DIY install 1,575 watts of solar panels on my RV roof

-New Solar Panels: signaturesolar.com/shop-all/s...
-Used Solar Panels: (discount code: RAY): www.santansolar.com/product/u...
-Solar panel mounting brackets: amzn.to/3qn6H5H
-Double Sided 3M VHB Tape for mounting brackets: amzn.to/3QETBeC
-Solar Panel wire management clips: signaturesolar.com/pv-2-wire-... ($50 Discount Code: RAY)
-Roof sealant tape: amzn.to/3QDTRL1
-Solar Cable Entry Gland: amzn.to/3qu7Isr
-Solar panels Cable wire: amzn.to/3siZjIM
I installed solar panels on top of my RV as part of my personal "zombie apocalypse" prep :)
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:14 Series vs Parallel wiring
9:06 Solar panel install
24:07 Conclusion
Related Videos
Solar Power System install video: • 12v to 48v RV conversi...
Recommended Solar Stores (Using these links will help support the channel)
Current Connected........ currentconnected.com/?ref=diy...
Signature Solar.............. signaturesolar.com/?ref=DiySo... ($50 Discount Code: RAY)
SanTan Solar................. www.santansolar.com/?ref=DiyS... (%5 Discount Code: RAY)
ShopSolarKits................ shopsolarkits.com/1302 ($100 Discount Code: RAY)
Ruixu Batteries.............. www.ruixubattery.com/?ref=fOK... (Discount Code: RAY)
PowerQueen Batteries.. ipowerqueen.com/?ref=DiySolar... (Discount Code: RAY)
Contact info
If you want to get a hold you me you can email me at: [e-mail]
I am not available for personal consulting. Please reach out to me in the video comments where I and others can provide feedback to you
Disclaimer
I am not a licensed electrician. Working with electricity is dangerous and can lead to injury or death, even when following documentation and instructions. I can not be held liable for such damage or injury. I am not giving or seeking to give advice on how to work with electricity. You should consult with a licensed professional whenever possible and get all work reviewed by an inspector and follow any local regulations in your area. I'm documenting my projects for informational purposes only. Electricity can kill you! BE CAREFUL!

[@michaelcanto6175]

Solar panels will mount wonderfully on Kindorf. Silka flex over dicor for sure!

[@markwitkop7022]

coolness.

[@benkanobe7500]

So the length of wire that came connected to the panels was long enough to connect panel to panel (which is what I think you said)? Are those the new Renogy or the used SS ones?

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

Those are new panels I bought from signature solar.. Not renogy panels though. I went with new because I only had limited space up top.

[@NoahZimmerman]

So if the inverter/charge controller uses about 50w idle, does that mean that you won’t charge your batteries until your solar panels are making at least 50w? Or is there a way to disable to inverter and have it just charge the batteries? I’m sure with your setup that that isn’t a huge issue for you with all your solar, but it might be an issue if you had less panels.

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

When the inverter is converting DC to 120 volts ac that is correct. But you can turn the inverter off, but it will still keep that mppt charge controller on which will charge your batteries without 50 Watts idle.

[@benkanobe7500]

Does the Combiner Box connect the additional solar in series to the roof solar (assumed to be in series)? Did the combiner box come with the additional MC4 connectors installed as we see at 1:14? Thank you.

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

It connects each string of panels you plug in "In parallel". It came with the mc4 ends installed.

[@benkanobe7500]

@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Thanks. By watching your original 12volt to 48 conversion YT I figured it out, but came up with more questions due to the spec label on your Growatt with a very low input current value from PV.

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

@@benkanobe7500 I think that was a typo on the sticker. Here's the spec showing 80A: signaturesolar.com/content/documents/GROWATT/1519009-specs.pdf

[@benkanobe7500]

@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay OK. That makes way more sense. So you could have some flexible panels stored and pull them out and add to the trailer when camping if you wanted. That is really nice. In the specs you linked, it showed this: "Number of Independent MPP Trackers/ Strings Per MPP Tracker 1/1" What does that mean as it sounds like only one string would be MPPT or since the next string (plugged into the combiner) would be in parallel does the controller treat the roof and additional string as one giant string??

[@DennisWintjes2]

Thanks for sharing. Like #114. Just found your channel! Subscribed! So it has been a summer? Would you do anything differently? How well did the panels hold to the roof?

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

The pals did great. However, I would not put all my panels in series like I did in this video. I would also order the different version of the growatt that can accept a lower solar voltage.

[@DennisWintjes2]

@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Hmmm. I haven't bought anything yet. Why? I was going to install four 400W panels, so I can do series/parallel. Thoughts?

