> Oh! There is NO battery planned.

Well yeah, you plug it into the 45lb lead-acid marine deep cycle battery in your pack. Duh. 55Ah battery at 12v gives you enough juice to heat that water almost ten times!

Then, you simply recharge the battery for four hours in direct sunlight with your 26lb solar panel

Everything out there is a rip off. It is stupidly easy to DIY something that performs just as good for half the price. And DIY has the added benefit of flexible modularity.

For example that Anker panel is $140 for 15 watts. That is insane! Full sized solar panels are under $1 per watt and you should never pay more than $2 per watt for small panels.

Shop around for a cheap normal solar panel. Since this is apartment based you can save money and go for the bulkier panels. For example here is a 50 watt panel for $70. It measures about 2' on a side and weighs 9 pounds. Just small enough that if you need to bail by car you can bring it with you.

Next you need a DC-DC regulator. These take many forms and determine how flexible your system will be. The simplest option is to get a 5V regulator which will be able to provide juice for all of your USB based items. There are fancier regulators with voltage and current adjustment but it sounds like these aren't for you.

Then get a high powered USB hub or maybe 2. That hub can only do 20 watts max. The panel and regulator I linked can do 50W. This gives you headroom on overcast days but it is also a waste on bright sunny days.

> but I'm not sure how I'd use something like that to charge batteries such as 18650's or AA's as those chargers don't have USB connections

Those chargers do have USB if you buy the right chargers. For example the Lii-500 does NiMH and li-ion all from micro-usb.

Another option is to get a 12V regulator and also connect that to the panel. There are a lot of chargers that run from 12V DC.

edit: I forgot about the connectors! These are good for low-power DIY.

We used a single 175W panel that is currently $180 on Amazon.

Our cost breakdown (work in progress) shows some more of the components you will need. It adds up quickly.

So yes, it is connected to a separate battery inside the van. The light bar is wired to our alternator and powered by the main van starter battery.

A nice solar panel and a 12 V marine battery will likely be all you need. You can charge phones, run lights, run fans, play music, etc. This is the one I have, works great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HR8YNK6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NQ31xbZMB0RTT

I think so. Here's a much cheaper and simpler package after tax:

$200 in mounting hardware, glue/sealant and cables.

$3200 for a Goal Zero Yeti 3k that has inverter, charger, monitor, and all the other shit built right in to the box that holds a 3kwh battery (should be plenty) and is completely portable so you can use it wherever and safely keep it outside the bus when not in use. May easily charge it at home or on the road by plugging it into a wall if you drained it and wanna charge it quickly as well, and you can tuck it wherever you like on the bus rather than having a whole closet of components.

$370 for 4x of these wildly popular and over-performing 100w poly panels that punch above their weight.


That's less than $3800 for a package that is gonna charge far faster and allows you to take your power with you. Will also take up far less room in the bus and is extremely easy to "install". Properly bolt the 4 panels to the roof, run the power cable into the cabin, then plug that sucker right in to the yeti. Done. If you really need more power just get another yeti or even a battery expansion pack. Still way cheaper than your deal and will only take an afternoon for you to install, same time you'd spend fucking with your installation guys and driving the bus around.

But honestly, even that's a little rich, before I moved to a yeti for the portability (I use the yeti as a power source for my film equipment which goes everywhere and charge it with the bus panels), I just had an old inverter, a dirt cheap charge controller and about 400ah in lead acid batteries, all of which with 400w in panels cost me less than a thousand bucks installed and worked fine.

10 grand definitely seems too rich imo. I'd pay 5k tops for 4.8kwh of lithium batteries and 340w panels with charging and inverter, which is what you're getting. Mostly because with the yeti I get 3kwh, 400w of panels and a great portable system for less than 4, installed, after tax.

The Good:
A) If your utility is using fossil fuels to make electricity, you are 'greener'.
B) If you produce more PV energy than you use yourself, and the utility doesn't pay 'retail', you can 'manually' balance the meters.

