Can 10W solar panel keep a car battery charged or topped up?

[@chrisgraham2904]

I recently retired a 1999 GMC van. 9 years ago I had replaced the vehicle battery and installed two small solar panels on the roof and hardwired it to the back of a 12 VDC outlet (cigarette lighter style), which is at the back, interior of the van. Each panel was rated to produce 1.5 VDC with integrated charge controllers. They stated that the controllers would prevent battery overcharge or any back-feed from the battery to the solar panel. The two panels were wired in series to produce 3 VDC. The 850 CCA, lead-acid battery has never been boosted, has never failed to start the vehicle, has lasted 9 years and the battery today still performs and tests as a healthy battery.

[@MichealClarke-d9k]

That's a great. I like the Idea and will certainly check it out. I'm mister Bahamas.

[@MichealClarke-d9k]

Which brand charge controller did you use?

[@josephcroft4268]

i used to leave my Kia Sorento with a solar panel on the dashboard pushed up to the screen facing south for 3 months and it always started first time on my return to south Wales

[@moremolecules]

Yes, south works quite well.

[@atmphil1]

I buy a 12 watt solar setup from my Amazon I leave my car for 3 weeks don’t touch it when to start it and the battery is dead. I contacted the seller and he send me a list of test to run I run the test and all I’m getting is -00.64 amps I flip the wires on the volte meter and I’m still getting only -00.64 amps 12 watts should be more then -00.64 amps

[@philiptimber7977]

Is it okay to let it charged for 3 months ?

[@rogerwale4827]

Hi More Molecules, A very concise test, a bit over the top really! But yes it does work. I had something similar 20 yrs ago and its still working, basically they stop most of the losses through standing. most of the vehicles today have lots of computers, clocks alarms etc all gnawing away at the battery whilst its off charge. Well done!

[@moremolecules]

Yes, but I was always wondering if these do anything. The charge controller consumes a bit of power hence will it drain it under rainy/cloudy conditions. It was a test purely for my personal interest 🙂

[@Martinko_Pcik]

Good test. I just hardwired 18V 0.2A solar panel with the diode and fuse directly on the battery. Solar panel is permanently attached on the dashboard under the windshield. With the Bluetooth battery monitor I can see full history of the battery voltage. Simple, no electronics, works well. I would recommend doing it for all kia and Hyundai EV owners with 12V battery problems.

[@moremolecules]

You may be alright, but depending on how much sunshine there is and the normal leakage of battery, how full the battery is you could potentially overcharge the battery.

[@penchotaraba580]

Поздравления за доброто видео, отново интересен и полезен тест, който може да бъде полезен на много хора. Продължавай така!

[@moremolecules]

Благодаря ви много за насърчението!

[@keys2la]

Very good attention to detail !

[@StayMadNobodycares]

These work, it helped combat a parasitic battery drain on my saturn I used to have. I shoved the panel in my sun roof and shut the slider door with it in there and left it in permanantly. I didn't have that box with mine though.

[@moremolecules]

I did not say these do not work, it is just that if the panel is large enough it will cook the battery on a sunny day without a charge controller. Depends of course where you live and what the sun output is. Here in the UK, in winter 10W would not be enough and probably can be used without a charge controller, but summer is different.

[@jonj488]

Thanks for all your efforts - that took a long time to compile so I appreciate it!

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I cannot watch this video and not give you a thumbs up and subscribe. Thank you for all of this effort. Very much appreciated

[@moremolecules]

Thank you very much indeed for the good words and vote of confidence, much appreciated!

[@MikeOrazzi]

A lot of detail and time went into this test. Nice work.

[@williamkgokolowa7640]

Thanks a lot for this test. And all your effort to educate us about solar power to lower the cost of running our vehicles and car battery maintenance.

[@bernied9415]

This is a subject not often brought up, very good ! I have my car battery on a 8 ah through an old 7a controller...allways works fine. Keep up the good work.

[@Schmitz3]

Yes, I used 4 - 1.5 amp HF Solar panels to keep my RV battery from going dead when in storage and I just sat them on the dash which was pointed west.

[@mrcarlo1966]

I just bought a similar one and I am going to start using it soon. Thank you for all the time you put into making your video it was extremely informative.

[@moremolecules]

Many thanks indeed for the good words. Hope it works well for you :-)

[@colinharvey4881]

Thank you for sharing this information.You have spent so much time and effort to reach your final conclusion. Well done!

[@gem22ful]

This is what i needed to know. Thanks for this video. I had my Toyota Vios battery replaced just yesterday. And I have a spare 30w solar panel and a 20A PWM scc just like yours. Planning to install them to my car battery without disconnecting the batt from the car system. Hopefully it could prolong the batt life.

