Solar Panels Mt'd on Truck for Charging & Power

[Joethemechanic]

http://www.delcoremy.com/pdfs/servic...acy/1G-280.pdf

Personally, I think you would do better with a separate alternator if you have some place to mount it.

[Dice]

Not sure what ac unit you are planning on using. That 9,000 BTU unit draws 6.5 amps at 230 volts. 6.5 A X 230 V = 1,495 Watts

1,495 W / 12 V = 124.6 Amps

So without calculating losses, you are looking at a 125 amp draw on your 12 volt batteries.

I think realistically you are looking at 175-200 amps.

You might want to look at one of those 24 volt units. you could probably rig up a series parallel switch to get that from your 12 volt batteries for when you have the engine shut down.

Delco made an alternator with both 12 and 24 volt outputs too. But the 24 V side was a little low on the amperage output. Good for charging, but I don't think you could run too much off of it.

850 watts @ 110 volts = 7.73 amps
12 volts will be 77.3 amps at 100%

By my estimates, 10,000 btu is a little more than is required and will probably be used at most 60% of the time. The batteries I hope to use will be close to 500 amp hours and the solar panels should give back 15 to 20 amps per hour that helps alot during the hottest part of the day to add 150 to 200 amps back on the long summer days. Should need around 400 to 500 amps at most for 10 hours of rest and besides I normally don't sit that long anywhere.

I do wish the AC unit was smaller and more efficient, but it is used and I am getting a good deal on it.

[Joethemechanic]

How much do those solar panels put out?

[Dice]

How much do those solar panels put out?

7.6 amps each @ 12 volts

Check this AC system out....http://www.climacab.com/index.html



I am looking for some pricing of this system?

[Dice]

Hard to find time to keep truck clean with so much bad weather lately.

Here a couple of camera phone pic of the 2nd panel add with a linear actuator to raise it up and down.





Get alot of questions on the road and at customers about the panels being added to their equipment to keep batteries up.

[Dice]

Just replaced my Optimas on the truck that I felt it was about time. Been only using 3 of the batteries for a while and finally another battery went bad losing cranking power.

6 years is not bad to get out of a set of truck batteries that I am sure with the solar and the battery minder will be alot longer now on the life of the batteries.

Getting ready to add another battery bank on the other side and I am considering going with the new Exide Roadforce 200 AGM batteries that have a full replacement 2 year warranty and only cost $179 a piece compared to the Optimas $229 a piece that less capacity than the Exides.



Link: http://www.exide.com/portal/server.p..._roadforce_agm

Anybody try these yet?

[Curlyfrompgh]

You should keep detailed records of how to set this up as well as tracking your experience. This sounds like a winner.

[Dice]

I have a gauge I watch in the cab that I can read even while in transit that the charge controller peakes the batteries off and goes to pulse/trickle charge mode that has to take alot off the alternator.

I was wondering if there was a way to power the existing AC compressor by removing fan belt from motor and hook up to an electric motor that is powered from the seperate battery bank?

The APAD would need the key on Acc. position for it to work too?

[concerned]

For starters you would need a fan for the condensor. Depending on the year of the truck,the sensors may depend on the motor running.

[Capt._Chaos]

Dice, it would make better sense to go with a separate A/C system to use while parked. Trying to convert the truck's A/C system to run off an electric motor would require a rather large one that would draw a lot of current off of your batteries. Chris brought up a good point about the need for a condenser fan which would also draw a lot of current, especially when it cycles on.

You would also likely have to rewire the A/C system to run on the accessory circuit (instead of the ignition circuit) to get the sensors to work in that situation.

Besides, if you had a separate A/C system to use while parked, either system could be used as a backup for the other if one has a problem and quits working.

I remember when my truck had an A/C compressor lock up when I was in south Florida one summer years ago. Instead of having to roll the windows down and deal with the invasion of 10,000 insects I just cranked up my APU (which I set up as a 'stand-alone unit' with its own cooling system) and used that A/C to keep the cab at a comfortable temperature until I got home and replaced the A/C compressor myself a few days later.