Heating Water With Solar Energy Pays For Itself 5 Times Over

According to researchers in India, after doing a thorough engineering and economic analysis, solar water heating systems have been shown to only take about two years to pay for itself.  The payback time for all the costs on  equipment and installation is just two years. It would take a photovoltaic system (used to generate electricity to heat water) about a decade and sometimes double that in order to get back the entire investment. This report comes from the International Journal of Global Energy Issues that discusses the success of the 1000-liter hot water system operating at a university hostel.

Boondocking – RV Solar Panels vs Generators

When it comes to Boondocking, the question is going to come up about which is better to supply you with power when you’re not hooked up to shore power: solar panels or generators?

On the one hand you have purists who only use solar. The thought of running generator and disturbing the tranquility of their natural surroundings is not one that sits well with them. Even though they have all the comforts of home, the reason for boondocking is about getting away from turbulent civilization and enjoying the peace only nature can provide.

Solar panels on the RV provide a clean and quiet way of generating electricity without disturbing the environment. If you have a large enough array of high efficiency solar panels and several batteries, you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of power.

Generators on the other hand tend to be more cost effective for those RVers who don’t boondock all that much.

Choosing clean solar panels over polluting generators is a personal choice based on several factors like:

•    Your feelings toward the environment
•    Convenience
•    Cost

But in my view, having both makes a lot of sense. Being able to boondock strictly on solar panels is easy enough to achieve. Although, there may be times where you run into extended rainy days which can cut the amount of light for your panels to produce electricity.

In this case having a backup generator is a smart move. You can get by with a small generator to power your toys while you’re stuck inside waiting for the weather to clear.
So, solar panels and generators can co-exist. The option you choose will depend on your finances and how often and where you plan to boondock.

To find the perfect solar panels for your RV, check out this handy RV Solar Panel Calculator.

Top 5 Reasons Why Your RV Should Have Solar Panels

Having Solar Panels on your RV give you a lot of advantages, but the top 5 reasons to install them are:

1. They are a 100% Green technology. RV solar panels convert sunlight into electricity without ever consuming any fuel, creating waste or making any noise. They are, by definition,100% “Green.”
2. They can double the life of your RV batteries. RV solar panels generate pure DC current which is exactly the kind of electricity your batteries need. By having a constant steady flow of electricity charging your batteries, you eliminate the life-shortening problem of repetitive deep discharges.
3. They are maintenance free. With no moving parts, there isn’t anything to wear out. All you have to do is wipe the panels off every once in a while with a clean cloth.
4. They provide you with energy independence. With the right size set of Solar Panels on your RV you can now go anywhere and never worry about having to find a hookup or run a generator.
5. They are totally reliable. Today’s RV Solar Panels are so reliable they come with a 25 year warranty and you can expect them to last you over 35 years!

Click Here To find the perfect solar panels for your RV.

How To Figure Out the Amp Output Of Any Type Of RV Solar Panels

Solar Panels are great technology but for RV owners they can be a bit confusing.

The problem has to do with the terms Watts and Amps.

RV solar panels are generally rated in Watts while the electrical appliances they power are rated in Amps. So how can you as an RV owner know which is the right wattage solar panel for your RV?

There two simple ways to figure it out.

1. Use the “Rule of Thumb” method
   It takes about a 15 watt solar panel exposed in bright sunlight for one hour to produce 1 (one) amp of power. So if you have a 80 watt solar panel it will create 80/15=5.33 Amps per hour in direct sunlight.
   ….
2. Use the Amp rating on the solar panel itself
   Many high efficiency solar panels have their amp ratings listed on them. Basically that rating means how many amps that panel can create in one hour of direct sunlight. For example, the SHARP polycrystalline 123-watt RV solar panel kit has a rating of 7.16 amps. That means in 4 hours it can produce 28.64 amps which then gets stored into your batteries.

So when it comes determining the wattage of solar panels you need for your RV, the first step is figuring out how many amps of electrical power you usually consume in a day. The easiest way to do that is to use our handy RV Solar Panel Calculator as a guide. Once you have that figure, it’s really easy to know what size of solar panels your RV needs.

123 Watt RV Solar Panels

123 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit

Harness the awesome power of the sun with this 123 watt solar panel to keep your RV batteries fully charged.

This SHARP polycrystalline 123-watt RV solar panel kit can produce 7.16 amps and comes complete with a male D/C plug, mounting bracket and screws, battery clamps, voltage tester, quick connectors, and extra wiring.

This panel is one of the best solar panel solutions for any RV owner with low electrical power requirements. But if later on down the road you find you need more juice hooking up a second or even a third panel anytime is a snap!

Here is a quick list of the features this 123 watt RV solar panel has for you:

• Designed for RVs
• High Efficiency Polycrystalline Cells
• Easy to Install & Maintenance Free
• Weatherproof
• Connect Multiple Panels for More Power
• 25 Year Warranty
• Max Output 123 Watts 7.16 Amps

Click here for more details or to order this RV Solar Panel Kit now!

How To Find The Perfect RV Solar Panels For Your RV

Find the perfect Solar Panels for your RV In Just 3 Easy Steps

1. Discover how much electricity you use in your RV on average a day (very easy to do)
   – Just use our handy RV Solar Panel Calculator to find the answer
   –
2. Find the perfect solar panels for your RV that matches your answer from step one
   – You’ll find it right at the bottom of the RV Solar Panel Calculator
   –
3. Order your RV Solar Panels and you’re done!

