Converting your RV with solar panels can be a great way to get off the grid. There are things you need to know about your DIY solar RV and there is endless studying that can be done, but we’re here to let you know what you should consider first. Learn if a solar RV is just what you’re looking for.
What’s the difference?
The only major difference between solar panels for your home and solar panels for RV is the size. They still function relatively the same. RV Panels used for solar still convert the sun’s light into energy or electricity for your RV to run off of. Sunlight gets passed through your solar panels, which creates a current. This current flows to the charge controller, and that regulates how much current runs through the battery of your solar-powered RV system. Depending on what kind of power you need, DC or AC, the power then can get run through a solar inverter.
If you plan to run your whole RV off of solar power, you’ll definitely need an inverter. AC power runs things like chargers, laptops, small kitchen appliances like toasters, etc. Your solar panels will send the energy collected to a battery, that will store the power you need to power your RV.
What do you need?
Learning about exactly what you need to go solar can be tricky. Talk to your local solar RV equipment supplier about what you’ll need to do it. See how many panels they’d recommend for what you’d like to be able to do with your RV. You might need more panels for what you want to do, or you may just need to budget more time to collect energy.
Benefits
If you’re looking for a greener way to power your RV, solar is probably the best choice for you. You can get off the grid with a solar equipped RV, and no longer depend on hook-ups in a campground. It takes some time and power management to figure out how much power you need to run your RV, and you have to use your power sparingly. For example, you probably won’t generate enough power to cook dinner, take a shower, and watch TV, but you may collect enough to do two of those things.
If the only thing stopping you is the cost of an initial outfitting with solar panels, you should consider how much money solar panels could save you in the long run.
If you want a greener way to go camping or are looking for a better way to live off the grid, check out what a solar RV can do for you. You will have to adjust your lifestyle to going solar, but it’s a great way to free yourself from campground hookups and get off the grid.
