Lets Get Started

 

Don't waste time or $ on Harbor Freight, Renogy or Grape are overpriced

Solar is a battery charger...nothing more. You can have multiple sources charging your battery. there can be multiple controllers, ideally networked together to operate uniformly like the Victron Line of Products can.

Start with a made in the US 200w panel with 25yr warranty for $185/shipped. No trouble keeping your single battery charged but is also a great start to a bigger system. Virtually everyone expands when they realize how nice and convenient it is. 250w + Panels are good but freight shipping jacks price up. Use cardboard templates to work out roof space/sizes Hightec panels from ContinuousResources.com

Or Rich Solar, Trina, Canadian Solar,EcoWorthy etc on Amazon, if unavailable, but try to keep it US MADE

$14 PWM Chinese charge controller Amazon etc to get started, but TRUE MPPT is better

Calculate controller about 16A per above panel. So a 30a for 2 panels, a 40-50a for 3 panels etc. (200w ÷12v = 16.6Amps max ea) Controllers are rated for max output amps at ANY battery voltage.

You can use panel as a ground mount propped on something or a simple PVC proprod. Skip the overpriced suitcases

Ideally 1.5-2w or more per AH of battery is a good rule

$199 for ^ 200w "KIT" if you need mounts +$9 Rich Solar Z brackets etc on Amazon 

This is for basic use single battery charging etc

If you want lower budget or used panels check FaceBook Marketplace and SanTan Solar for used or pretty good prices on new. Be sure to figure in S/H costs.

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Flex vs Solid Frame, Glue down
I know you think flexible will be lighter and easier...in the long run it's generally not. What happens when you need to remove/replace that panel??? 

Flexible have a tendency of failing quickly and often as well as start fires. I personally won't waste my money on em or risk it.

That tape/glue will peel many types of roof right off. Dicor has been used to seal RV roofs for years and if installed right will last 30+ years. If it does fail scrape it off and add more. Add it under the mount and over the screw heads. I suggest at least #12 screws with a Hex head for ease of use and Stainless Steel to minimize rust/corrosion. There's multiple ways to mount em directly that will be different based on the roof type and brand. Using like a length of 1 1/2”-2” x 1/8” aluminum angle to span a couple joists can be done and gives lots of options for mounting securely.

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Panel Wire

Buy/Use 20' red PV wire extension, cut in half for 1 10' pos lead and 1 10' neg lead, the connectors are one end other end goes to a breaker for a disconnect or a fuse then to controller, Just wrap black electrical tape, heatshrink or sharpie the wire black for neg so it gets connected to controller correctly. Can buy longer if needed like a 30' for 2 15' leads or a 50' for 2 25' leads From Amazon etc 10ga minimum but size properly, using larger gauge for longer lengths. Follow an Ampacity chart for size vs length and upsize if you're unsure.

Junction box

Can be placed on the roof with larger wires to connect down to controller, which makes additions easy. A grey exterior grade PVC electrical box is very easy and affordable.

Battery to controller wire/fuses, 20a controller with 25-30a breaker 10ga wire minimum, 30a controller with 40a breaker 8ga minimum, 40a controller with 50a breaker 6ga minimum. Bigger wire is always better (smaller Gauge number) Follow an ampacity chart for length upsizing is always ok.

Just need some ring terminals to connect to Battery terminals usually a 5/16" or 3/8" ring sized for 10ga wire etc. Can get longer if needed on Amazon

10ga 3/8" ring terminals should fit most batteries. Or automotive\electrical departments

Batteries

On the low end get a DEEP CYCLE group 27-31 battery from somewhere convenient. Walmart and Autozone have good battery manufacturer. Or Sams Club, Costco or Batteries Plus check website for order online discount. Better is 2 6v Golf Cart Batteries called (GC2) wired in series for 12v work excellent and are preferred over regular deep cycle/marine. These are the lower end batteries. AGM from like the Solar VMAX are excellent but more expensive. A better option also is Lithium. They do have low temp charging minimums if that’s a concern, but keep them inside and they are an excellent option. Generally calculating all in price they are the same or cheaper in the long run. Also less of them are needed for the same usable capacity. BattleBorn are considered some of the best in the business. They are excellent but the price also reflects it. Also diy packs can be assembled.

Don't mix different age, type or size of Lead batteries, they don't work well together.

Amazon started selling a chinese brand called Lossigy, but price is really good. Also check Ampere Time or Chins, the reviews are excellent, components and build are really good. The prices are incredible.

Another good brand of Lithium is SOK available from a couple of distributors. They are very good quality, make their own BMS with extremely low failure rate and has a user serviceable design. Available for only slightly more money than the cheaper options. SOKBattery .com

Lead Batteries (SOC)State Of Charge while at rest NOT under load

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If you want an amazing start to solar, with a single Lithium battery system here’s what you want.