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

What is the voc on that panel? 36voc? I would be leaning towards a 2p 2s configuration... If you were to get a 48p growatt model. If you put all four solar panels in series, you might be pushing the limits of the max voltage the unit can accept. However, if you have a 2p2s configuration, you will be hovering just above the min.... which may not be good on cloudy days or right when the sun comes up. I would try the 2p2s configuration and see how that does. I have the same amount of solar and have loved it. I don't think I have plugged in once this summer. But it cools down in the evening , so I don't need air conditioning here at night.

[@DennisWintjes2]

@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Canadian Solar CS6R-400MS-HL VOC:36.8V ISC:13.85A so 2p2s would be 73.6v 27.7A. I got the 48v EG4 because of its UL rating

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

@DennisWintjes2 those are some big panels. I would definitely do three brackets on each side. The brackets are cheap. I like the brackets I used. But I got new screws. Did you say you were planning on getting a couple growatts?

[@benkanobe7500]

Do the used panels you have/purchased have bypass diodes? (Have you experimented to know it is true?)

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

I think I took them apart and saw them. I'm finding the Bipass diodes don't work as great as they say. Seems like I'm still loosing power when one panels is shaded. I need to mess around with it more.

[@benkanobe7500]

@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay I went back and forth on my ground mount house system and it is now parallel. For example, my yard faces true south (lucky me) and so I have "sunrise" and "sunset" panels feeding one inverter. Those panels obviously face opposite each other but in a line perpendicular to my panels for my other inverter that faces true south. The sunrise/sunset panels are in parallel. During sunrise, my West facing panels are completely in shadow due to large oak trees that run North/South along my eastern property line. While those panels are in complete shadow, my sunrise panels are putting out 740+watts of a potential 990watts. That is at 7:00AM in the summer in San Diego. So parallel works in my situation with complete shadowing. My panels are 3 year old Renogy 330Watt monos.

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

Nice, You could also get a charge controller for each set of panels you have. That way you can measure how much power each one produces as well as not worry about them affecting each other when one set is shaded.

[@benkanobe7500]

@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay My system is unconventional and does not use charge controllers to charge batteries (sort of). My system is set up so that during daylight hours my system constantly adjusts for house load and only draws between 5-10 Watts (not kilowatts) from the grid all day long. During that same time (daytime), one of my loads is a conventional AC battery charger (48 volt) that is recharging my battery bank of two strings of AGM 12 volt batteries in series-parallel with a total of 8 batteries. AT night, conventional AC timers (like you would use for Christmas lights or tree) turn on identical inverters that have their software selection set to "battery" and are constantly connected to my battery bank. Those inverters share the same current transformers as the daytime (identical) inverters. The daytime inverters have turned themselves off due to insufficient voltage from the panels once the sun goes down. Now the night-time inverters (battery-powered) have been switched on by the AC timers they are connected to and they do the identical monitoring of the house loads and constantly adjust so I only pull 5-10Watts from the grid at night. This cycle repeats day in and out without intervention by me. I do change the angle of the panels at the two solstices and at equinox. I have no "net metering" contract and my system shuts down (islanding) instantly if the grid goes down. I do have a manual transfer switch I can throw and run the house by a generator completely or by two small inverter generators that mimic the grid and my solar system will then turn back on as it monitors for a pure sine wave at 120VAC @60Hz.

[@richtate]

I don't think a fully charged battery will run your A/C for 5 hours. That would be a good test though, like you did with your refrigerator...

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

You are right. I think it's more like two and a half to three hours. I believe the fan on the air conditioner pulls from the 12 volt system. I wasn't accounting for that and I think that's an extra 400 watts. These air conditioners are super inefficient. I would really love a mini splits in my RV. Those are awesome I'm super efficient. They also heat the RV which would be really nice. I'm surprised RV manufacturers don't put them in.

[@livingindetroitmetro-shawn9895]

Ballpark $ How much has the entire set run you?

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

Rough estimate -Battery = $1,750 -All-in-one charge controller/inverter $750 -combiner box = $100 -5 used solar panels available for pickup in phenox or georgia: $250. -wire and brackets $100 TOTAL : $2950.00. A loud RV generator will cost you $3000 - 4000 but won't have the same starting inrush ability of this my system.

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

@@livingindetroitmetro-shawn9895 thanks man. I think I'll like it. 👍

[@lawrencewiddis2447]

While I don’t have as big a solar system as the poster, I didn’t install solar and Lithium to save money. I wanted electrical “freedom” to run all my devices, lights, TV and fans without worry, and I got tired of wet battery maintenance and replacement every three to four years. Now my only limiting factor is water.