Solar panel

defike

Hi I wonder if there is solar panel expert on here.
I mounted a 120 watt solar panel which is charging 2 batteries thru a solar charge controller.My question is when the panel is done charging is there any way to harness the surplus power.The solar charge controller has a connection to drive a load but only from the battery.

Buford T Justice

Sorry to sound obvious, but to harness the surplus power, you'd need to have a battery to store it in, or something to use it up with.

You need a battery to do that with because it'd be more regulated than the fluctuating power coming from a solar panel.

defike

Yea. I have 2 leisure batteries and they're fully charged by 10.30.
I'm thinking if I connected something like a coolbox to the output of the panel
as well as the battery charging would it do any harm.

Buford T Justice

defike wrote: »

Yea. I have 2 leisure batteries and they're fully charged by 10.30.
I'm thinking if I connected something like a coolbox to the output of the panel
as well as the battery charging would it do any harm.

I don't think it'd be a good idea. What's the output rating of the solar panel?

I think it might fluctuate too much for use with anything without a regulator.

defike

120w.But if it fluctuates the box would just go off i think.I don't know it just seems a waste of sun.I might start charging the neighbours batteries.
Sorry to hear about your registering problems I'm just happy I got in last June.

Buford T Justice

defike wrote: »

120w.But if it fluctuates the box would just go off i think.I don't know it just seems a waste of sun.I might start charging the neighbours batteries.
Sorry to hear about your registering problems I'm just happy I got in last June.

Thanks

120W, but is there a measurement for the voltage, like 12V +/- 5% or something like that?

defike

It doesn't say.I will just use up battery power during the day such as dehumidifier or the like.

spaceHopper

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Thanks

120W, but is there a measurement for the voltage, like 12V +/- 5% or something like that?

It would be 120 W at 17.5 V or something like that pasically about 7 amps. If you get say 10 hours of sunlight with 50% output then you'd get 35AH a day which is enough to charge a 70AH battery in two days or a 120 AH in about 4 days. Load of power if you only use the van at weekends. When you are using it then during the say it will probably replace anything you use.

When in comes to solar pannels forget about power and look at current as you are charging amp hours into your battery which is a fixed 12 voltage.

Saruman

Out of curiosity, what solar kit did you get? Fit yourself? Any issues?

defike

Bought panel on eBay.Used a PWM Solar charge controller also from eBay and that's it.