Reddit mentions of Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit

The title is rather innacurate, I agree. But let's look at what he has actually made.

His machine takes these solar panels, which cost $0.50 per watt (peak output), and wires the components into a series then seals them against the elements (likely costing ~$0.25 for plastic/glue/ect, wild guess there). Meaning you can get $0.75 per watt for a solar panel that you can stick anywhere.

For comparison, a medium scale solar panel costs around $1.15 per watt. This includes a charge controller, which costs about $70 on its own (and the $70 has been included in the cost-per-watt).

So instead of having a huge panel that may need repair and may have one component fail which takes the whole thing offline, you have a hundred plastic packet solar panels. That each cost less than half as much.

If it works as advertised, it has the potential to bring home solar panel costs way down by a third, and make maintenance easier (just throw it out and replace the broken ones). As well as making installation costs easier because you'd really just need a big box that has divots to place the plastic wrapped solar panels in.

ok lets start off with correcting your requirements..

Phone 3.24Ah x 3.7v = 12Wh

Laptop = 42 Wh (per spec sheet)

Fan .5Ah x 12v = 6Wh/hour of run time

LEDs 0.8Ah x 4.5v = 3.6Ah (assuming 3 batteries)

With 7 hours of run time on that fan lets call that an even 100Wh/day that you will need to generate which that panel should be able to crank out in about 1 hour of direct sunlight if it was perfect with no loss anywhere so plan for 2 hours and you will be very safe if you never have a cloudy day without charging.



In theory a 20Ah 12v battery will meet your needs based on your stated design with only a 50% discharge. (less if you recharge the laptop while the sun is out)



My suggestions:

Use this panel kit instead https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ . Same rated output but the mounting kit saves some headache and gives flexibility on the charger about what kind of batteries it can feed.

For batteries I would highly recommend looking at a pair of 35Ah 6v golf cart batteries run in series.

For lighting just get some 12v LEDs and run the straight off the battery and don't mess around with AAA batteries.


Extra note - Any time you are charging something else there is a voltage change and you are going to lose some energy in the step up/down transformers or inverters that can be as horrible as 20% loss. Just keep this in mind when doing calculations.

I actually just finished going through all of this.

1. I would recommend going solar. Powering your house batteries from your alternator works, but it puts extra stress on your alternator which means you'll have more repair bills down the road.
   
   1b) I have 2 vent fans installed in my roof, and it does wonders on a hot night. Set one to blow in, and the other to blow out, and you'll get some great airflow. Humidity is another story though. Even with the two fans humidity can be rough, but at least its something.
   
   
2. As for battery usage for the fans, the ones I linked you to use about 60w, so you are going to want to make sure to buy enough deep cycle batteries to last you however long you sleep. Two 60w fans running for 8 hours is going to be about 960w. I have 4 35 amp-hour deep cycle solar batteries, which give me a total of 1620 watts to play with, so I can run my fans all night, and still have 660w left over to play with in the morning. BUT, seeing as you are looking to also have a fridge, that is going to mean more batteries depending on the kind of fridge you are thinking of using. A fridge like THIS would only use about as much as your vent fans, and would save you money on batteries. Here is a calculator that helped me out when I was trying to figure out my battery bank.
   
   
3. Charging your house batteries off of your alternator only takes about 15 minutes or less for a full charge. Solar might take a few hours, but its less stress on your van in general.
   
   ​
   
   If you are worried about solar being too expensive, it really isnt. You can get a full 100 watt solar panel kit for $118. That give you all the wiring, a panel, and a charge controller all at once. Then all you need are batteries, which you can get a set of 4 for $250. You don't need those specifically, but just make sure whatever batteries you get, you make sure they are DEEP CYCLE batteries, and not starter batteries.
   
   ​
   
   Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, and I'll be glad to help. Anything to help another vandweller so they don't have to go through all the hell I did trying to figure it all out myself. lol
   
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I had a similar idea a while ago and the general consensus is that a solar generator, while it seems practical, isn't much more simple than a DIY solar set up, but it is much more expensive.

Heres a simple list I could find that'll give you the same wattage (someone correct me if I'm wrong with this, I'm no electrician):

$185 [100w panel (comes with mounts for your roof)] (http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-100W-Mono-Starter-Kit/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421722028&sr=8-1&keywords=100w+solar+panel)


$189 [Inverter] (http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-2575-2500-Power-Inverter/dp/B00126K8DA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421722161&sr=8-3&keywords=5000w+inverter) (the gene you linked is a bit sneaky, saying 5k watts, but thats the peak, not the continuous, so this inveter is the same wattage). Also, the generator produces a modified sine wave. This means the inveter isn't suitable for things like lighting and (so i've heard) isn't good for expensive electronics, [you can do some research on the difference between pure and modified] (http://www.civicsolar.com/resource/pure-sine-vs-modified-sine-wave-inverters). The one I've linked is pure and good for any electronics.

