Two days ago, we talked about how to choose the size of the solar panel according to the electrical consumption of our RV. Before we understand how to install the solar system, let’s review the components of the RV solar system.
1. Storage battery
The battery pack is the core of the motorhome power system. Without batteries, the RV can’t store electricity. A battery is a place to store the energy provided by solar panels for your use. Your solar panel will charge the battery pack. But not all battery packs are the same, and not all battery packs are suitable for the unpredictable charging cycle of the solar system. Lithium batteries for solar applications are a better choice than lead-acid batteries.
2. Solar panel
Your RV solar panel will be installed on the roof of your RV to collect energy from the solar cells and transmit this energy (through the charging controller) to your battery pack. The solar panel can be laid flat, or you can choose an installation method to make your solar panel face the sun.
3. Charging controller
The charging controller is installed in the RV. The wires go from your solar panel to the charging controller, and then from the charging controller to your battery pack. The purpose of the charging controller is to control the charging speed of the battery. The charging controller needs to prevent overcharging. In the case of MPPT charging controller, operate the panel as effectively as possible.
4. Inverter
The electricity generated by the battery is 12 V DC. With it, you can power all 12V devices and appliances as well as the 12V (cigarette lighter) port of the RV. If you want to use 120 V AC to power a coffee machine, laptop or any device that needs AC power, you need an inverter to convert 12 V DC to 120 V AC. You will install the inverter in the RV as close to your battery pack as possible, and your AC appliances and equipment will receive the converted power (from DC to AC) from the inverter.
If you want to know more about solar panels, please contact us, the solar panel manufacturer – Huanqi Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.