The Bad:
A) If you pay different prices during day/night, your daytime A/C is more expensive, hot water is 'storage' on cheap energy.
B) Direct (resistive) heating is not efficient, compared to a heat-pump (COP=~3), but a heating element is cheaper to buy.

The Ugly:
You probably need expensive permits for PV (in the US).

The Alternative:
PV panels are expensive, you would need eight of these, an alternative is thermal solar.

The Curiosity:
These folks might have some useful ideas.

Well, based on the spec sheet for that model, it draws .6A at 9vdc, so it should need about 6 watts to run. 6 watts for this, 1 watt for the raspberry... I would go with a ten watt panel to be safe, like this one. Looks like each node will run about $120.

Edit: thinking on it, you would likely need to go to a 15w panel, to allow some variability in power output, and some kind of battery for each. Deep cycle batteries would be best, but golf cart batteries would be pretty useful for this application.

There are, like these here, but they are quite a bit more expensive.

Using ohms law, with 9v .650A, you need something that supplies 6 watts all the time. Since there is no light at night, it will need to provide more than 6 watts during the day to charge a battery to work at night. It will need to provide the 6 watts the circuit needs plus power to charge during the day.

It looks like you will need a solar panel that is quite big to keep this working. I'd guess 20 watts or more (because the sun doesn't provide all the power all the time). That is probably why you are getting into the crazy expensive range. I have one of these and it works well, but it is expensive:

http://www.amazon.com/Brunton-Watt-Foldable-Solar-Array/dp/B000GEFFBO

It might be cheaper to buy two big batteries and run the unit off of one while you charge the other one using non-solar power and swap between the two at regular intervals.

This fence line is just shy of 90 feet and my setup works pretty well at that length. I used pretty small diameter pvc so it’s not much weight; I can’t imagine reinforcement would be needed for the watering— maybe for the vines depending. It’s not a raging torrent of water it basically is just a steady drip but it saturates pretty well when run in cycles and not run during the heat of the day.

My initial version of this setup was a single battery and small solar panel and it ran fine for a year or more (granted I’m in SoCal so we get a lot of sun)— I’ve since expanded a bit to a 4 battery setup and larger panel but just because I added two more pumps for covering other areas.

Here’s a picture of the control box of a basic single battery system with timer and a simple solar controller
https://i.imgur.com/JOfGqdp.jpg


Here’s some of the basic gear:

Water Storage
===========================

Current Water tank
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H9WJMI/

(Although I’ve also used smaller/cheaper tanks like this for my vegetable garden, just might mean more refills depending on how often it’s run: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BFC5NIA/ )

If you’re looking to go super cheap, I honestly started my first setup with a couple modified 5 gallon plastic water bottles I stole from my office like these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003B27RAA/


Power
===========================

Current solar panel for a 4 battery setup:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFMBF3G

Previous panel for single battery system:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PFGP0EA


Solar regulator (keeps you from blowing up the battery! The smaller panel comes free with one that works fine, I just liked this one better because it had more lights!): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L37KZI6/

Batteries, one is plenty for a single pump system:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003S1RQ2S/

(obviously if you wanted to build a system on the cheap you could bypass the solar entirely and drop $20 on a second battery that you leave charging and just swap them back and forth every week or three, depending on how often/long you run the system)


Pump
===========================

Current Pump:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BXBQGC/

Although I’ve also used cheaper ones like these for drip systems and they were fine:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07699RMVB

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WYMC492

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DLKT4OO


Misc
===========================

Timer (has like 16 stop/start memories which should be plenty for any configuration):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090MTLFO


If there is some interest next weekend I could draw up a complete wiring/assembly diagram and detailed parts list and make a separate post (and include all the sundries: wire, hose, clamps, filters, waterproof project box, couplings, drip heads, etc).