$183 [100 AH sealed AGM deep cycle battery] (http://www.solar-electric.com/batteries-meters-accessories/batteries/unba/unba100amagm.html)

$100 for the extra wire you'll need. You have to get wire for the charge controller to the battery, then from the battery to the inveter, so not too much. The $100 is probably much more than you need.

So in total, thats ~$660 for the same power. You could toss the components into a box and seal it up and make your own generator if you really want to.


Just to add, I thought it'd be cool to see what I could do with the $1000+ the gene costs. For just ~$150 more, you could more than double the system with [these panels] (http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Solar-Panel-Bundle-200Watt/dp/B00B8L8MD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421722532&sr=8-1&keywords=200w+solar+panel), [this inverter] (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Bright-PW6000-12-Inverter-6000/dp/B002EA22YQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421722161&sr=8-1&keywords=5000w+inverter), and [this battery] (http://www.solar-electric.com/batteries-meters-accessories/batteries/unba/unba200amagm.html).

Agreed. Renogy's kit is far superior to Harbor Freight: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM?ie=UTF8&Version=1&entries=0

It's just one 100W panel at the moment propped up in the field about 70' from the cabin, it came with a 20' run of the cable and i bought another 50' extension. I've found a good spot for half the year, and then have to move it to another spot for the other half to get decent charging. This is the starter kit i got: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00BFCNFRM/

I ended up replacing the PWM charge controller with an MPPT which performs much better under lower light conditions, made a huge difference with charging.

Anyone have this Renogy Solar Kit and use it for amateur radio? Or, if you are a solar guru, how does that kit look features/price wise?

If you're going to drive a lot each day, then you can charge it using the vehicle alternator by attaching it in parallel with the vehicle battery, but you should use a switch to make sure it's only connected when the vehicle is running (charging) so you don't drain your vehicle battery running electronics in the camper. Many trailer harnesses can't provide enough power for charging like this, so you'd likely need to run your own wire from the vehicle battery.

If you don't drive a lot, you'd probably want a solar panel. Again, this is one where you want to look at how much power each of your electronics are using and estimate how many panels you'd need to keep up with your usage throughout the day and battery size to get you through the night. E.g. you could use a panel and charge controller like this: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Negative-Controller-Connectors/dp/B00BFCNFRM/

Or if you're going to be parked somewhere with a power plug, just use an auto battery charger to keep your battery topped up.

The most recommended setup I see from other vandwellers in Renogy. They make pretty much everything you need, and it's competitively priced.
You can buy a kit and have almost everything you need but a battery or you can build from scratch. The big components are deep cycle battery, panel, charge controller. There are obviously lots of other smaller things you'll need as well such as fuses, wires, mounting brackets, etc.

This option is much more cost efficient but also requires a good working knowledge of electrical setups (or the desire to learn them) in order to do it safely.

Did more research on solar power. I live in an apartment now, but I am thinking about buiding a kit to experiment with. Possibly with this kit to start with.

Yes, but you can get a better deal. This Renogy kit is the same price and includes a 100w panel.

If you feel like some serious scope creep....

Get one of these.....and maybe some solar to charge a deep cycle battery.....

Have you considered dry ice as well?

I'm not a pro on the subject but I think you should start the process with a budget in mind. Then you can look at amazon or eBay and find something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BFCNFRM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1418164194&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SY200_QL40
Preferably with good reviews within your budget and the documentation that comes with the product will usually explain pretty clearly how to connect everything together. Remember you can always add more batteries and panels in the future.

It's better to be safe than sorry. You don't want to bring out all that gear only to find you can't turn it on.

You'll be fine with any of these with the top one being your best candidate. Just remember to be courteous to your neighbors if people are trying to sleep!

Xantrex 806-1210 PROwatt 1000 SW Inverter

MicroSolar 1000W (Peak 2000W) Pure Sine Wave Inverter

BESTEK® Dual 110V AC Outlets 1000w/1200w Max Car DC 12V to 110V AC Inverter Power

You'll probably want to get a fuse holder and a cable kit depending on how far you expect to keep the table from your car.

You could also go the more environmental route and get some solar panels to juice up a spare solar battery each day.

I don't recall right now, but it was in south california, maybe 6-8 hours? I can look it up tomorrow.

Worth it.

Did it have power? I'm trying to recall. It may not have, come to think of it :|

You could certainly do something laptop based:
Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Panel

Hi there! Our Starter Kit might also be a good alternative for you as well because unlike our Bundle Kit, it also includes Z-brackets and a tray cable. If you have any questions relating to your system, feel free to message us. :)

All the best,

The Renogy Team

You can do much better on panels now, http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-100W-Mono-Starter-Kit/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415138291&sr=8-1&keywords=solar+panel

I bought a kit similar to this and hooked it up to the largest (115ah) deep cycle battery I could buy.