[@moremolecules]

30W should do quite well, even in the west or whichever direction you point it to. I'm not too sure if you do not disconnect the car system if that will have some negative effect. Certainly do not start with the solar panels connected.

[@melchizadek5791]

Amazing amount of work...well done. At 35 mA the charge controller is consuming far too much power in relation to what the panel is producing. I've just seen a little 12V PWM charge controller on U tube use as little as 1mA ,,,see Julian Ilett

[@moremolecules]

Yes, thank you very much for your comment, much appreciated. You are probably right that the 35mA in relationship to the panel is too much. I will certainly look at Julian Ilett to see if that can be reduced. It was just that it was a combo, panel and controller and I decided to see if it will work overall.

[@melchizadek5791]

You're welcome...I'm currently looking at the 5W Eco-Worthy panel on Amazon,, I have to decide whether a charge controller is necessary or not , my car battery is 75 Ah 700 CCA (EN)

[@moremolecules]

@@melchizadek5791 The 5W is just on the cusp of being able to overcharge it. I would use a charge controller. Otherwise you risk the battery. If the battery is fully charged the panel will overcharge it without a charge controller.

[@1987FX16]

@@melchizadek5791 Bare minimum use a diode to prevent the panel discharging the battery when dark at night. The cheap 10w 12v solar car chargers don't use a controller and the really cheap ones don't even have a diode.

[@eugkr]

I believe the most significant factor is the weather on the last day(s) of cycle before results measurement. Controller drains battery every night, so what really matters is if your solar panel is able to compensate for that on a rainy day.

[@moremolecules]

You might be quite right in this. I will follow up with a different panel that does not have the charge controller. At first glance it looks quite good, even facing the North/West.

[@jonathanwebb9862]

Thanks for this - great to see some quality data. 👍

[@ridemfast7625]

Very helpful video! living in California a 10 watt panel with a 550 CCA battery should work. But, the battery needs to be removed/disconnected from the car to prevent parasitic draw.

[@moremolecules]

Yes, 10W should be more than enough in California or other sunny places. There will be some parasitic drwa from components if connected directly to the car, thus as you have pointed out, if it is somewhat longer-term storage the battery should be disconnected.

[@seymourpro6097]

IN England I bought a small solar panel (5w) that simply clips directly onto the battery terminals and helps the battery to survive occasional months without use (unless it's snow covered. The panel sits inside on the dashboard where it is in the sun.

[@moremolecules]

Yes, 5W is just about the safest wattage that you can put on a battery, although if the battery is fully charged and then exposed with the solar panel on the sun it will be overcharged. Even a smaller wattage panel will most likely damage the battery if it is fully charged and the panel is having sun on it. No regulation for the solar panel, it just pumps up the volts/amps in the battery irrespective of the battery condition.

[@Dirt-Diggler]

I have a 10W panel on my vehicle, no controller, in full sun facing south on the summer it will hold my battery at 13.8 max so no overcharging issues, in winter it never passes 13.2 , it's been on for 4 years without issue 👍

[@steviekane8716]

Brilliant video mate, and that circuit board is a work of art! 😉

[@moremolecules]

Yeah, it was a quick thing rather than a very thought out circuit board.

[@icyclaw13]

Im using 50W flexi panel with PWM regulator and have no problem at all, but i doubt in winter times 10W is enough to keep batery up + you vae to clean it from snow. Even my flexi behind window need everytime after snow clean window... Also because i got it build myself on campervan, when traveling i got 170W flexi on my roof tent because of diesel heater and some other stuff. Instead of solar panel i recommend for daily use another battery in engine space and use Cyrix to connect them together.

[@OWK000]

It takes very little power in trickle form, as long as it is nearly constant, to totally desulfate and keep a flooded lead acid car starter battery charged up. The alternator pumps 14.4 volts, but when you are not driving, it drops off and the battery sulfates. Solar panels used to be around 14 VOC and you could use a 1.5 watt for trickle without a charge controller. It was great! Now solar panels are usually around 18-22 VOC. You need a charge controller. 10 watts is overkill, but if you left you lights on or something and its sunny, it will charge up your battery for starting fairly quickly. *** TIP: those cheap pwm charge controllers are great but it really helps to pump hot glue gun glue all over where the wire leads are coming out of the charge controller. *** . . .It stabilizes the wires and prevents wire fatigue, fraying and shorts. I like the general quality and wiring quality on that Ecoworthy panel. Nice.

[@moremolecules]

Many thanks indeed for the thorough comment. I have to say that glue gun suggestion is rather good actually.

[@msf60khz]

Tghank yiou very much for the info. I have a 10W panel on my boat and it does not seem to hold the battery up.

[@cowsgoloka]

Nice analysis. Do we need to disconnect the solar charging setup while starting the car? If no any precautions to be taken

[@moremolecules]

Yes, one needs to disconnect it before starting the car. It will be a bit of electrical havoc if you start the car with it.