(1) 200w ContinuousResources Hightec Made in the US Solar panel for $185/shipped

(1) Victron 75/15 SmartSolar MPPT Bluetooth charge controller($120ish), or a SmartSolar 100\30 for 2 panels ($200ish) Otherwise the Epever 40A controller for about $170 is decent

(1) Ampere Time 100AH Lithium battery $500 or less

+ any wire, breakers or mounts you need.

=$885 or so For an amazing beginner Solar 200w KIT WITH Lithium battery

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OPTIONS

1. Solar panel Z bracket mounts for roof etc $9 Amazon

OR DIY

You can make your own mounts very easily with basic tools that allow easy mounting and removal. Basically just use like 1 1/2" or 2" by 1/8” thick aluminum angle cut like 2" long 2x. Then drill a 1/4" hole in one side of each and use a SS 1/4" bolt to hold em both together 1 is upside down and facing other direction of the other making essentially a DIY Z bracket. The height and angle can be changed for different mounting angles and holes drilled at different heights for varying options.

 

 

 

Removal of panel from roof is easy by just unbolting the bolt holding the 2 halves. Rather than digging through Dicor to remove bolts from roof, or the bottom of the panel like traditional Z brackets. Just try to keep all your holes drilled with same dimensions from edges/corners for uniformity. Then replacing a panel or mount bracket is easier

This is drilled and tapped right into the panel frame. 3/16" hole then a 1/4-20 tap to make threads for a regular 1/4-20 SS bolt. Try to get the solid part of frame or through bolt for best results. And like mentioned make all your holes the same measurements from all edges etc and all brackets also. That way replacing or reinstallation is easy.

Another advantage of these DIY brackets is you can easily make a tilting panel by using a piece of 1” wide 1/8” thick piece of flat aluminum long enough to extend between the upper and lower bracket to give the angle you need. Approx 45 deg angle is a good general but really depends on where you intend to be located and what time of year.

2. Upgrade charge controller to an MPPT from Victron, Rich Solar, Epever, Midnite, Magnum etc--Calculate controller about 11A per 200w above panel. So a 30a for 2 panels, a 40a for 3 panels etc But overpaneling is ok on Mppt since the controller will cutoff at rated amperage. Just limits a bit on max output periods. More is always good.

3. A Solar Gland to put wiring through a roof(use Dicor self Leveling) or an Exterior grey PVC electrical box used as a combiner box caulked and screwed on roof etc. 4 screws to secure it would be good. Drill holes for screws, be careful not to tighten too much cracking plastic.

4. There's lots of different types of power outlets for plugging stuff in as needed

Search Amazon for “Quick Charge 3.0 Dual USB Charger Socket, Waterproof Power Outlet Fast Charge with LED Voltmeter” It’s USB ports with built in battery voltmeter

I also found a power outlet hub that obviously plugs into 1 12v power outlet then has an on/off switch on the plug with a LED voltmeter, 3 extra power ports with individual power switches, plus multiple USB ports including QC for a fast charge. No more need for separate usb adapters. Found on Amazon for about $20

I prefer to mount my own power outlets. I use the ones with the spade connectors on the bottom of it. That allows like 10-12ga wire and 15-20 amp fuse for some seriously capable outlets.

One tip for flush mounting a power outlet is use a regular blue electrical box with the wings on it frequently called an old work box, in a cabinet panel then use a regular blank cover plate with a hole drilled in it the proper size for the power outlet. Super cheap super easy

5. If you decide you need an inverter-- 1000W ÷ 12V= 84A at 12v DC draw off your batteries. Should have 4 or more batteries to minimize draw from each battery. 2000w+ Should be more like 6. Higher draw kills batteries. A 2000w realistically should have 2/0 cables and a 3000w should have 4/0

A nice small 600w PURE SINE WAVE only, will work excellent for running most smaller devices up to TV's etc $150ish on Amazon or Continuous Resources. Check the power draw of your devices in watts and add them up. Refrigerators and motors/pumps will draw much more at startup then drop down and require a larger inverter. Inverters do have a standby draw that goes up with the size. The cheap ones will also be higher draw. So use the smallest you can. The larger the inverter = the larger the draw on batteries = the need for more batteries to run it. Lead have a large voltage sag when large amps are drawn and will cause problems if things aren't sized properly. 2000W should have at least 6 batteries or more.

Lithium are a bit different and limited basically by the BMS and the C rating.

Tips on Calculations—or Ohms law simplified there's Ohms law calculator websites too

Watts = Volts X Amps

Amps = Watts \ Volts

Volts = Watts \ Amps

There's more info on Solar, Batteries, off grid power, refrigeration and more in a free DOC at Tinyurl.com/ShedTinyInfo

To learn more about hookups etc Search/Watch Will Prowse Solar for Beginners on YouTube