246 Watt RV Solar Panels

246 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit

With two high efficiency 123W polycrystalline solar panels this RV solar panel kit will convert a tremendous amount of the sun’s power into electricity for you to use when you’re camping.

The two panels are completely weatherproof,  maintenance free and easy to install.  Along with your RV Solar Panels you also get mounting brackets, a voltage tester and extra wiring (brackets and screws also included). You can connect additional panels to these ones which will charge your batteries even faster.

Included with your RV Solar Panel kit is a 30 Amp digital charge controller which helps to maintain 12V batteries in a fully charged state and preventing it from being  overcharged. This controller can handle up to 30 Amps of array current and 500 Watts of solar power.

Everything you need to get set up comes with this kit and even includes a digital 30 amp charge controller, an 175W inverter, screws, mounting brackets, voltage tester, and extra wiring.

Here is a quick list of all the features this 160 watt RV solar panel kit has for you:

• Designed for RVs
• High Efficiency Polycrystalline Cells
• Easy to Install & Maintenance Free
• Weatherproof
• Connect Multiple Panels for More Power
• 25 Year Warranty
• Each Panel = Max Output 123 Watts 7.16 Amps
• Digital 30 amp charge controller
• 175-watt inverter
• screws, mounting brackets, voltage tester, and extra wiring

Click here for more details or to order this 246 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit now!

RV Solar Panel Calculator

Step 1 – Calculate your RV electrical power requirements

12V Appliances	Amps	x Quantity	x Hrs. run/day	=Total amps/day
10 watt lights	0.8
15 watt lights	1
Water pump	4
12 volt TV	3
Automatic Fan	2
Furnace	8
12 Volt Stereo	0.8
Propane Alarm (usually 24hrs/ day)	0.21	1	24	5
120 VAC Appliances – Using DC to AC Inverters
TV	4
DVD Player	3
Satellite	4
Microwave (average 0.15 day)	100
Toaster	65
Coffee Maker	60
Blender	12
Laptop	5
Coffeemaker (average 0.15 day)	50
Blender (average 0.15 day)	12
Toaster (average 0.15 day)	60
Vacuum (average 0.15 day)	35
Curling Iron (average 0.15 day)	3
Blow Dryer (average 0.15 day)	125
Total amp hours per day

Step 2 – Calculate your total weekly amps

Multiply total amps hours per day by the number of days per week (i.e. weekend camping: multiply
total amp hours x 2 days, full-time camping: multiply total amps per day x 7 days).
_____________ amps per x ______________# of days of use per week = ________________ total amps

Step 3 – Find the perfect solar panels for your RV

Estimated Weekly Output	RV Solar Panels
112 Amps	60 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit
149 Amps	80 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit
200 Amps	123 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit
260 Amps	160 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit
400 Amps	246 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit

Rates are based on a 12V system with 4 hour charging times. Actual charging times will vary depending
on time of year, angle of the sun relative to the RV solar panel and, of course, weather conditions.

160 Watt RV Solar Panels

160 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit

Harness the free power of the sun with this 160 watt solar panel to keep your RV batteries fully charged.

This 160 watt RV Solar Panel Kit contains two of Sharp’s 80 watt solar module panels.

These high efficiency Polycrystalline solar cells have an anti-reflective coating allowing it to absorb more light in absolutely all weather conditions. This 160 watt RV Solar Panel Kit can even let you easily be connect more panels to it to generate more power.  The panels textured cell surface to reduces reflection of sunlight and is completely weatherproof which makes it perfect for mounting it on the roof of an RV.

These panels come with an aluminum frame for extended outdoor use. This kit is extremely easy to install and best of all – maintenance free!

Everything you need to get set up comes with this kit and even includes a digital 30 amp charge controller, an 175W inverter, screws, mounting brackets, voltage tester, and extra wiring.

Here is a quick list of all the features this 160 watt RV solar panel kit has for you:

• Designed for RVs
• High Efficiency Polycrystalline Cells
• Easy to Install & Maintenance Free
• Weatherproof
• Connect Multiple Panels for More Power
• 25 Year Warranty
• Each Panel = Max Output 80 Watts 4.67 Amps
• Digital 30 amp charge controller
• 175-watt inverter
• screws, mounting brackets, voltage tester, and extra wiring

Click here for more details or to order this RV Solar Panel Kit now!

80 Watt RV Solar Panels

80 Watt RV Solar Panel Kit

Harness the free power of the sun with this 80 watt solar panel to keep your RV batteries fully charged.

This SHARP polycrystalline 80-watt RV solar panel kit can produce 4.67 amps and comes complete with a male D/C plug, mounting bracket and screws, battery clamps, voltage tester, quick connectors, and extra wiring.

This panel is one of the best solar panel solutions for any RV owner with low electrical power requirements. But if later on down the road you find you need more juice hooking up a second or even a third panel anytime is a snap!

Here is a quick list of the features this 80 watt RV solar panel has for you:

• Designed for RVs
• High Efficiency Polycrystalline Cells
• Easy to Install & Maintenance Free
• Weatherproof
• Connect Multiple Panels for More Power
• 25 Year Warranty
• Max Output 80 Watts 4.67 Amps

Click here for more details or to order this RV Solar Panel Kit now!