Is This The Future Of RV Solar?
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- Today We look at the up-and-coming solar awnings for RVing. Are they good? Are they worth it? Who are They for? What are the pros and cons? These are my first thoughts on the Solar Awnings coming out.
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Five years ago, we took an early retirement, sold everything, bought a MH and hit the road FT. It was the best decision we ever made. We discovered that we enjoy boondocking most of the time and we can stretch our budget this way too. We quickly learned the advantages of solar and decided to build our solar/battery system in 2 phases, a 12v phase for our basic 12v needs and a 48v system for our 110v A/C needs. We started our build 4 years ago with a pair of lead acid golf cart batteries and custom built a 620-watt liftable solar array mounted on the side of our motorhome. We lift the array to the optimal angle to improve their output by 25-30% vs flat mounted panels, especially in the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky. It serves as a nice bedroom window awning too, practically lifting itself to the desired angle with a couple gas struts, and it's easy to clean with a windshield squeegee, standing safely on the ground. It's sturdily mounted and can withstand pretty high winds, but we take it down at night just in case a bad storm comes up during the night. Our array still produces quite a bit of power when it's latched vertically to the side of our motorhome while we're in transit and in high winds - something an awning can't do while rolled up. I'm sure a solar awning wouldn't withstand anywhere near the wind that our sturdy array will as they're just too big and would act like a giant sail.
By mounting our solar array on the side of our MH, we left the roof free to rack 8, 550W Sungold Power solar panels down the length of our 35ft Class A about 15" off our roof, above our AC, fan shrouds, etc. We found them on sale for $2,226 including freight. That's only 51 cents/watt shipped to our door! We're assembling the components of this build now. We picked up our aluminum racking material in Yuma, AZ near where we're wintering over this year. Our solar panels arrived last week, but we're taking our time to get everything in and installed over the winter, as we're moving much slower these days. Our Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W, 120V PSW Inverter/charge controller/ battery charger just arrived today. Our 48v battery bank will use 16, 320ah prismatic cells from EEL batteries. So together with our 560ah (7.1 Kwh)12v bank, we will have a total of 23.5 Kwh of batteries onboard - the equivalent of over 19, 100ah Battleborn batteries and over 5,000 watts of solar which is sufficient, without the need of a solar awning. We will be replacing our old rear 13.5k btu rooftop Dometic AC with an EG4 28.5 seer2 plug and play 12k btu mini-split heat pump. This second phase will provide 24/7 off-grid air conditioning, supplemental heat from the heat pump and allow occasional usage of our front rooftop Furrion AC to cool things down quickly during peak afternoon hours, as well as give us whole house 120v ac power. We'll soon have total off-grid electrical independence on a budget we can afford without resorting to running our generator, using ground deployed panels or a solar awning. But if we needed even more power, I would choose ground deployed panels over a solar awning based on price alone.
I hope you do a video of your setup. sounds interesting.
What about slide topper solar awnings? Certainly would be smaller (maybe 250 - 500 watts each) but way more "wind friendly".
Sun kissed is apparently coming out with topper versions
This would seem to make a lot of sense. Imagine if you could figure out a rigid panel that folds down along the side of the slide box when the slide room is retracted and then flips up to cover the top of the slide when it's open. This would also mean that the panels would be functional all the time but also easier to clean!
Solid flip up awning would keep charging & be durable, no one makes it yet.
There is so much more potential for solar panels than awnings. Manufacturers need to incorporate photovoltaic electronics into Rv windows.
Big Questions: how do you get all that power into your system? Which brings up another question: are you going to trust the manufacturers design for a robust boondocking-capable system? Probably not! And how would you retrofit into an existing system, run conduit down the wall…inside or outside?
In Utah we can only put our awning out maybe an hour at a time. It's always windy. So having 1900 watts of a solar awning would be useless.
We hardly use our awning out here in wind country.
That's a really good point!
