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12V Solar Panels
12V solar panels are used for off-grid power
A 12 volt Solar panel is designed to charge up 12 volt batteries. The best 12V solar modules are made of 36 solar cells connected in series and enclosed between a sheet of toughened glass and hard plastic and sealed within a high grade aluminium frame for protection and weatherproofing.
12V Solar components
To create a stand-alone 12v solar panel system you will also need a solar regulator to ensure the battery is not overcharged.
The purpose of the regulator is to act as charge controller, allowing the maximum charge from the solar panel when the battery charge is depleted but tapering off as it nears full charge, most solar regulators also control the power to the load, disconnecting it as the battery becomes depleted again after powering the load devices for some time without being charged from the solar panel.
Once the solar panel begins recharging the battery the regulator will recommence powering the load.
Deep cycle batteries are recommended for use with solar kits, these are made to withstand daily cycles of charging and deep discharging.
If you intend running AC appliances then you will also need a DC to AC power inverter.
What size 12V solar panel do you need?
To estimate your solar power requirement use this as an example:
A 20 watt globe will 200 watts in 10 hours (the wattage rating of any appliance indicates how much power it uses in one hour).
Assuming 5 hours of peak sunlight per day means you will need a solar panel capable of producing 200 watts in 5 hours.
Dividing 200 by 5 to get the watts size for the solar panel gives 40, so you will need a 40 watt solar panel.
In an actual application the system will include wiring, a regulator and a battery to store the power. These components all consume energy, thus decreasing the overall inefficiency of the system, so you should allow for that.
Choose a battery large enough to provide power for about three days to allow for cloudy days (ALL solar panels need bright, full sunlight over the whole solar module to generate their rated output).
With an adequate 12V solar power supply you can use a 12 volt solar panel to power anything that can be run off a car battery.
If you prefer a complete solar kit that you can set up in minutes and folds into a flat carry bag for easy storage then check out our portable solar panels.
Questions about Solar Panels
Q: How much cable comes with the 10 watt solar panel and does it have an inbuilt diode to prevent battery drainage at night?
A: The 10 watt Suntech solar panel has 3 meters of 18AWG twin cable fitted to the terminal of the junction box.
No, a blocking diode is not fitted, solar panels do not normally need any blocking diodes as the reverse current is negligible during normal use, in fact an installed SCHOTTKY blocking diode would cause a slight voltage drop which may cause more power loss than the reverse current at night. If the solar panels are to be kept covered or out of the sun for an extended time, then its better to connect a power isolator switch to prevent battery drainage.
Q: Do I require a regulator for a 10 watt 12 volt panel or can I connect it directly to a battery?
A: That depends on the size of the battery, for instance if it's large, say 100Ah battery, then the solar panel does not have much chance of overcharging it, which is the primary reason for using a solar regulator (also called a charger controller) A10W solar panel will only generate about 3 Ah in one day of peak sunlight so you can connect it directly to the battery. For smaller batteries of less than 20Ah you might want to use a small solar regulator to prevent overcharging. if 3Ah per day is likely to overcharge your battery.
Q: I want to set up a 12V solar charging system that will charge and then maintain a 12 volt ride-on mower battery (24Ah). Would a 10 Watt 12 volt panel coupled to the Projecta regulator achieve this outcome? Is the necessary wiring and connectors between the panel and the regulator included and can I connect alligator clamps to the output wiring for the mower battery terminals?
A: The 10 watt solar panel has a maximum current of about 0.5 amps so in one full day of sunshine it will generate about 3Ah. If you use the mower once a week then you can probably expect about 4 days of good sunshine between mowing which would generate about 12Ah, probably enough to recharge the battery. A solar charger is not really necessary because the low charging current (0.5 amps) produced by the 10 watt solar panel is unlikely to overcharge the battery. But if you prefer to use one then any small solar regulator will be OK, connected between the solar panel and the battery. There is a small length of wiring included with the solar panel but you will need wiring for the regulator. We can supply additional wiring and battery clamps.
Q: (Regarding the 12V solar charging system discussed before) Would you recommend an in-line fuse of any sort or is it OK as is?
A: A fuse is not required on the solar panel circuit. Only if you are setting up a permanent power supply with the battery supplying power to a connected circuit then you would put an appropriate inline fuse in the battery's positive side to prevent a short causing the wiring to overheat and catch fire but I presume you are not taking power from the battery while it is being charged.
Q: (Regarding the 12V solar charging system discussed before) Also, there are no instructions on how to mount the solar panel - any special methods required? I was going to use pan head screws in the channel on the back of the panel with loose nuts securing these to 2 pieces of wood which will then be bolted to the shed roof.
A: Mounting the solar panel is a matter of personal preference. There are mounting kits on the market but your idea sounds fine. An alternative is to use a strong construction adhesive to fix it to the wooden rails. Keep an air gap under the panel to allow for a good airflow to aid cooling as cooler panels produce more electricity than hot ones. An angled support of about 30 to 40 degrees to the horizontal and facing north would maximise exposure to the sun, this would also stop dirt and debris collecting on the solar panel and obstructing the panels, clean panels produce more electricity than dirty panels. Also see our Solar Panel Mountings category for commercially available products.
Q: Will a 40 watt solar panel run our Engel fridge and some LED lights while we are camping?
A: The answer depends on the battery capacity in Amp hours that you use to run the fridge and lights and how long it lasts before it needs to be recharged. But generally speaking I think you would need 80 watt or larger solar panel. The solar panel will have to be big enough to charge up a battery that must run the fridge for a couple of days without recharging, in case you have cloudy days with little sun.