[@aubreyj.tennant1123]

Excellent review! Best I’ve seen on trickle chargers! 🙏🏼

[@moremolecules]

Thank you! Means a lot!

[@12babyapes59]

I just bought one that you connect to the cigarette lighter plug and there’s where the charge goes through and it has a diode circuit to prevent overcharging, Eco worthy brand

[@moremolecules]

The diode is not for overcharging, only for the current not to flow back during night when sun is not shining, it can still overcharge. Also, most cars the cigarette lighter gets cut off completely, so even if it is plugged you get no electricity flowing to the battery, so you waste the purchase.

[@12babyapes59]

@@moremolecules It also comes with terminal clamps

[@moremolecules]

@@12babyapes59 Yes, if you clamp it on the battery it will work, but it can still overcharge, depending on the Wattage of the panel of course and status of battery. Do not start the car with the panel plugged in on the battery, you may burn some of the electronics in the car.

[@KunalVaidya]

amazing work by you , setting up measurements and capturing data for the graphs . would bigger capacity 20W solar panel (or 50W) may have improved the results ? considering cloudy region and rain you have in your place. if we are using for car, can we keep this connected all the time even when we use the car ? the panel will be kept on dashboard when parked

[@mikesgarage394]

You don't use open circuit voltage calculating power. 10 watts is supposes to be ok without charge controller. Had 10w panel connected to my boat bat. for years and VW ships cars (or used to) with an 8-10w solar panel in the windshield ad battery maintainer during shipment. Connected by cigarette lighter plug.

[@moremolecules]

I already said in the video that this is open circuit and this is only to compare the numbers at the back of the panel. Probably should have pointed that this is not the power under load. Most cars switch off the cigarette plugs when the engine is off. One needs an OBDII adapter in order for it to work and charge the battery.

[@yanassi]

Will putting the solar panel inside the car prevent charging? Assuming you can attach to something, like the cigarette lighter?

[@moremolecules]

Yes, most cars will switch off the electric circuit for the cigratte lighter completely after say 15min and there will be no charge. Also, one would not want this plugged in when the car is started.

[@jvinsnes]

Btw, measuring the voltage without load and the amps with load does not give an accurate watt reading. It should be measured while the charge controller is plugged in.

[@moremolecules]

I did say in the video that this is short circuit, not under load! The short circuit values are given for the solar panel, so yes, under short circuit it gives more, matching the values on the solar panel, so it should in theory produce the 10W under load.

[@szpg]

It was fantastic to watch! I'm a science teacher and you just earned an A+ well done! Planning to make the same setup, thank you for your detailed video 👍

[@moremolecules]

Thank you very much indeed for the good words and good luck with the setup.

[@xmesaj2]

Like it. Bro, can this be permanently plugged into car battery or should I rather charge this way only when unplugging car clamps?

[@moremolecules]

You can have it permanently plugged in to the car battery, but you should not start the car with it connected. If it is conected it might burn some of the electronics. You can have a switch or something if you want to break the connection when starting the car.

[@1kontrabida]

Great review and comparison, if i may ask i was thinking of putting the panel inside my sunroof but my sunroof is tinted from factory will that affect the charging or will it work that way ? and also is 20w over kill for the solar charger? or the more Watts the better thanks

[@EdmundWChan]

Thanks for the hard work n data

[@dunsonande3424]

What about if you double the solar chager capacity from your current one -- 10W to a bigger one -- just 20W? Will it charge much better?

[@moremolecules]

Yes, that would work much better and it will keep the battery charged. I think I mentioned in the video, doubling to 20W should be more than enough for a 12V car battery. Ahh, do you mean the charge controller? That would not make much of a difference as the power comes from the panel.

[@stevenjunemann5507]

Great vidio best out there .helped me so much thanks for putting in the time to make it .cheers steve

[@emil.honganmaki5461]

when it's cloudy, it works better without a controller and doesn't charge too much. that controller consumes the battery a little when there is no light

[@moremolecules]

That's right. At the time it was the only thing that was on sale, but now appears that there are better panels with integrated diodes, so simpler and will bot overcharge a battery. Will have to edit the video.

[@wildmanofborneo]

Could a simple circuit be added to prevent draining by the controller when there's no significant solar panel output (at night, for instance)?

[@moremolecules]

I think this could be done, but it may need to be a bit more complex, as the charge controller has to have 12V before the V/A come from the solar. Probably not too crucial in these smaller 10W panels, but most likely the CC might burn a few of the electronic components.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Many of the small solar panels have integrated charge controllers within them that prevent battery overcharging and also prevent any back-feed from the battery to the solar panel.