Awning typically where I camp wind would be a problem. Now if they had slide toppers.....
Thanks Jared for this review. I like the idea of a solar awning as providing the extra solar while still relying on your panels on the roof.
We are still in the early days of thin film solar applications. When Perovskite materials come to market, efficiency will greatly increase. I am very pleased that they are already trialing this in an awning. Eventually it will make it to the manufacturing as a roof membrane as well no doubt. Especially as the switch to EV happens. Towables will have their own drive unit and batteries. Airstream already has a prototype of one. It can even park itself from a remote control unit.
Fascinating!!! I have never heard of this. Thanks for the info!!!
Hi Jared, I don’t think a solar awning would be for us. With the wind being such a factor on having awning out or in, I would be concerned and stressed out about damage to the RV. I guess I prefer the conventional roof top panels. Keep the videos coming it’s always cool to see new products and options. Safe Travels.
This is our concern too.
Just got back from camping the rockies never put awning out no wind to 60mph gusts i a second.
Ground solar and roof not affected.
Hi Jared, excellent video. We live in Arizona, and primarily travel throughout the west , where sun is plentiful. We only have 230 total watts of solar panels on our class A roof. Two BattleBorn batteries, and the panels have worked well for us dry camping. It has. 10 CF 12 Volt Norcold compressor fridge, and We only run a small coffee maker, charge phones and laptops, use a small electric grill or fry pan ( if not cooking on our propane grill).
Our system wouldn’t work if we needed A/C or microwave, but it has done well living in it for a week at a time dry.
I’d be very hesitant to go with a solar awning due to high winds in the west. It’s very common to have high wind cysts (35mph +) in Arizona and neighboring states. Especially in the higher elevations. My awning is not deployed as much as I would like. Roof is always there!
Thank you again.
I think it's a great idea. I would use awning stabilizers or something similar to have the awning out more often. I feel the obstacles are trivial compared to the possibilities.
Its only going to get cheaper and better. Perovskite solar thin film applications are already in development.
Yep, agree, why not have both. Extra power NEVER hurts imo.
That is pretty amazing, although not unexpected. Thanks for sharing this.
I think you're spot on as usual. If you need more than the roof can support, these might be a good idea. Over time the price should come down some.
We try to park the RV in the shade from afternoon heat.
Have solar on the awning would allow power production while staying in the shade.
Don't know why small vertical wind turbines aren't also used on rv's
google pros and cons then you'll find out why
Something you said got me thinking about solar power tonneau covers for pickups. Might as well take advantage of that extra 30 sq feet.
I will for sure going to add solar to my recently purchased motorhome but one step at a time with being on a limited budget however it seems like the way to go at least for what I originally bought the motorhome for as a emergency evaluation vehicle from hurricanes with the recent storms over the years. Though solar won't help in overcast days it will help overall if stuck somewhere when the storm passes key areas.
I like the tracked system and putting it over most of the stuff on the room But work a round the AC so you can still have access to it for repairs and cleaning ect. That try to keep roof Penetration's down to a minimum. I have solar so I wll have to get a racking system for my Camper.
Thanks for this video. I am all for innovation and new technology to make life better. I personally believe that we are in the very early stages of development of the technology to maximize the solar output of an RV. So if you must have it now, jump right in. But in my opinion, better ideas and innovations are definitely on the horizon.
One of the folks we have met through the Grand Designs rallies had two "wings" that had a bunch of solar on them. He has enough battery storage to run his AC off of them. It was very impressive.
Good idea but ... last winter was one of the windiest in southern Arizona, California. Cloudy days weren't an issue. I just lay my solar panels flat on the ground to prevent the wind from knocking them over but still get enough light to fully charge my batteries. I've already had an unexpected gust of wind flip my awning causing a tear.
I never knew they were solar awnings, that’s awesome.
