How to choose the number and power of solar panels for a solar powered trailer?

2024/01/09

How to choose the number and efficiency of solar panels for a solar powered trailer?
This mainly depends on several factors, including daily energy consumption habits, the power of the appliances on the trailer, the capacity of the battery system, and the sun lighting conditions in the area where the trailer is used.
First, you need to calculate what is your average daily energy consumption? For example, your trailer is equipped with a 400W LED light system, which is used every day from 20:00 to 6:00 the next morning, and is used for an average of 10 hours a day. Then, your average daily energy consumption is 400W*10h=4kWh. This consumption can be used as a benchmark as one of the basis for choosing solar panels.
Secondly, it depends on the sun lighting situation of the location where your solar trailer is used.
1. Whether sunny days are the majority of the time;
2. Whether the daily light duration is sufficient;
The power generation efficiency of solar panels is closely related to the sun lighting condition, and in rainy days, the power generation efficiency of solar panels is only 30% to 50% of that of sunny days.
For reference, if the daily energy consumption is 4kwh and the capacity of the battery pack system is 7.5kwh, then the battery system needs to be charged every day. (The battery system needs to hold 20% of the charge, which can extend the battery life.) If it is mostly cloudy and rainy, and the light duration is 8 hours, then at least 1700w solar panels are required. In this case, three 575w solar panels are the ideal choice.
Therefore, when choosing the solar panel of the solar powered trailer, you need to consider the specific situation, the appropriate solar panel can make the solar powered trailer can meet the daily use, but also save costs.