The invention of portable solar panels has revolutionized the solar energy industry, offering nature adventurers and backpackers a mobile, green, and sustainable energy source to power all the devices they need.
However, just like rooftop photovoltaic systems, designing a photovoltaic system with portable solar panels requires considering various factors, such as electricity needs. Worried? No need! In this article, we’ll explain how to design a portable solar panel in Australia system in a few simple steps. Enough chit-chat, let’s get started.
How to design a photovoltaic system with portable solar panel Calculating energy needs
Regardless of the type of system you’re planning—rooftop solar energy in Australia or portable solar panels—you need to know how much energy you’ll need. Why?
Designing a system without considering electricity consumption could lead you to oversize or undersize the photovoltaic system.
If you oversize your system, you’ll be investing money in a system that produces more energy than necessary (thus spending more money for nothing). Unlike fixed photovoltaic systems, portable systems offer no benefits for unused Solar energy in Australia (there’s no possibility of net metering or “selling” the energy produced to the utility, as is the case with fixed photovoltaic systems), meaning every unused watt is simply wasted. On the other hand, if you undersize your solar system, you’ll end up with a system that doesn’t produce enough energy to meet your electricity needs.
In light of all this, it’s easy to understand how important it is to determine your electricity needs before designing a photovoltaic system with portable solar panel in Australia . Since most portable solar panels are installed in places without access to electricity, or on recreational vehicles such as campers and caravans, it’s not possible to rely on the consumption shown on your bill to calculate your electricity needs, as is the case with fixed photovoltaic systems.
You’ll then need to calculate this by creating a list of all the electrical and electronic devices you want to power with the portable solar manufacture in Australia , including fans, electric ovens, lights, smartphones, etc. Then, add the electrical power (wattage) of all the devices to the list. If it’s not specified on the device, you can estimate the electrical power by multiplying the input voltage and current. This will give you a fairly accurate idea of the size of the portable system you need.
Choosing solar panels
There are several factors to consider when choosing portable solar panels. The first and most important is the panel wattage. Portable solar panel in Australia , like fixed ones, are available in different wattages, such as 120W, 200W, and 350W. You can determine the best solar panel capacity based on your net energy needs.
To better understand, let’s assume your net energy requirement is 180W. To meet this, you could opt for a single 200W panel. The extra 20W will offset efficiency losses and other unexpected variables that can affect the amount of sunlight received. You also need to consider the amount of sunlight you’ll receive and the efficiency of the panels.
The more sunlight you have and the higher the efficiency of your panels, the less oversizing you need to consider to compensate for losses. Simply put, if your Solar panel in Australia are low in efficiency and you have limited hours of sunlight, you’d be better off considering a system more powerful than 200W, say 240W (two 120W solar panels) to meet your 180W requirement. The extra wattage will help offset the extra losses.
That’s why it’s best to choose high-efficiency panels when planning a portable solar panel system. Some companies, like Bluetti, offer solar panel Sydney with an efficiency of 23.4% , which is definitely a great place to buy solar panels.
It’s also important to keep in mind that living off-grid can sometimes be challenging, so it’s best to opt for durable and robust solar panels. Make sure the solar panels you choose have some kind of scratch-resistant coating to protect the glass surface, and that they’re also certified as water- or splash-resistant (Bluetti panels are both).
Panels that meet all the requirements specified above will guarantee you a long-lasting and reliable system, capable of providing you with all the electricity you need.
Battery capacity
Batteries are essential for portable solar panel systems because solar panels cannot produce energy after sunset. With a battery, you can store the Solar energy in Australia your system produces and not use it to power your electrical and electronic devices at night or when it’s cloudy.
To determine the correct battery capacity for your system, you first need to understand how much energy needs to be stored in the battery. Continuing the example above, assuming a 200W 12V solar panel and 5 hours of maximum sun exposure where you’ll be staying, your photovoltaic system will generate 1000Wh (watt-hours) or 1 kWh per day.
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