My whole house uses 960 watts. Three window unit ac's a full size fridge and deep freezer, TV's and all the normal stuff. I ran the whole house for over 2 days on my generator. I monitor amp draw and was amazed.
We very seldom use our awning in Florida. Not at the rv park enough but windy too.
FINALLY, I've been waiting for this!!
Another very informative video on an interesting product. I don't think the demand will be there for awhile somewhat due to the price point but also due to the ease of rooftop installs that work fine in higher winds. Plus with solar it is all about the batteries. These little 100-200ah system being installed by manufacturers on new models are more gimmick than practical.
The adjustment washers equal three adjustments. Just turn the offset washer the other direction for perfect results. One washer is two adjustments. They should have just gave three sets and good direction. i almost sent it back thinking they messed up and didfnt give me three adjustment washers. Then I figured it out it is not in the directions the you can adjust three positions for every toilet ever made. BEST TOILET SEAT. QUIET CLOSES SLOW EASY TO CLEAN
you should subtract what a awning would cost vs a solar one. Unlike mounted panel, your also getting a awning and shade.
On our last two winters in sunny Arizona it’s been so windy we rarely could deploy the awning. A solar awning wouldn’t work for us.
When we are in Florida for the winter i park in the shade so my rooftop array only gets morning shade.
I have portable panels out 20' catching rays.
I don't see this helping me much but i do need to replace my awning in a year or two so I'll be watching the price
The thing you have to watch about adding solar panels in parallel is when they are different wattages. If you have 3 or 4 panels say 150 watts, 200 watts, 100 watts and 75 watts you will only get a total output of 300 watts out of the 4 panels. They will only put out what the lowest panel is rated for.
Cool tech but you nailed it, limited applications kind of niche product after you max out your roof solar.
could really be a game changer, if i filled my entire roof with solar i can get about 5000w, with that extra 2000 watts i would definetly have to rethink adding solar wings
The lippert(renogy) is the only one I'm interested in due to being able to run it while it's retracted. It's price point is probably going to be the best as well
I'm interested in seeing more details about your "project trailer" that has solar covering the roof.
I have a cargo trailer that needs solar too.
Great Idea, Solar Awnings, Toppers made with thin film is Great, Thin Film Usually is more productive in Cloudy Weather. So all Good, Let the competition Begin !!! 🇺🇸
The first thing I think about is weight. This is something I think you should consider going over in all solar panels and equipment.
I have a video suggestion. My trailer is having issues with water pressure. I have regular pressure for 2 seconds, and then it goes to a trickle. I've swapped the pump and no change. I believe that the line from the fresh water tank to the pump is the issue and allowing air in. So now I need to figure out how to fish a replacement line from the holding tank at the front of the trailer, under the floor, to the pump at the rear. It's only a 2 year old jayco. It was properly winterized, but the antifreeze I found frozen in the toilet mid winter. So I think that product was garbage.
With solar you need to look at the quality of the solar. You always want a monocrystalline solar and avoid polycrystalline. The mono last 10 times longer and takes up less space because they are more efficient. The mono cost a little more but it's well worth the difference with the space saving and life of the panels.
Definitely a good idea
Had no idea this was a thing but it sounds awesome and would just be wasted space otherwise (aside from the shade). Hopefully the technology sticks around and becomes a standard.
Roof mount is the way to go but once that is maxed out a solar awning becomes more interesting. My main concerns would be durability, flexible panels don't have a great reputation as it and this is asking a lot more in the way of bending. Being able to unfurl 2kw of panels to keep your batteries charging on a hot day when you want to run the ac is an attractive idea.
I did a custom solar setup on mine and he briefly mentioned “wings” I have 20 panels on the roof and 10 of those are on heavy duty drawer slides. Doesn’t have the far out shade of an awning but it maximizes the solar output.
@@mikebalentine I had thought about that slide out panel idea, best way to double panel area when parked.
Glad to hear you made it work.
