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I equipped my my Adria Van with a functional but very simple photovoltaic system, I focused on a complete kit of all the basic elements with the wiring already in place, easy to put into operation by simply following the manufacturer's requirements.
I have safety very much at heart, so I have placed all the components in easily accessible and well ventilated positions, a short distance from the service battery to reduce the length of the cables. Since aesthetics are also important, I tried to alter the furniture of the camper as little as possible.
I uploaded this video after a very satisfactory period of use and testing that lasted a year; I recently updated the system by installing a control display for reading various data on the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel and the state of charge of the battery. I also connected the engine battery to the charge controller and I plan to give the wiring more order with the addition of two bus bars and a fuse holder.
All this will be the theme of a new video that will also include other assessments on the quality of the materials and the overall efficiency of the system.
But going into detail, this is the list of system components described in this video:
- service battery: AGM Energy Safe 12V 104Ah hermetic Pb accumulator;
- photovoltaic panel: Direct Importer, monocrystalline, 190W, max current 9.40A, dimensions 1500x676x55 mm, weight 13.0 Kg;
- voltage regulator: 20A-PWM Allows you to connect the service battery and engine battery to the photovoltaic panel without adding a parallelator;
- pure wave Alca Power inverter: 11-15V DC input, 230V AC output, 300W continuous, 600W peak, n. 2 Schuko, no. 1 USB 5V 500mA.
- deyooxi voltmeter with on / off switch, 2 USB sockets plus cigarette lighter socket.
Some information on installation.
The first part of the video is dedicated to a test out of work of the main devices, the same manufacturer suggests it, it is used to check that everything is working avoiding nasty surprises.
I then moved on to the installation on the camper which naturally presents different problems from vehicle to vehicle. I must say that on my FIAT Ducato 244 I had no difficulty in routing the cables, the location of the service battery and the arrangement of the interior furnishings simplified my work.
On the outside, the roof surface is very large but in addition to having a wavy profile it is also slightly convex in a transverse direction; for safety reasons I preferred to fix the panel with glue and rivets.
Piercing or not piercing the roof is a much debated topic, personally I prefer to have six well sealed holes and greater safety considering that the panel weighs 13 kg.
Another topic is glue, personally I used Sikaflex 521 UV, which is one of the most popular sealing glues for this type of application. The installation manual indicates the Sikaflex 221. The contact surfaces must be clean and degreased, in this regard I used acetone in the video, but be careful, it is not suitable for all materials, for example absolutely avoid it on plastics, some use alcohol which is certainly less aggressive.
Turning to the electrical connections, it should be emphasized that solar panels, batteries and inverters can represent a potential danger, both of electrical discharges and of fire.
Therefore, some precautions are always valid:
- to avoid working on live cables, connect them first to the devices and then to the battery and always respect the polarity;
- very important as pointed out by the manufacturer in the presence of light always cover the photovoltaic panel while working on the cables, even a non-direct exposure to sunlight produces electricity;
- the inverter must be mounted as close as possible to the service battery. Having to use cables longer than those supplied, it may be necessary to increase the section according to the length of the cables themselves, the power of the device and the extent of the loads to which it will be subjected;
- where required, always equip the devices with fuses.
Finally, a clarification, the voltage regulator purchased in kit with the photovoltaic panel allows you to connect, in addition to the service battery as described in the video, also the engine battery, both will be kept in charge by the panel. As I have already mentioned the connection of the engine battery is not described in the video.
The video is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.
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