I am developing a project of a mobile solar power plant with an active tracker for a van, which is supposed to be used for charging drones in field conditions, and looking for an area in which this development will also be useful. I want to ask people with experience in using a RV: will this device be useful to owners of campervans? Surely there are some nuances that experienced people may know about.
The device is mounted on the roof of a caravan or trailer. The solar panels are retracted while vehicle is moving, and can provide 400-800 Watts. Device is unfolding while on park, and perform active sun tracking, providing about 1-3.5 kW per hour (depending on the PV panels). Its weigh about 100 kg.
I will be glad to any of your ideas, thoughts and comments.
Kind regards, Alex.
Pic.1 - https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjliWmLDIO28godTWIB9S1c9wo6O6A (https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjliWmLDIO28godTWIB9S1c9wo6O6A)
Pic.2 - https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjliWmLDIO28godUy8scSSDPq5OjdA (https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjliWmLDIO28godUy8scSSDPq5OjdA)
Greetings and Welcome!
You're looking to spend a fortune on what a cheap generator can do cheaper and more efficiently. There's a reason such systems don't exist, they just aren't practical, not financially, and not in efficiency. At the typical 30% efficiency rating of the best solar panels, to produce 1,000 (1kw) of power would require 3,000+ watts of solar panels, and even then, in perfectly sunny conditions, you're looking at 2 hours max of that output.
A 4kw generator can be bought for $200-$300, and the entire system would cost under $500 easily, vs. many thousands for a solar system that wouldn't be nearly as efficient or as versatile.
The ONLY people solar really makes sense for are the people selling it. For everybody else, charging while driving, with a generator, or with shore power make MUCH better sense.
Cheers!
Thanks a lot for your opinion. :)
Greetings!
Bump to foil spammers...
Cheers!