I was just discussing the possibility of using companies using the new flexible solar panels to make solar awnings. Perfect timing for this video, haha. He's gonna be tickled pink when I tell him that is indeed already a thing.
Maybe you use the cIGS 220w flexible solar panel for an RV awning!
That's interesting. But I would worry about the efficiency of those awning panels. They also can't charge your batteries while you drive/while your awning is in.
Hey just wanted to say thank you for your videos, i find them very helpful and make my life easier. Thank you. Question: why did you change your panels? I was about to buy flex panels and i saw you have regular panels now.
I've been a "Full-timer" for over three years now, and love to boondock! Never been a fan of flexible panels, mainly due to efficiency and heat issues. Just the thought of Solar Awnings makes me cringe.. far too many negatives. One concept that I have not seen, but has been in the back of my mind for a few years, is mounting solar panels on the side of a camper. They could even be mounted as "Window Awnings", on adjustable mounts that can match the Sun angles! Would be great on those hot, sunny days.
Most people aren’t getting solar as we are occasional campers not full timers. We are plugging into shore power and most of the appliances in them aren’t run on battery power. There are 12v refrigerators but I haven’t seen any in new RVs except for the high end ones. Those usually have solar on them also. Granted a 12v fridge is GREAT for traveling as it is on even on the road unlike a gas/electric one that should be turned off when on the road. But they are VERY expensive for the casual camper. We could easily spend more for all the upgrades then what we spent for the camper which for most is prohibitive. I will stay with what I have for now as my days off camping are drawing to and end because of my age and vision.
There's another advantage for these solar awnings, for the lightest models with the least difference between curb weight and GVWR, a unit like this that replaces the stock awning would not contribute too heavily to additional weight. Roof-mounted panels on the other hand, particularly those with some bulk and thickness are going to be more mass, as will the mounting system to retain them. I have a Jayco with a 3500# GVWR, and curb weight with full fresh water tank is right around 3000#. depending on what the family needs to bring along we could eat up that remaining cargo capacity very quickly. There might not be enough payload left if I were to put solar on the roof.
I could also see these being advantageous in truck or SUV rollouts, where there may not be enough roof for fixed solar, or for installing a shade on the driver's side of a trailer to shade the side wall when the trailer is used in an especially hot climate.
Sounds awesome but cost…..😵 I’m thinking traditional is still best. Love the content
Except when the sun doesn't shine, it rains, it's too windy .. etc..
Seems like a solution for electric towing trucks, even if towing range itself still needs some improvements.
I think the material science needs more work. More flexible and more durable. I can see it as a way to run AC in the desert heat. Roll out the awning to add to your roof cells and allow you to run ac. As an example.
Roof AC is horribly inefficient. Change it out for a mini split system and you will have no issues running it from solar.
If you have to replace your current awning due to carious reasons (most of us have been there), then the cost per watt goes down even more. I'm a bit concerned about the added weight to the top of the rv. This is going to appeal to many who have already added weight to the top of their rigs.
I know this is off topic, but have watched many of you videos over the last 3 years I have been RVing, but don’t recall one that you mentioned dressing or lubricating refrigerator/freezer door seals. Do you have a video you can point me to, or give a quick suggestion? Thank you…keep up with so wonderful videos on maintenance of RVs
This is pretty cool and I want one but at the end of the day lot of things are not lining up to be practical. From the comments it seems I’m not the only one.
I think it’s genius. Time will tell. I plan to build a ridgid fold down set of panels.
We’re looking for a solar/wind turbine combination.
I think that people who design and market goods for RVs ought to live in them, in a variety of places, methods, and kinds of vehicles, because the most important attachment on an RV is an attachment to reality! ! Most of the places with lots of sun exposure are also very windy! Sure, this might work in Alabama, but not - well, almost any place west of the Mississippi!
