When you’re constantly out on the open road and enjoying nature, have you ever thought about going solar on your travels?
Last updated on 10/21/19, by Esmeralda Torres | Written by Jaelyn Dunbar
Make The Change To Solar
If you are frequently camping or RVing, are you always connecting to the grid? Isn’t it expensive and exhausting? If you’re out road tripping, you shouldn’t feel constrained to campgrounds or RV parks while making your journey. Luckily, switching to solar can change all of that. Go wherever your heart desires, be free and independent, and travel anywhere and everywhere. Going solar can change your life.
By switching to solar energy options, you can have access to the electricity you need no matter where you journey to. Traveling with solar provides you with a renewable energy source anywhere that has sunlight, without having to connect to any other sources. It’s easier than you think, eco-friendly, and it’s just what you need for your traveling necessities. Here’s how you can do it:
How to Travel with Solar
1.Calculating your Energy Needs
- Know how much energy you need to power your appliances, so you know which system you’ll need to set up
- There are a variety of ways to calculate your needs, but first you want to know how much power your appliances will be consuming. To calculate this consumption, find out how much wattage your appliances are using. ( e.g. A TV could be utilizing 80 watts- this could be found on the electrical label). Next, you take that number and multiply it by how many hours you’ll use it per day. So if you use the TV for 3 hours, you would be using 240W per day (3 hrs x 80 W). This process would be done for all your appliances. (If you have one 250W panel, that’ll produce 250 watts for every hour of direct sunlight, or more than three TVs worth of electricity every hour.)
- Then, you need to know how much energy the panels are generating over time and how much energy your battery system will hold
- If you need more help, click here for an online calculator that’ll help you figure out your off-grid needs
2. Placing of Panels
- You will have to decide where to put the panel: mounting it on the roof is common, but what if you want your panel to be mobile? Most of the time, people will store it in their camper or RV and take it out when necessary.
3. Setting It Up
- Once you know where the placement of your panels is, you can begin the process of connecting all of the equipment necessary for your system. The system you use will determine the best way to set it up. Most systems use the same equipment (as seen in the picture below) such as a battery bank, an inverter or even a charge controller, depending on your voltage.
- For more details, click here to learn how to set up your system.
3. Enjoying Your Solar Life
- Once everything is all set up and connected to everything you want/need, enjoy your sun-powered renewable energy!
Worth The Cost
We all know that going solar can be an expensive investment, however, in the long run the benefits of solar will prove to be worth the cost. It’s a well calculated risk that’s absolutely worth it, because with solar you’ll have the freedom to travel anywhere life takes you while still having the electricity to operate your appliances. Camping, hiking, RVing, or anything your imagination brings will become your freedom once you harness the power of the sun.
At SanTan Solar, our low prices can help make going solar that much easier. Just a phone call away to making all of your traveling dreams come true. Call us at 480-584-4281.
Sources
http://www.trailerlife.com/rv-gear/gear/rv-solar-power/
https://www.solartechnology.co.uk/support-centre/calculating-your-solar-requirments
