.

I could never mount them on my rv roof's because I had vents/skylights in the way. 100w panels fit roof racks and small spaces between vents nicely.

So it depends on your roof.

That would be interesting to know MrNatural22. What kind of controller would handle charging for this? Isnt there a efficiency advantage to using 12v solar penels or does the MPPT convert it regardless?

I’m building a 6x10 cargo trailer conversion that has limited room because of a center fantastic fan on the roof. I’m using a 4215BN EPever MPPT CC.
The one 327w sunpower mono panel is basically the same dimensions of the three 100w panels mounted together, but 20lbs lighter. There would also be room on the rear portion of the roof for a second 327w panel if I
upgrade in the future. If I run them in parallel I’d have 60v @ 11.5 amps into the MPPT on a good day.
And as Will said safety tethers on the panels for peace of mind.

 

[Cajunwolf]

Nice setup.

 

[joe311]

MrNatural22, that is a nice setup.
What do you mean by safety tethers?
Also I assume thats a 40 Amp controller?
Also I am curious, would that controller work with a 10.95 V nominal battery?
Here is my battery:

6000 CYCLES LITHIUM ION POLYMER 12V BATTERY ELECTROVAYA 10.95V 80AH EV3S2P 1KWH

THIS COULD BE THE GREATEST BATTERY ON THE MARKET. RATED FOR UP TO 6,000 CYCLES, THESE ARE MADE WITH LITHIUM ION CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY. THE 2ND PHOTO SHOWS THE DATASHEET OF THE CELLS USED IN THIS MODULE. THIS MODULE IS MADE OF 6 OF THOSE CELLS IN 3S2P CONFIGURATION. ALTHOUGH THE STATED CAPACITY ON...

batteryhookup.com

 

[MrNatural22]

MrNatural22, that is a nice setup.
What do you mean by safety tethers?
Also I assume thats a 40 Amp controller?
Also I am curious, would that controller work with a 10.95 V nominal battery?
Here is my battery:

6000 CYCLES LITHIUM ION POLYMER 12V BATTERY ELECTROVAYA 10.95V 80AH EV3S2P 1KWH

THIS COULD BE THE GREATEST BATTERY ON THE MARKET. RATED FOR UP TO 6,000 CYCLES, THESE ARE MADE WITH LITHIUM ION CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY. THE 2ND PHOTO SHOWS THE DATASHEET OF THE CELLS USED IN THIS MODULE. THIS MODULE IS MADE OF 6 OF THOSE CELLS IN 3S2P CONFIGURATION. ALTHOUGH THE STATED CAPACITY ON...

batteryhookup.com

Thanks, Safety tethers are cables attached from your panels to the vehicle body to prevent a loose panel from flying off during driving if attachment points fail.
yes that is a 40a MPPT. As for that battery I think that if the user settings with the CC it may work, but asking others here with more battery knowledge would be a good idea. I’m using a single 100ah LiFePo Ruixu for my power. Perfect for my setup.

 

[Cajunwolf]

It would depend on what they mean by "nominal" voltage. In the ad for the battery, they talk as if the battery was designed to deliver 80ah at a nominal voltage of 10.95. In the US we are supposed to have a voltage, at the outlet, 120 volts AC, but the nominal voltage is 110-119 measured on my Kill-A-Watt power strip.

"FULLY CHARGED THIS MODULE WILL BE 12.6V. DISCHARGED WOULD BE 8.4V."

So I guess they are using the nominal voltage as the MPV (Mid-Point Voltage)?

What devices are those batteries intended for? They're not even on the website's main menu.

 

[gnubie]

Up to 6000 cycles*

With no actual subtext associated, ie, we aren't going to tell you just how we get this many cycles from our product. Odds on they've done the usual and moved the goal posts to increase cycle count. Based on the number I'm guessing somewhere south of 70%. The normal measure of cycle count is when the battery has fallen to 80% of its original capacity.

All things considered, it would need a very long barge pole indeed for me to get within poking distance of that battery.

 

[Cajunwolf]

@gnubie

All things considered, it would need a very long barge pole indeed for me to get within poking distance of that battery.

Now that's a good one, and much more polite than mine would have been. Yeah, that whole battery ad didn't make sense to me, and if one checks the menu you cannot find it anywhere on their site. That one doesn't pass the smell test.

 

[joe311]

I only plan on using the battery for smaller stuff guys, and I am not expecting to get 6000 cycles. I'd be happy with 2,000 if I ever even get there. I was just asking if you know whether or not the voltage settings are adjustable to something non standard. They aren't on the main menu cause they are sold out. Anything that is sold out doesn't appear on their main menu. Also these are pouch Lipos, which in general are known to take abuse and to be safer in general.

 

[Eric L.]

I’m building a 6x10 cargo trailer conversion that has limited room because of a center fantastic fan on the roof. I’m using a 4215BN EPever MPPT CC.
The one 327w sunpower mono panel is basically the same dimensions of the three 100w panels mounted together, but 20lbs lighter. There would also be room on the rear portion of the roof for a second 327w panel if I
upgrade in the future. If I run them in parallel I’d have 60v @ 11.5 amps into the MPPT on a good day.
And as Will said safety tethers on the panels for peace of mind.
View attachment 1467View attachment 1468

I'm working on a CTC build as well. Nice to see others. ?

 

[MrNatural22]

That would be interesting to know MrNatural22. What kind of controller would handle charging for this? Isnt there a efficiency advantage to using 12v solar penels or does the MPPT convert it regardless?

I’m using a EPever 4215BN MPPT.
The MPPT take the panels voltage and converts it down to your batteries voltage. PWM can’t do the same.