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Post by Jonathan Smith on Jan 16, 2005 11:24:33 GMT
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Post by breacht on Jan 30, 2007 16:03:20 GMT
Hi
Is it possible to run all electronics on the bus or coach by solar energy?
If so how do you connect it all up? would you get proffesionals in to do it?
Regards @
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Post by happyhippy on Feb 27, 2008 14:11:59 GMT
I had my solar panels installed proffesionally by a company called Solar Solutions in Poole (Dorset) and found them very helpful indeed. I have two 80W panels with blocking diodes so if one panel dies the other one can't discharge through the dead one, a regulator to prevent overcharging and a digital display unit that shows me the voltage (indicating how charged up the battery is) and the current (rate of charging from the panels). I run everything off this system, and except for the occasional really grey wet dismal sequence of days in the middle of winter I get sufficient charge from this. Mind you, I do try to be frugal with my use of leccy - my computer is the thing that uses the most power. I use candles at night and only switch on the electric lights for a few minutes at a time when I need extra light for something like when I'm cooking for instance.
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Post by albiondave on Oct 21, 2008 10:42:14 GMT
I live in a 1966 Albion furniture lorry , but with 3.5m+ high domed roof suffer the same problems as you with 4m+ from low branches , so fitting standard glass/aluminium panels wasn't fesible . So instead use those designed for boat decks , ie a semiflexible stainless steel sheet with cells glued directly on , protecetd by a thick pvc covering , in europe (i'm in france) I got mine direct from a german company www.sunware.de The advantages are that once bolted/rivited to the roof they are safe from wind & tree damage & more thief proof ! BUT .. limited range, 70w being the largest & priced to match .. nearly 900Euros . I did all my own fitting .. as its just a question of red/black pos/neg wires ! , with combined charging/discharging protection unit & fuse box .. But then again my installation is simple as with few watts & only 4 solar batterys (ones with fibre glass plates imbetween the lead ones ) power reserves are limited . So use 24 & 48 LED lamps (cheapest in europe = www.pearl.fr ) which use 1.5 / 3 watts . unlike the plastic camping brigade there's no 12v microwave/coffee machine/hoover/shower cabinet .... But have a small inverter to run a few gadgets when needed , like scanner & printer for laptop , which runs via a 'power knight' 12v-20v unit . |
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Post by Carolyn Y on Sept 27, 2010 8:57:09 GMT
Thanks for sharing the link! |
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