In the past three years, we have been able to extend our awning about three times - for maintenance - unless we also stake it out for safety's sake. (We have not yet crossed the Mississippi from the West.)
the idea is good but if it is too windy and usually cloudy it wouldn't produce any power anyway
I am curious about the extra weight, versus a regular awning, as a truck camper it’s probably a no go.
Are there videos out there to put solar in pre-wired campers? we are pre-wired for zamp. Can we put a different panel in there and how to plug into the installed ports on the camper?
i dont like it. too expensive. We dry camp alot and between tree branches and wind its a 50/50 chance we use the awning. And if we do its only for a few hours of the day. Most products that are made to be flexible usually have a trade off in performance. Ill pass
JARED, HI!. I LEFT A QUESTION AND COMMENT IN YOUR LAST VIDEO "Easy Budget RV mods" CAN YOU PLEASE READ IT AND GIVE ME AN ANSWER.
I AM SO CONFUSED AND I REALLY RESPECT HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE YOU ARE. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP OUT THIS 65 YEAR OLD SOLO WOMAN NOMAD.
THANK YOU JARED.
If you have a decent MPPT solar controller, there should be no chance of overcharging your batteries. You WILL need to check them at least once a month for water, if they are lead-acid. If so, I recommend getting about the same Ah batteries in LiFePO4 batteries, as they are totally maintenance-free.
simple answer ... have BOTH! Why not? Have panels on roof and solar awnings. Eventually the awnings will reduce in price as the technology gets used more and more often. Where's the issue here? I never thought of such a thing. Thanks for showing me that this exists. I will check it out for my country.
I saw one of these units advertised a few months ago and was interested. Until I saw the price. Then I thought about the number of times I've had my awning deployed in the six years that I've owned my trailer. It wasn't much. I would have to make more of an effort to get the awning out. The problem is that I just don't spend that much time at my camper in the daytime. I'm not there to manage the awning and mine is just a dumb awning, no auto retract as I am the retractor.
Over on the DIYSolarForum we're seeing quite a few posts about flexible solar panels. Based on those posts, my take is that they are not ready for prime time. They underperform on production and the longevity is far less than the manufacturers are touting.
Another issue is shade. Park in the shade and you have zero production from that awning. I have ground deployed panels with a 50' cable that can usually find sunshine when the solar panels on my camper's roof are in the shade.
Given that my awning is up for replacement, if these solar awnings were cheaper, I might give it a shot.
I have a 30 amp plug but 55amp converter which inverter should I use?
I decided to go with portable panels, rather than mounted ones. The awning is a neat idea but being that I have a truck camper (Chalet TS116), the batteries are up front so no access to them when its on the truck. Portable let me put the controller in with the batteries, then I use a quick connect at the corner. I place the panels on the front window of the truck when parked, and plug in, tada! folded up they fit nicely in the storage bay in back.
I've got both. 2 panels on roof, plus a portable screen unit for sunny days to charge up my portables.
Manufacturers should develop a thin sheet solar cover for RV roofs instead of having to mount heavy panels. I have seen a couple videos that claim gas refrigerators are going away. If true they will have to come up with some kind of solar solution for boondockers because no one is going to run a generator 24X7.
Solar slideout awnings are next. I am surprised you haven't made those for your own rig.
Its more likely the entire roof will be thin film solar membrane. Its durable enough to replace a traditional rubber roof membrane. With no real weight penalty.
Worried about being able to use in windy areas.
It might be a nice add on. MAYBE.
With the solar awnings, my immediate concern is wire and solar cell fatigue from the frequent movement of the awning and vulnerability to temperature extremes when stored. I think the concept is amazing with the surface area of an awning vs. the square footage on the roof, but durability will always be the main concern. The slide topper solar awning idea that @stupedasso had below is really intriguing, but you would still risk the fatigue issue because it would spend long periods stowed.
The problem with slide toppers is they're usually still out when you have already rolled the awnings in because of wind.
A quick ck of the price says it all. If they cut their ordering price even further to 1/2 it's still too much.
