Solar systems are a great way to get electricity, especially when you’re traveling in your RV or Camper. Most RV owners in the United States, choose solar panels to produce their own electricity for their daily needs. Whenever I go out with my RV, I need to use a generator or campground electricity. But once I install solar panels on my RV, I don’t have to worry about my electronic appliances.
However, I like solar panels because they are portable and easy to set up. Also, solar power lets me run my electronic appliances and charge my devices. That’s why most RV owners are now interested in installing solar systems due to its ease of use.
Hence, RV solar panels are pretty expensive, but it is a lifetime investment that benefits you for a long time. In this guide, I will explain why you need solar panels for RV.
Why Choose Solar Power for Your RV?
After installing a solar power system on my RV roofs, I found it convenient to keep electronic devices and appliances running anywhere. However, solar power gives me the freedom to produce my own electricity to charge my electronic devices. Using campground electricity requires extra money. Also, every place doesn’t have campground hookups, so I had to use noisy generators sometimes. Thanks to solar power systems, now I can plan to go or stay in a more remote location with my RV.
However, solar panel systems are silent and eco friendly, and don’t make noise like generators. If you love peace of nature you should choose solar power over generators. Also, solar panels need little maintenance after installation. RV solar panels are portable and easy to set up, so you can install them on the roof or on the spot where you stay. Usually, solar panels work in daylight and they charge your batteries so that you can get electricity after sunset.
How Many Solar Panels Need to Run an RV?
Most RV owners have this confusion about how many solar panels they will need for their daily power needs. Usually, it depends on several factors such as your power usage, peak hour of sun in your location and solar panels output. If you are a weekend camper you’ll need less power than full time RVers. However, it’s important to understand the peak hours of sunlight so that you can easily calculate the exact demand for the power supply.
Sun usually stays in the daytime for almost 7 hours in summer. During the winter or monsoon season, this time decreases relatively due to shorter days. As we know, solar panels can’t produce electricity without sunlight, so you have to be concerned about the weather while camping. Because during the winter or rainy season your solar system won’t generate the power supply you need.
However, most RV owners use 200-watt and 400-watt solar panels according to their demands. A 200-watt solar panel provides 200 watt and a 400-watt solar panel provides 400 watt of power energy per hour while peak hours of sunlight.
Here we will take a closer look at different type users:
For Basic Power Needs
People who usually camp only on the weekend need basic power energy for their RV. They mainly need power for lights, a small TV, a refrigerator, and charging their devices. A 200-watt solar panel is enough for their usage. Typically, a light bulb needs 65-70-watt, a TV needs 500-watt, a refrigerator needs 700-watt and a laptop needs almost 50-300-watt power supply. If you don’t have more power appliances then a 200-watt solar panel is enough for your day trip.
Moderate Power User
Moderate power users need more electricity for their additional appliances. If you have more electronic devices and you want to stay more time in an RV then you have to consider 400-watt solar panels. A 400-watt solar panel will generate power for your all basic needs as well as coffee maker, microwave, longer TV, blenders, etc. You can install 100-watt three or four solar panels to meet your RV needs.
Full Time RVers
Full time RVers especially those who usually live in their RV or Camper need more solar power energy for their daily usage. Some people live full-time in RVs to save on rent or mortgage, but there is also some daily maintenance. They need more solar power like 600-1000 watt per day. If you use more than 1000-watt solar power each day, it’s better to install 2 of 400-watt solar panels for your RV. That will be enough for your entire power usage and charging additional devices.
What Type of Solar Panels Best for RV?
Now it’s time to choose solar panels for your RV. There are two main types of solar panels in the market such as monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Each type has different advantages and limitations. Most RV owners like to install monocrystalline solar panels nowadays. These panels are made of single-crystal silicon which provides them higher efficiency and reliability.
Also, monocrystalline panels can convert up to 22% of sunlight into usable electricity. Even if you have a smaller roof area these panels are able to generate more electricity. Although these panels are complex and expensive. But it’s a one time investment and you will be benefited for up to 20-25 years.
On the other hand polycrystalline panels are relatively budget friendly with reliable performance. These panels are manufactured with multiple silicon melted together. But polycrystalline panels can convert sunlight less than monocrystalline. That means if you want to purchase budget friendly panels you need more roof space to generate the solar power you need.
Conclusion
RV solar panels are portable and easy to set up on the roof or outside space while camping. Also, a solar power system is a cost-effective way to save the expenses of electricity by generating your own power energy. Usually, most RV owners use solar panels according to their power needs. This way you don’t have to worry about using electricity from the main power grid. Moreover, solar panels are eco-friendly and silent, they don’t disturb the peace of nature like generators. You can spend your days without noise and no need to pay the campgrounds hookups for your electricity usage.
