Two days ago, I talked about how to choose the size of the solar panel, according to the electrical consumption of our RV, and so on. Before we look at how to install a solar system, let’s review the components of an RV solar system.
- Battery pack
The battery pack is the heart of the motorhome powertrain. Without batteries, there is no way for an RV to store electricity. A battery is where the energy provided by the solar panels is stored for your use. Your solar panels will charge the battery pack. But not all battery packs are created equal, and not all are suitable for the unpredictable charge cycles of a solar system. Lithium batteries for solar applications are a better choice than lead acid batteries.Also read:How to charge lithium ion battery without charger
- Solar panels
Your RV solar panel will be installed on the roof of your RV, harvesting energy from the solar cells and transferring that energy (via the charge controller) to your battery pack. The solar panels can be laid flat, or you can choose to have a mounting method that angles your solar panels toward the sun.
- Charge controller
The charge controller is installed in the RV. Wires run from your solar panel to the charge controller, and from the charge controller to your battery pack. The purpose of the charge controller is to control the charging speed of the battery. Charge controllers need to prevent overcharging and, in the case of MPPT charge controllers, operate the panels as efficiently as possible.Also read:48V Lithium ion Battery 200AH
- Inverter
The electricity from the battery is 12 volts direct current. With it you can power all 12 volt devices and appliances as well as the RV 12 volt (cigarette lighter) port. If you want to use 120V AC to power your coffee maker, laptop, or anything else that requires AC, you’ll need an inverter that converts the 12V DC to 120V AC. You will install the inverter in your RV, as close as possible to your battery pack, from which your AC appliances and appliances will receive converted (DC to AC) power.