It won't last 5 minutes, just get regular solid panels, they last and produce more power
Solar in general is great - solar awnings - meh... ...more of a gimmic these days I'd say. - Thanks Jared - Cheers!
What solar panels do u use and why
You need to look at videos discussing flexible solar cells and panels. The type of solar panels of flexible solar panels are totally different than the rigid glass solar panels. Currently most rigid glass panels come with a 25 year warranty. The flexible panels are very fragile and in optimum conditions the most you will get might be 1.5 to a maximum of 3 years before the cells deteriorate. With the current technology buying any flexible solar panel would be a poor investment.
Yes the warranty is much different along with the life span. I saw one of the companies had a warranty for 10 years.
How much additional weight is added?
How much weight do the solar panels add to the trailer?
Any recommendation for flexible solar panels? Thank you for all you do and all the videos.
In my limited experience, the Bouge Rv panels are lighter, more flexible and have bypass diodes built in each segment so that panel can still produce if u have a shadow across that panel.
The top solar panels are about 1/2 the cost, a little less flexible, do a decent job of producing power.
With 2 of the Top Solar panels, I get about a 10amp charge to my 12 volt system.
Solar panels heat up. A solar awning will likely heat the area under the awning. Just a thought
The reason the seat is falling is the washer needs to be turned the other direction. Two washers center hole. Two washers are really four washers because the hole is offset off center sooooo they can do a close or a far adjustment. So 1 washer adjustment is center washer . the other 2 adjustmemts only need 1 washer. So 3 adj = 2 washers. My other video is better. Computer crashed
Where did you get the panels?
Maybe I’m just stupid, but I still dont understand why the entire roof isn’t a solar panel.
I stopped the video about one problem about solar on an awing is wind
Wow. I had no idea these existed. I'm guessing that if I add this my existing 1860 watt array, and a couple addition batteries, it would support my air conditioner a LOT better.
You wouldn’t necessarily need more batteries. You could run all your electrical needs full blast during the peak solar production times getting your RV cool enough that when production winds down you could turn the AC off.
Nope - not cost effective at those price points. My concerns would be long term durability, and the need to retract awnings in wind, etc. I've got 100w on the roof (fixed), and 100w portable. I like the ease of the fixed panel, but the versatility of the portable setup when under trees.
"The ones on the roof I don't care if it's windy unless they're ripped off the RV and the RV is knocked over"
It's not as bad as it sounds. If your RV is knocked over I guarantee you, the panel situation won't concern you one bit.
Why can't I walk into an RV showroom today and pick one out of several available models that are engineered and fitted to provide 100% of the power needed without having to plug in to shore power? If your answer might be that is too expensive, remember to take into consideration that most people finance their rigs.
why not just use normal flex panels on top of your awning. cheap and easy to do.
the other area I think needs some investigation, is covering the sides of your RV with panels.
anyway, we currently have 500w on the roof and 400w external and find it is barely enough to keep up with usage (induction cooking, electric kettle, laptops + phones, 5g router)
The good news is that gas generators are becoming less and less acceptable interrupting the solitude and quiet enjoyment of nature. It’s only a matter of time,.. Solar pop-up camper sides, solar tent campers and solar composite side panels. I already wish I didn’t have a sun roof on my truck because I’d like to put a panel up there.
The flexible panels only last a few years and they degrade even more rapidly in high temps.
I think it can be a great supplement to the roof solar panels once the price comes down, but until they just make a roof material with solar tech built into the entire roof membrane so the entire roof is in essence a solar panel, I think I'll pass on the awning.
Interesting
I would be curious to know how much Heat it generates standing underneath the awning or the awning in general....?:) Would it be like standing next to a Furnace in 100 Degree weather....:)
Doubt its an issue. They absorb the suns energy, they do not create it.
Not practical because of wind or the potential of wind when you are away from your RV.