[@wildmanofborneo]

What if you put the solar charger panel output across the coil of a relay, and run the controller output through contacts of the relay? Will disconnect the battery when solar output is weak to avoid discharge. Can put a resistor in series with the coil if the open circuit voltage of the panel is too big.

[@moremolecules]

It probably needs to be a bit more compex than that. The charge controller needs to be connected to the battery before the V/A come from the solar panel, otherwise it will most likely burn.

[@SocialAwareness-007]

i am planning to put one for a new battery installed on my car. The previous battery died low charge with in 6 months because of less use. I have the following questions. 1. Would it be beneficial to double wattage panel say 20 w or 30 w instead of 10 w ? or 2. as one of the comment said they used 2 1.5v panels and connected in series and hardwired and the battery lasted over 9+ yrs and still is healthy.. What's a good recommendation. I need this because i am changing batteries every year and don't wanna do that for next several years, more so the batteries are super expensive these days.

[@Curtis-i6o]

I bought one of those solar panels to charge my motorcycle battery but it doesn't charge it all the way. After a day in the sun the battery only gets to 11.8 volts starting at 10.2 volts.

[@moremolecules]

If you had the one with the charge controller, you may need to get one of these with a diode, i.e. without charge controller. Unless of course there is something physically wrong with the panel.

[@oOgy172]

Great video. I leave the solar panel connected for 3-4 hours a day, but don't have a charge controller. It is usually a little cloudy. Would this risk overcharging the battery?

[@moremolecules]

It should be alright depending on the wattage of the solar panel, but if the battery is quite full and there is a lot of sun you may overcharge it.

[@dimzel1165]

How about making modul that will automatically turn off solar system during nights and rainy days, so charge controller won't drain battery unnecessarily? It might increase effiency of this little systm.

[@moremolecules]

Ahh, thank and great suggestion. I thought about doing that, but then again the modul will need some mA to monitor the sun. I suspect it will increase the efficiency a bit as it will only power the light sensor.

[@littlereptilian7580]

A diode would do that

[@moremolecules]

@@littlereptilian7580 Yes, I thought about a diode, but the problem with charger controllers is that they need to be connected to the battery before the solar panel, otherwise they might burn out. With a diode will stop any power from the battery to the solar panel and then when the sun comes, the charge controller will get power only from the solar panel. Not ideal.

[@MB886]

Would a larger watt panel work better year round? Maybe a 50 or 100? I have a 25 watt panel and it still doesn't keep the battery topped off in winter. I'm a Seattle.

[@moremolecules]

Yes, a 50-100W should definitely charge the battery or keep it topped up. The 50-100W should generate somewhere around 5-10A, so that should be more than enough. If you have a 100W panel, I would say that it would be worth investing in a MPPT rather than the PWM charge controller. It would optimise the current flowing to the battery. I just got some experimentation with this system and only had it in summer (UK), have not yet done anything in winter.

[@MB886]

I'll send you a picture of what I have in my trailer. Thank you for the confirmation

[@moremolecules]

@@MB886 Certainly, there is an e-mail address on my channel.

[@MB886]

Didn't find your email. Here's a link photos.app.goo.gl/R8FmRtwXFKgkq324A

[@mpjcv]

Thanks for the thorough video, really nice! I plan to buy this set as I have a spare battery to put in and have photocells (light sensor) to switch on 12V led lights once it gets dark. I was just wondering though, as I’m located Down Under, particularly in Sydney, where we really have lots of sun, is there sort of a device that you could put in automatically cutting the charging system once the voltage is at its peak? Some sort of volt controller of volt cut-off device and turns the system on again once the voltage dips? I guess in car terms like a voltage regulator? Thanks for your time!

[@moremolecules]

Thank you for the question, although not too certain what do you mean. Most people would want to utilise the full power of the sun rather than use the battery, i.e. use as much as the sun produces. Anyway with a charge controller (any), it will regulate how much power goes to the battery. Once the battery is full, there will be an extremely small amount of current going in and most of the load if not all will come from the sun

[@chrisgraham2904]

Can a solar panel trickle charger be used to maintain an AGM chemistry battery? I have been told; "No", because an AGM battery requires a voltage to charge between 13.8 to 14.6 volt and requires a minimum amperage of 7.5 VDC. Apparently all charge controllers intended for 12 VDC trickle charging stop charging when the battery reaches 12 VDC to prevent over charging, which is inadequate for AGM batteries. Can you, or other in the comments confirm this, or have experience with AGM battery charging?

[@moremolecules]

Not too sure, I have no experience with AGM, but most solar panels will produce more than 14V. Yes, the charge controller should be for AGM. As far as I understand (take it with pinch of salt), the combination should work for AGM. I do not think they need a minimum amperage.

