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Solar panel power on a shady pitch - is it enough?

NickE

NickE

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T5 SE 180
Before I blow £4/500 on installing a solar panel, I'd much appreciate people's views on how effective panels are out of the direct sun. My requirement is to keep the fridge going for a week in the south of France in August. There will be plenty of sun (hopefully!) but we tend to pick sites where we can park up in the shade. This summer the batteries lasted around 2-3 days in some pretty hot weather. The panel I'm looking at is 110W, would this do the job under a tree?
 
Before I blow £4/500 on installing a solar panel, I'd much appreciate people's views on how effective panels are out of the direct sun. My requirement is to keep the fridge going for a week in the south of France in August. There will be plenty of sun (hopefully!) but we tend to pick sites where we can park up in the shade. This summer the batteries lasted around 2-3 days in some pretty hot weather. The panel I'm looking at is 110W, would this do the job under a tree?
Even under trees some direct sunlight gets through at some times of day.

Leisure batteries without solar will power the fridge for about four days. Add solar in the shade and you will undoubtedly extend that +50%, double, triple, indefinite... I'm not sure.
 
It is really hard to say because every situation will be slightly different and how do you define shade? If the panel pointing towards the sun, away from etc etc. You will get some power but how much will vary based on a lot of factors.

As a general rule based on my experience a cloudy day will reduce my panels output by at least 40%.
If a shadow goes across part of my panel, I have seen a 50% drop over what I was getting in full sun

An MPPT charger controller can maximise your power output so is wise if you expect shade.

This is why I use a suitcase style panel, I can put the panel in the sun and leave the van in the shade. However you lose the always on nature, the security and convenience.
 
Will you be driving around in the Cali at all?

We spent three weeks in France this past August. We camped in semi-shade (as the sun moved around, the afternoon was in partial (significant) shade). (See below + early morning.)

But we went out and about during our stay - most, but not all days.

The overall combination of shade and sun and driving around was more than enough to keep us fully charged over the three week period. No hook up was available or required. Monitoring the electricity generated, the most was while we visited Orange and parked in the town centre car park.

The fridge was on permanently at a high setting. Lights, camera batteries, phones, iPad etc on regular recharges.

We have dual panels with 220W and a Victron MPPT controller.

I'm confident we could have generated enough electricity with less sun or more shade. I'd happily attempt a week in France in August without hookup, even with more shade and with no driving around.

IBND8947.jpg

The stand alone 100W solar panel is for the caravan - also perfectly adequate to keep lights and electrical equipment charged etc but not powering the caravan fridge
 
100W ETFE from china + victron MPPT. At direct sun absolute maximum 77W. In the shade under trees about 10W. With quite old 120Ah gel we did 2 nights. In the morning about 20% energy left. But we never stay more than 2 nights at the same place.
These are my experience this summer. (T4 California with fridge )
 
And this was May 2019 in Devon fro a week.

It wasn't sunny every day - this was one of the sunnier days...

InkedIMG-20190528-WA0001_LI.jpg

Admittedly no shade, but plenty of cloud and mist. No problem keeping everything fully charged throughout the week.

On this occasion, the caravan was on hookup, but not the Cali.
 
Will you be driving around in the Cali at all?

Well, the idea is to not drive around. This summer we had to go for spin simply to charge the batteries. We use very little battery power when on site, but when it's 35C outside the fridge is really having to work.
 
Well, the idea is to not drive around. This summer we had to go for spin simply to charge the batteries. We use very little battery power when on site, but when it's 35C outside the fridge is really having to work.
If that is how you use your Campervan, I would recommend a remote panel so you can choose to park in full shade all week and move the panel around to gain maximum solar energy as the sun moves.
 
If you are in direct shade under trees it won’t give you any charge. I have a mppt controller and two 120w panels and I had to get my van on hookup after a few days this summer in Italy. So a non shaded placce is a definite requirement if you like to power a fridge and mobiles and ipads etc for more than two days.
 
If you are in direct shade under trees it won’t give you any charge. I have a mppt controller and two 120w panels and I had to get my van on hookup after a few days this summer in Italy. So a non shaded placce is a definite requirement if you like to power a fridge and mobiles and ipads etc for more than two days.
Thank you kave and everyone else who has replied. I'm getting the feeling a solar panel will not fit the bill. The joy of a Cali is being able to pitch on some quiet remote spot on a campsite, which is usually away from power. Maybe I'll have to invest in one of the unfeasibly long power leads you see people using, trailing from one side of French campsites to the other!
 
In case you still would need some more ;-)

 

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