12V Solar components
To create a stand-alone 12v solar panel system you will also need a solar regulator to ensure the battery is not overcharged.
The purpose of the regulator is to act as charge controller, allowing the maximum charge from the solar panel when the battery charge is depleted but tapering off as it nears full charge, most solar regulators also control the power to the load, disconnecting it as the battery becomes depleted again after powering the load devices for some time without being charged from the solar panel.
Once the solar panel begins recharging the battery the regulator will recommence powering the load.
Deep cycle batteries are recommended for use with solar kits, these are made to withstand daily cycles of charging and deep discharging.
If you intend running AC appliances then you will also need a DC to AC power inverter.
What size 12V solar panel do you need?
To estimate your solar power requirement use this as an example:
A 20 watt globe will 200 watts in 10 hours (the wattage rating of any appliance indicates how much power it uses in one hour).
Assuming 5 hours of peak sunlight per day means you will need a solar panel capable of producing 200 watts in 5 hours.
Dividing 200 by 5 to get the watts size for the solar panel gives 40, so you will need a 40 watt solar panel.
In an actual application the system will include wiring, a regulator and a battery to store the power. These components all consume energy, thus decreasing the overall inefficiency of the system, so you should allow for that.
Choose a battery large enough to provide power for about three days to allow for cloudy days (ALL solar panels need bright, full sunlight over the whole solar module to generate their rated output).
With an adequate 12V solar power supply you can use a 12 volt solar panel to power anything that can be run off a car battery.
If you prefer a complete solar kit that you can set up in minutes and folds into a flat carry bag for easy storage then check out our portable solar panels.
Questions about Solar Panels
Q: How much cable comes with the 10 watt solar panel and does it have an inbuilt diode to prevent battery drainage at night?
A: The 10 watt Suntech solar panel has 3 meters of 18AWG twin cable fitted to the terminal of the junction box.
No, a blocking diode is not fitted, solar panels do not normally need any blocking diodes as the reverse current is negligible during normal use, in fact an installed SCHOTTKY blocking diode would cause a slight voltage drop which may cause more power loss than the reverse current at night. If the solar panels are to be kept covered or out of the sun for an extended time, then its better to connect a power isolator switch to prevent battery drainage.
Q: Do I require a regulator for a 10 watt 12 volt panel or can I connect it directly to a battery?
A: That depends on the size of the battery, for instance if it's large, say 100Ah battery, then the solar panel does not have much chance of overcharging it, which is the primary reason for using a solar regulator (also called a charger controller) A10W solar panel will only generate about 3 Ah in one day of peak sunlight so you can connect it directly to the battery. For smaller batteries of less than 20Ah you might want to use a small solar regulator to prevent overcharging. if 3Ah per day is likely to overcharge your battery.
Q: I want to set up a 12V solar charging system that will charge and then maintain a 12 volt ride-on mower battery (24Ah). Would a 10 Watt 12 volt panel coupled to the Projecta regulator achieve this outcome? Is the necessary wiring and connectors between the panel and the regulator included and can I connect alligator clamps to the output wiring for the mower battery terminals?
A: The 10 watt solar panel has a maximum current of about 0.5 amps so in one full day of sunshine it will generate about 3Ah. If you use the mower once a week then you can probably expect about 4 days of good sunshine between mowing which would generate about 12Ah, probably enough to recharge the battery. A solar charger is not really necessary because the low charging current (0.5 amps) produced by the 10 watt solar panel is unlikely to overcharge the battery. But if you prefer to use one then any small solar regulator will be OK, connected between the solar panel and the battery. There is a small length of wiring included with the solar panel but you will need wiring for the regulator. We can supply additional wiring and battery clamps.
Q: (Regarding the 12V solar charging system discussed before) Would you recommend an in-line fuse of any sort or is it OK as is?
A: A fuse is not required on the solar panel circuit. Only if you are setting up a permanent power supply with the battery supplying power to a connected circuit then you would put an appropriate inline fuse in the battery's positive side to prevent a short causing the wiring to overheat and catch fire but I presume you are not taking power from the battery while it is being charged.
Q: (Regarding the 12V solar charging system discussed before) Also, there are no instructions on how to mount the solar panel - any special methods required? I was going to use pan head screws in the channel on the back of the panel with loose nuts securing these to 2 pieces of wood which will then be bolted to the shed roof.
A: Mounting the solar panel is a matter of personal preference. There are mounting kits on the market but your idea sounds fine. An alternative is to use a strong construction adhesive to fix it to the wooden rails. Keep an air gap under the panel to allow for a good airflow to aid cooling as cooler panels produce more electricity than hot ones. An angled support of about 30 to 40 degrees to the horizontal and facing north would maximise exposure to the sun, this would also stop dirt and debris collecting on the solar panel and obstructing the panels, clean panels produce more electricity than dirty panels. Also see our Solar Panel Mountings category for commercially available products.
Q: Will a 40 watt solar panel run our Engel fridge and some LED lights while we are camping?
A: The answer depends on the battery capacity in Amp hours that you use to run the fridge and lights and how long it lasts before it needs to be recharged. But generally speaking I think you would need 80 watt or larger solar panel. The solar panel will have to be big enough to charge up a battery that must run the fridge for a couple of days without recharging, in case you have cloudy days with little sun.
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