[@hailthequeen]

It works on AGM. My 10w solar panel has an overcharge protection voltage of 14.5v

[@a64738]

Any serious solar charger have possibility for setting it to AGM and most also have setting for Lithium battery.

[@Norbino22]

Is it possible to connect USB device directly to USB port on controller /solar panel-controler/, without battery?. Thanks

[@moremolecules]

No, it's not possible as far as I know. Any charge controller will need a battery. I think they might burn otherwise. There is USB and if the sun es enough the charge controller will divert the power directly to the device without going through the battery.

[@Norbino22]

thanks@@moremolecules

[@MrNakamichi83]

Need to add 2 capacitor rated at 35V 22,000uF to increase charging ampere output , while the PV input , need to add bridge rectifier...

[@emil.honganmaki5461]

A 10W panel is enough even on cloudy days. it depends on how much the car's electronics consume when the car is stationary

[@moremolecules]

Certainly it depends on how much the car's electronics consume. Even the modest draw of 0.3Ah of the charge controller is not charged enough and cars consume around that much, especially in cloudy weather will not be quite enough. The battery, at least mine, drops ~4-5% per 20-30 days.

[@PhilipVineyards]

If i travel for 2 months. Is it possible to keep it charged for 2 months continuosly ?

[@moremolecules]

Yes of course, you can keep it continuously for as long as you want, but if you want to start the car you have to disconnect the solar and/or the charge controller.

[@panospapadimitriou3498]

i bought a 12 to14 converter..... and wait to have a clean 12v source from similar charger if no good bulk on it

[@moremolecules]

I did not quite get that one, sorry

[@panospapadimitriou3498]

@@moremolecules sorry maybe i was in fast mod... i cant figure out what i mean too.. hahahahhaha its about a converter i bought for car batteries but i think i m going to burn it.. i dont think i can charge a car battery straight with a comverter directly!!! sorry to bother

[@moremolecules]

@@panospapadimitriou3498 No worries at all. Depends on how flat the battery is of course. All of these are bit weak on the amps

[@RixtronixLAB]

Nice info ,thanks for sharing it :)

[@georgivasilev9666]

Здравейте, пусковият ток има ли отношение към резултата ? Дали би се получило същото при 1000А пусков ток (12V 180AH оловно-киселиннa) ?

[@moremolecules]

I do not think there will be a difference if the battery was 12V 180Ah. It just depends on how much sun there is coming from the solar panel.

[@georgivasilev9666]

@@moremolecules I am troubled by the initial current. I have a spare battery with 1000 A initial current. I want to make a solar generator for a camper van. All the guides I can find use a battery with much lower initial current. Do you think this matters ?

[@moremolecules]

@@georgivasilev9666 The 12V 180Ah is not 1,000A battery, but 12*180=2160Wh battery, maybe I got this wrong, sorry. I am experimenting with my own solar setup and have 2*12V 100Ah batteries wired in series to boost to 24V just to save on cabling and 2*340W solar panels. There is no problem connecting you 12V 180Ah battery to anything. It is pretty much the same thing whether it is 100Ah or 180Ah. 180Ah is quite good, you can go on with larger loads on it, of course depending on the C20. The battery will deliver whatever you are drawing from it. I suspect it is a deep cycle battery rather than a car battery. Of course you can safely draw ~90Amps from that, probably less as they are never 100%.

[@MarcoAfonso]

Thank you so much for this video. Hard work you had! I'm building a robot with a 12v battery and I need the same setup (solar panel + controller + battery). I bought a 10w solar panel but the current it's too low. I need a better and efficient (not bigger) 50w solar panel. Any advice please? Thank you!

[@MarcoAfonso]

Oh I forget to say, of course the sunny conditions matter, so I need at least 2mA current at worst sunny conditions.

[@moremolecules]

@@MarcoAfonso Yeah, good question, difficult to recommend something. I had bought another one (amzn.to/49xxfCD) that claims it can go without the controller, so less to be consumed, but I have not tested it yet. I bought it, but unclear if it is more efficient or better.

[@kushis4ever]

Hey mate, great analysis there. On a side note, can we leave the battery connected to the car and charge it with the solar? It seems we cannot just remove the battery more than few minutes from latest cars as we may lose all settings. What are your thoughts on that.

[@moremolecules]

Yes, absolutely. Depending on what car you have, most will switch off completely the electricity from the cigarette lighter socker. So, you can get a OBDII cable to plug in the solar of the panels. There are kits around. Once you switch the car off, plug in your solar to the OBDII, that will always have electricity going. DO NOT FORGET to remove the OBDII when starting the car, otherwise it can burn some of the electronics. In other words, never start the car with the solar panel connected.

[@neil_digital]

Thanks for the video. Can I connect my battery to solar via a controller + use a mains charger at the same time? The mains supply is unstable in Africa, hence the question.