I run all my interior lights, an electric water pump, a 1000w inverter off it with no problems so far. Again i'd gauge your power usage. A friend of mine has almost the identical setup and always seems to be draining his battery, he charges his laptop and drone batteries off the system though.

http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM

Expand from there with more panels depending on how fast you want to charge the battery. I recommend spending the few extra bucks for the MPPT charge controller, those cheap chinese PWM controllers can be pretty notorious for QRM. The charge controller specs will determine how many more panels you can add to the system.

Amazon has a 100 watt kit that looks to include what I need minus the battery and inverter. Would something like this be what I am after?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BFCNFRM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526590632&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=solar+panel+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51tMu4DA-EL&ref=plSrch

Sorry for the late response... we spent some time on public land, no wi/fi!
You can get a cheap (but good) Renogy 100W kit: https://amzn.to/2JiRPh4, then shop locally for a small battery (in the 50-100 Ah).
Or you could just charge using your alternator with an isolator (cheap solution, but in this scenario you need to drive frequently).
If you don't want to worry about wiring/fuse etc, Goal Zero has good plug-and-play solutions but they're NOT CHEAP (https://amzn.to/2LFW04J).
Good luck!

My boat didn't come with the solar setup, but I fitted them myself. You'll need the panel itself, a charge controller, and some sort of battery to store the charge. You could have the same sized system I have (without the battery included) for $200 bucks on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM

Hey, thanks!

I'm going to go into detail on the equipment I bought with my next video (and I've got a really fascinating powerpoint presentation where I try to explain a little electrical theory without putting everyone to sleep). I'll answer your question here though:

I started with a kit that came with the wires you're asking about. The solar panels have those short (2 or 3 feet) wires that end with what's called an MC4 connector. The wires have the MC4 connector on one end, and a bare wire on the other. The MC4 is a weatherproof, snap-on connector.

For the second panel, I had to get the MC4-tipped cables separately. From browsing YouTube, it looks like you can save some money by buying the connectors alone and splicing them onto a wire. I didn't feel like messing with this.

I got all my stuff on Amazon. Here's the list:

• Here's a link to the starter kit I got. It comes with a pair of MC4 cables
  
• A second 100w solar panel, identical to the one that comes with the starter kit
  
• These are the extension cables. MC4 on one end. The other end has nothing - you just strip it and screw it into the terminal on the solar controller
  
• Had to get another set of z-brackets for the second panel too
  
• This is the in-line fuse holder. It takes any automotive fuse. The solar controller specifies a 15A fuse.
  
  The parts for my installation came out to a little over $400.
  
  Hope that helps! :)

Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_A7twybFH176K5

for solar: (for starters since Im mainly using fans)https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501920037&sr=8-4&keywords=solar+panel
I'll also use lucy lights which are solar
For water: I might use a tank with pump or a thera pump for 5 gallon jugs. It really depends on whats available up there.
Sheds: its a toss between this which included installation, http://www.conestogabuilders.com/strawberry/strawberry.htm
or the one from lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cedarshed-Farmhouse-Gable-Cedar-Storage-Shed-Common-16-ft-x-14-ft-Interior-Dimensions-11-5-ft-x-9-5-ft/999916833

the weather : the highest is around 75F and the lowest is around 35F. Rain wise about 4-5 inches every month.

It's a waste of space and energy since he's not grinding dried beans or crushing ice every morning, just pureeing some veggies into a smoothie. Sell it on Craigslist for ~$200 (those things are like $400 new - JEEZ) and you could buy a 100W solar panel with charge controller plus a hand blender that won't kill your battery.

Buy a couple large deep cycle batteries and a battery tender to keep them charged

For example, this battery:
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-UB121000-45978-100AH-Cycle-Battery/dp/B00S1RT58C/ is 100ah at 12v, which is roughly 1200 watt hours. For comparison, A 3.7v 20,000 mah phone power bank is 74 watt hours.

Get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Chanzon-Cigarette-Terminal-Accessory-Inflator/dp/B07CQMQL9L/ to allow using your car charger with a standalone battery.

Add a 100w solar kit: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Negative-Controller-Connectors/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ if you expect sunny weather during your power outages

It is unlikely that you will be able to power a heater with solar power; heaters simply require too much electricity. A sleeping bag rated for the temperature you will experience is probably the most effective thing for you.

A quick look at Amazon shows the Nintendo switch has a wall outlet power adapter that outputs 5v at 1.5a. Assuming that is correct, you can charge your electrical devices from a wall outlet at McDonalds or Starbucks, or from a cigarette lighter adapter in your car. If you won't be in cities or won't be driving daily, a small solar panel and battery (I like that battery for its dual inputs, which makes it charge twice as fast) will likely be sufficient. Price for solar panel and battery about $100.

