Whether you own a motorhome, caravan, campervan, or narrowboat doesn’t matter. Powering your recreational vehicle with a flexible solar panel is the ultimate way to reduce your energy consumption during your holidays. It can save you a lot of money in the long run while additionally supporting your bid for an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Before purchasing a solar panel kit for your campervan or motorhome, however, it’s vital that you know what size is needed. It will largely depend on the type of leisure vehicle you have and the activities that you intend to complete when using it.
Solar panel kits for caravans: choosing the right voltage
When choosing solar panel kits for caravans and motorhomes, the most important step is to choose a 12V solution. This is because the vehicle itself will use a 12V leisure battery, meaning the electrical current must be pushed through the conducting loop at this rate.
All of our flexible solar panel kits feature a 12V power source, meaning you can purchase with confidence. Aside from ensuring that solar power can be transferred to the electrical outlets, it removes the risk of faults or potential safety concerns.
The physical dimensions aren’t usually a major factor. However, ensuring that you have enough power will be vital.
Solar panel kits for campervans: choosing the right wattage
Voltage ensures that the solar panel kit is compatible with your campervan or motorhome. However, wattage is the key feature that determines whether it’s suitable. Wattage is the unit of power that measures how much electricity is released and consumed by the system. No two caravan owners are the same, so you must make a calculated decision based on your intended use.
A 100W or 120W solution should produce enough energy to power the lights, TV, fridge, and other essentials that you are likely to need for around 2-3 hours. If you plan to use energy-guzzling items or want to power them all day long, opting for a more powerful kit like this 360W High-Efficiency Semi-Flexible Solar Panel Kit will be more suitable.
To work out how many watts you use, simply multiply the watts per hour (wph) that is displayed on the appliance by the amount of time you use it for. If you have two appliances that use 20wph for two hours, that’s a total of 80W (2 x 20 x 2).
Solar panel kits for narrowboats
Narrowboats are a unique class of leisure vehicle, but they can still benefit from solar panel kit installation. Both semi-flexible solar panels and rigid solar panel kits are available. This 250W Rigid Solar Panel Kit is a popular option thanks to its waterproof features and strong power output.
Rigid panel kits can also be tilted up to face the sunlight for maximum solar energy harvesting. While the 250W solution is ideal when you want independence from the mains, a 100W option may be suitable when you just want to reduce the amount of power needed.
What is the right solar panel kit for me?
As well as finding the right size of solar panel kit for your leisure vehicle, it is also important to consider the individual elements of the kit. Here at Inlander Low Voltage, we pride ourselves on providing all-in-one solutions that include Victron Smart MPPT solar controllers and enable you to transform your motorhome or narrowboat with immediate results. And, of course, the more functions that are used, the more powerful your solar panels will need to be.
If you’re still unsure about which item is right for you, our experts are ready to help you find the perfect choice and arrange an installation if required. Contact us to learn more now.