[@moremolecules]

Not too sure to be honest. Thinking about it, it should be alright, it is just that the charge controller will not supply anything to the battery if the solar panels are producing anything as there is no draw.

[@whispergirl77]

Can a charge controller be used to run the battery and charge it at the same time? I mean, can i have it all connected, the controller, the battery and the panel and use the energy while driving?

[@moremolecules]

I would not use the charge controller at the same time as the engine is running with the alternator on. I think you might burn an electronic controller.

[@williamnunez9609]

Do you know that module that tells a light to turn on at night and off in the daytime for outside solar-powered night lights? that should work by doing the opposing connection shouldn't it

[@moremolecules]

Yes, I know about it and I thought about adding something that will monitor day/night. The problem is that this device is also going to consume some power, probably a bit lower than the solar controller or thereabouts and hence not that much saving overall.

[@mikejones-vd3fg]

@@moremolecules I dont think these consume any power , well its an IC so some, it looks like a transistor but has 4 legs, i took apart the same led solar lights to salvage the panels and noticed the circuit was so simple and wondered how it knew how to turn off the charging and turn on the light and vice versa, i thought these would be useful for something but didt know what, maybe this. Im not an electronics epxert so have no idea how to repurpose these but im sure these would do the trick. You can see one here in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/amTTcqmvh5KLqdk at like 1:30 when he takes apart the light, that little tranisotor looking thing. That does all the magic. The solar lights i salvaged had a rechargable NiHm 100mah battery in it with a 2v panel, yeah only 100mah, never seen the capcity so low, so that doesnt need lots of power id imagine if it was running off that. But im not an electronics expert so... EDIT heres a video with an electronics expert explaining these solar light circuits work kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKq9fmemerx6adE

[@moremolecules]

@@mikejones-vd3fg It could be yes, although it needs to cut both solar panel and battery and then switch on battery first before solar panel. I think it maybe worth it, although if the day light is not enough (

[@mikejones-vd3fg]

@@moremolecules lol yeah forgetting the obviouse solution... more panel! Ive been looking into it and it turns out the chip is a solar charge controller itself jsut designed for a specific task so im not sure it would work here anyway. Pretty cool to see a solar charge controller shrunk down to a chip, maybe that will help efficiencey in the future.

[@moremolecules]

@@mikejones-vd3fg Yeah, bigger panel is just an easier solution. I just did not want to spend too much money and was hoping that a 10W would suffice here in the UK. 25-50W would probably do quite well, even in winter.

[@markbradfield219]

I have the exact same solar charger, I would like to permanently mount this in the back window of my wife's 2016 civic as she works from home and has her battery dead a lot from not driving it much. If this was permanently installed, would the alternator hurt the charge controller if the car was started up?

[@moremolecules]

Yeah, you do not want to have it permanently connected, it could blow the electronics of the car. In other words, never start it with the panel connected. I had a small button switch connected to the positive wire and switch it off before starting the car.

[@JRK1913]

It may be possible that the increase in charge during second solar charging cycle is because you are now later into the summer with more intense sun

[@moremolecules]

Yes, but in any case South is going to produce more Sun energy than Noth/West, irrepective of the months. Not quite true though, as even west in the summer will be better than south in winter.

[@11ccom]

Good info.

[@littlereptilian7580]

Do battery pulsers like megapulse work if its installed permanently?

[@moremolecules]

I would assume they would work if installed permanently. Lead acid batteries best kept at their max voltage, say 13.7V.

[@sickranchez6183]

Why add fuses?

[@TonyCiobanu]

I've left the 1.5W solar panel from Halfords for 7 months connected with my 1.4 Civic and and faced randomly I didn't even know exactly which way and cadmr started immediately. I've bought this 10W version of Halfords now for my 2.2 CR-V. Not tested yet, but I'm not going to use that controller as it will some of the powe in my opinion.

[@moremolecules]

If I were you I would be careful with the 10W solar panel without a charge controller. If it is winter, it should be alright as it will not produce enough watts/current, but when spring/summer comes it will overcook the battery. There will be nothing to regulate the current when the battery is full and will keep pumping electricity to the already full battery.

[@daveward4358]

You do not check Current in parallel, it must be in Series with a load connected.

[@moremolecules]

I did say in the video that this is short circuit, not under load! The short circuit values are given for the solar panel, so yes, under short circuit it gives more, matching the values on the solar panel, so it should in theory produce the 10W under load.

[@aai8697]

I am going to test using a 100 watt panel on the roof of my 97 Nissan Pathfinder. It will be partially hidden from being seen as it will sit in the roof rack well. I will use it with a 40 amp controller. I am hoping to remove the alternator all together as a project. One tool you may want to use also is the Renogy Bluetooth module. This will allow you to see your panel output (wattage, solar amps, solar power, and solar volts, battery, and status (floating, charging, and or boosting).