If you need more electrical power, put a roof rack on your car, then buy a battery and a 100-watt kit from Renogy (the kit includes mounting hardware, cables, a solar controller and instructions to wire everything together). Price for solar panel kit and battery about $400.

I bought this kit many years ago to charge 12v batteries and it works great (though I got a better inverter as that one is a joke,and you need to provide your own battery).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CIADLG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

but looking at amazon listings now it seems this is the most popular, affordable entry level kit (note that you are again providing your own inverter and battery):

http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-100W-Mono-Starter-Kit/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=zg_bs_2236628011_3

These both charge batteries. Wiring into you home is a much bigger undertaking.

Is this the kit you had in mind: http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-100W-Mono-Starter-Kit/dp/B00BFCNFRM? Thank you for the straightforwardness. Do you have a fuse box that you would suggest as well?


I never really considered solar energy before this post but I think I'm going to go for it, especially since I don't really have a need for a lot of power. Thanks again man!

Okay, there are a few cables missing from this but for reference:
PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THIS AS A SYSTEM. I do run these panels though.

Good 100W Solar panel w/ 30amp non-MPPT charge controller: $185

2nd Good 100W panel: $150

Crap inverter: $66

Battery: $99

TOTAL = Exactly $500.


You can add a second battery, upgrade the charge controller to a MPPT, and get a real sine wave inverter and kick this system's butt for less than he is asking. You need to buckle down and do some research.

http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Panel-Starter-100W-Monocrystalline/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398100963&sr=8-1&keywords=100w+solar

http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Panel-Starter-100W-Monocrystalline/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398100963&sr=8-1&keywords=100w+solar

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-1000w-Inverter-Supply-MRI10011-1/dp/B007SLDDHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398101099&sr=8-2&keywords=inverter

I've got two ideas:

• 100 Watt solar panel kit, to keep your batteries charged, less than $200 http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Panel-Starter-100W-Monocrystalline/dp/B00BFCNFRM/
  
• It's possible to use your car's engine to charge batteries. Just run your engine for an hour with jumper cables attached to your battery (bad idea? probably!)

Let's go over a couple terms:

• An amp is a measure of current; think of it like how thick a garden hose is
  
• A volt is a measure of potential; think of it like how fast the water is flowing
  
• When you multiply the two together, you get a watt.
  
  A watt measures power, or how fast something can do work; to continue the analogy, how fast a hose can fill a pool. You can fill it faster by either increasing the hose size (ie. using a firehose, or thicker wires), or turning the water pressure up so that it moves faster (increasing the voltage).
  
  When you apply power over a period of time, you do work. We can measure work in watt-hours (Wh). Watts determine how fast your boat moves (just like HP on an engine), where watt-hours determine how far (just like how many gallons of fuel it takes).
  
  If your trolling motor draws 300W, then it consumes 300Wh every hour.
  
  Or, speaking in amps/amp-hours, 300W from a 12V battery would be 25A; in that case, it consumes 25Ah from your battery every hour.
  
  Having said all that:
  
  If you can find a place to mount it, I'd recommend this:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485011099&sr=8-2&keywords=renology+100w
  
  Hook it up to your house / propulsion battery bank via the included controller.
  
  A few notes:
  
  

1. There are two types of solar controllers - PWM and MPPT. Long story short, MPPT is better, but more expensive. It makes the biggest difference on cloudy days, but even then, it's not a huge difference. On sunny days there's little difference. You can select PWM or MPPT on the link I sent.
   
   
2. To figure out how much energy you'll get out of a given solar panel, multiply the panel's wattage by 4. This gives you a reasonable estimate on the watt-hours you can produce per day, on average, in a Northern climate. This 100W panel will make somewhere around 400Wh/day, which equates to about 33Ah @ 12V. That's enough to run your trolling motor for an hour per day. If you have a 100Ah battery bank, it will take 2-3 days to fully charge it from empty.
   
   
3. Generally, you're always better off with a bigger house / propulsion bank, because batteries operate much more efficiently at low power levels. High power drain creates heat within the battery, and this heat is wasted energy.
   
   A 30A trolling motor load on 200Ah of batteries (ie. 2x100Ah deep cycles) represents a draw of 15% of its capacity per hour, and it won't create much waste heat. You might get 4-5 hours of propulsion.
   
   A 30A trolling motor load on a single 100Ah battery represents a draw of 30% of its capacity per hour, and the battery will warm up, wasting energy. You might only get 1.5-2 hours of propulsion (less than half the dual battery setup).
   
   200Ah of batteries would be ideal, but would weigh between 100-150lb, which might be a consideration.