[@Dirt-Diggler]

What are going to do at night without any way of charging the battery and all the extra load the lights put on the battery 🤔 100w isn't even enough to keep a petrol engine running with no other load ?

[@aai8697]

@@Dirt-Diggler I will have a secondary panel outside of garage for when I am home.

[@Dirt-Diggler]

@aai8697 again what about at night, even during the day an engine takes anything from 5A to 15A just to run depending on if it's petrol or diesel.

[@pier8540]

thank you

[@dmrsinclair]

Hi, have you tried it this winter?

[@moremolecules]

No, but it will definitely be worse. Too many cloudy days and a lot less sunshine

[@KeythorpeValleyFarm]

Did it work or not? 22 minutes is too long and I can't find the answer. I've had a 10 watt panel on our Transit for the last couple of months (February 2024) and whilst the battery isn't dead as it was without the solar, it's not got the power to turn over the engine or turn on properly. I guess the radio head and tacho head will be pulling power in standby - not sure how many watts that would be per 24 hour period. But the 10 watt I've had on it does not appear to have kept up...

[@micjakes1]

I listen to the radio alot with the car off. Hope this works.

[@moremolecules]

It should work, depending on the sun of course 🙂

[@K10wNs-Shed]

I have a similar setup on my cars to keep the battery charged as the security systems will drain it in about a month of not being driven. I used a small 20W panel though and mounted it all to a small trolley to wheel to the car.

[@moremolecules]

Sounds great with the 20W panel, but be careful if you do not have a charge controller it could potentially overcharge your battery.

[@K10wNs-Shed]

@@moremolecules The charge controller is a must even if you were using a 5W panel. I also have a second setup with a 100W panel that you can use as an off grid battery charger when a car battery is too discharged to start the vehicle. Its about as capable as a conventional 4 Amp charger on days with good sun.

[@moremolecules]

@@K10wNs-Shed Absolutely agree. If the battery is already charged and there are a few good days with full sunshine, the battery will get ruined. 100W is pretty decent and 4 amps is a proper charger

[@emaneht9886]

Because of pwm you will get 0.59x14 W (not 21x0.59 w)

[@moremolecules]

Yeah, the pwm is much less efficient than mppt, but that is a very small setup.

[@Ro-Bucks]

IF watts is Volts times Amps I can't see how a 10W could keep a 12volt charged at all. 15W should be just barly good enough.

[@moremolecules]

It of course depends on the sun power at the end of the day. That is why I did the test. West was no good at all, but south was pretty good and kept the battery topped. The overall battery drain is not that huge, ~3% per month or so. Of course 15W and above would be better.

[@arturbieniek6360]

You calculated the panel output power wrong. You first measured the short-circuit current, then the open-circuit voltage and multiplied. This gave you a wrong result - for a correct result you should use two multimeters and measure voltage and current at the same time.

[@moremolecules]

Both were short-circuit. I did say in the video that this is short circuit, not under load! The short circuit values are given for the solar panel, so yes, under short circuit it gives more, matching the values on the solar panel, so it should in theory produce the 10W under load.

[@arturbieniek6360]

@@moremolecules short circuit means under full load

[@moremolecules]

@@arturbieniek6360 Yes correct, completely agree, apologies, sometimes I reply in haste here and there. Yes, the amps were in short curcuit and volts under open circuit voltage. It would be lower than that in any case. Many thanks for the correction.

[@arturbieniek6360]

@@moremolecules no problem 😂 thanks for the video btw, it's the second time I watched it and this time I've actually decided to buy a solar trickle charger 😊

[@moremolecules]

@@arturbieniek6360 Yeah, many thanks for pointing this out, sometimes one does stuff automatically and blurs them out on camera. Yes, the overall power wattage will be lower than what I calculated on film as the voltage will drop under load. I did buy a proper load tool, but it is winter now, difficult to get any wattage.

[@curiosity2314]

Almost sounds like a 20 watt would do the job?

[@moremolecules]

Yes, 20W should do the job 🙂

[@ashadulislam3986]

Thanks for your information solar panel I am comment for India Assam

[@titotito3688]

I love solar panels. Sun in our country melt up The dashboard 😊

[@moremolecules]

Hahaha

[@titotito3688]

​@@moremolecules would be fine to install The solar cell inside The car to charge the battery alongside with car alternator as backup charging while car isn't running?

[@moremolecules]

@@titotito3688 I would only switch the solar cell without anything else connected, it cannot run alongside other stuff. As a backup, when the car if off is absoutely fine, but do not start the car with the solar cell connected

[@seymourpro6097]

The more computerised the more your car needs electrical support. Ultimately the battery will lose it's ability to crank the engine. It's life is extended but only so far.

[@beansmalone1305]

I bought an adapter and charge my batteries at public electronic car charging stations. People bitch sometimes but there is no law against it most places and my taxes fund them.

[@iskenderkaymakli1748]

iyi akşamlar sensör lerce ilgili çekim yaparsan sevinirim

[@moremolecules]

Not too sure what the question was about, I only got the photo of sensors, but not quite sure which sensors.

[@jamesalles139]

yes, 'inside the glass' will be problematic.

[@moremolecules]

Not too sure what I have said as I generally do not do scripts. If there were more subscribers, etc., I would carefully craft my script/words so it is accurate. Apologies for that.

[@jamesalles139]

@@moremolecules Sorry for not being clear. I agree with your testing method, if you expect to put the solar cells inside of the vehicle, that is the way to test it. However, most automotive glass is designed to filter out at least some of the energy of the sun. You will find much higher solar efficiency if the panels are mounted outside. And, Merry Christmas 🎄

[@moremolecules]

@@jamesalles139 Ahh, yes, apologie for my misunderstanding. Merry Christmas to you too. Yeah, outside of the vehicle it will be a lot better, but someone would steal it, so I wanted to see how good it was inside.

[@jamesalles139]

@@moremolecules Oh my! I live in a rural area, so I had not considered that possibility. Then, higher power rated panels might be of use. Cheers!

[@moremolecules]

@@jamesalles139 Haha, yeah. I live in the city and if I put the panel on the car and go away fpr the days for example or leave it there, I doubt it will be there when I come back.😁

[@kumarhimar3683]

20 to 30 watts much better....maybe your charge controller will discharge your battery during night time or cloudy days...

[@moremolecules]

Completely agree, if it is in summer and the panel is facing south 10W would work, but 20-30W will be better if conditions are not ideal.

[@a64738]

I use a 100w panel to keep one of the two 100Ah AGM batteries in my Ford Transit Box van topped up, without it the start battery gets drained after a week or so and will not start... I do not know how small panel you can get away with for this use. Always use a solar charge controller, do not connect the solar panel directly... My 100w panel is 20v, my main solar array is on a different 24v system with its own 5000Ah lifePo4 battery bank and 4 panels of combined 1380w and 80v. The 4 panels is mounted flat on top of the roof and give 1000w max on a sunny day and around 270w on a overcast rainy day.

[@alansach8437]

Shouldn't need 10w just to keep it topped. I use a little 1.5w panel to keep my rv battery topped all winter.

[@moremolecules]

Well, yes, but here in the UK sun is not as strong apart from summer, so 10W is probably not that much. The 1.5W panel can potentially be hooked directly, so then with the blocking diode should just keep it topped up.

[@goclunker]

10W doesn’t make enough amps…

[@moremolecules]

Yes true, but enough to keep the battery topped up in between. Of course it depends on the sun

[@goclunker]

@@moremolecules not enough to even maintain the battery. You need at least 120w to make enough amps to charge and maintain a battery

[@1marcelfilms]

Charge controller is a waste. A diode would work fine

[@moremolecules]

Yes, probably true, but it may overcharge the battery if left without a charge controller. 5W is kind of cutoff point, but again it depends on the sun and if the battery was fully charged to begin with.

[@charlesbanian9495]

No...

[@jennajobasiaz5559]

My uncle drinks gasoline, he loves petroleum...He tells solar lies all the time to prevent the disappearance of oil petroleum products.

[@arifgor6467]

Pwm yerine mppt şarj cihazı kulansan ve akü terminaline desulfator devresi bağlarsan SOC değerin 30 gün içerisinde %100 değerine yaklaşır. Kaybolan kapasiteyi doğru cihaz ve devre seçimi ile geri getirebilirsin.

[@moremolecules]

Hmm, can you provide a desulfator example. These have never been shown to really work at all. They provide a high pulse to the battery but in all my tries with say the Noco genius 5, which has a repair function, they have done nothing at all.

[@arifgor6467]

@@moremolecules 1.5 kHz ve üstü, 20 ila 100 volt ve minimum 20 ma darbe verebilen herhangi bir devre iş görür. Aslında en verimli yöntem basit bir Ac daimi kapasitor ve köprü diyot ile yapacağın desulfator devresi de iş görür. Sadece 15-20 uf (micro farad) geçmesin..

[@moremolecules]

@@arifgor6467 Of course I can make my own own, but I woud not trust myself with the electronics. >20V, even though small amount of current, is quite a lot for a 12V battery.

[@chingusfoot]

This sounded more like a Weather report ?

[@moremolecules]

Huh? You do not think the weather matters, clouds and stuff like that? Yes, if I do it for two years in a row, you average out the effect from a few bad days, but in an experiment of 2.5 months it does matter.