I traveled around the country in a van with an 85 watt solar panel and a 70Ah deep cycle battery. If you got a laptop with good battery life (my last two Asus laptops have gotten around 5-6 hours on dim screen lower performance), you should not invest the money in a solar setup. I would instead recommend you get an inverter for your car (20 bucks) and charge it to and from school and at school. Even getting a small solar setup will set you back a little bit, plus weather problems may become an issue if you can't mount the large windsail that a solar panel becomes when the wind picks up. For entertainment purposes, I'd consider a cheap <$150 tablet and something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-22007-7-5W-Folding-Panel/dp/B007JU9K32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406255468&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+solar

This would work well for charging up any phone, mp3 player or usb charging speakers as well.

I use this one when camping:
https://www.amazon.com/SUAOKI-Charger-Portable-Foldable-Efficiency/dp/B0752TQ5Y7/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=solar+panel+camping&qid=1558554520&s=gateway&sr=8-4

When backpacking, I use this one as it is much smaller and lighter - but only powerful enough to charge my cellphone and my bluetooth speaker.

https://www.amazon.com/BigBlue-Charger-Digital-Waterproof-Foldable/dp/B071G4CQSR/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=solar+panel+camping&qid=1558554607&s=gateway&sr=8-7

I know this is a joke troll post, but it is actually doable.

Live in an RV or a Tiny Home, and set up a 400W PV array, a 500W wind turbine, and a microhydro. You'll also need an AC inverter, unless you want to convert over to DC power. Live off grid. Run your stove, HWH, heat, and refer off of propane. You'll save immensely on electricity that way.

Here's the one I bought. Not the most powerful thing, but it was cheap and it works well. Never had power issues, it keeps the batteries charged up well enough.

Like [this] (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher-Electric-2-Amp-Maintainer/46167061). Plug it into the wall, connect to the battery, turn on, and let it do its thing, 24 hours a day if you want.

You picked out an 18 watt charger for $110. [This system] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E7NDMC4) is $25 more and gets you 32 more watts. Better deal.

Thanks for the reply. Here's what I've planned to purchase, although your 1st comment shows I don't fully understand all this yet... so perhaps this may not be the purchase:

Kit: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00DCDZOI0/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_6SXbvb0S8AR8D

Battery: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/6v-renewable-energy-deep-cycle-battery-0102010p.html#.VQhCFNLF_AQ

Inverter:
http://www.amazon.ca/emergency-appliances-converters-generator-MRI10011-1/dp/B007SLDDHQ

My thoughts on the 1000w inverter is for as much power as possible, if there were ever a black out in the area. At least this is how I understood what I was reading. Can you shed some light on why this makes no sense with a 50w panel? Should a 50w panel only be paired with a certain inverter?

Thanks for the clarification on the excess power!

Solar! I have two deep cycle batteries, and use this to charge one at a time during the day. My power needs are pretty small-- just running ipod/computer speakers, lights, and charging a few electronics. It works for me!

Car battery + AC inverter + AC adapter for laptop

OR

Car battery + DC outlet (cigarette outlet) + DC adapter for laptop

As for the solar panel, something like a [Brunton Solaris](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000GEFFBO/johnsmithindu-20
) would definitely work to charge it. I think they even have a 62-watt version that (obviously depending upon the laptop) would power it without the battery!

I got this one on Amazon. You'll also need the adapter and some connectors

As we all know, it is often the case that the installation date the last time a solar system owner ever looks at their panels – until something goes wrong. I bought a [50W solar panel] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXZ2QGY?th=1) at amazon for 2 yrs, named suaoki. It's really powerful at the beginning but later the functions is slowing down. So I tried to clean it to see if the cleaning helps. As you can see, the cleaning did some good in the end. Having dust, grime or buildup on your panels can reduce your system’s energy yields by up to 25% – and associated reductions in energy bill savings.


I recommend that panels be cleaned and inspected at a minimum once every six months. Cleaning at regular intervals prevents the buildup of residue and keeps your panels operating optimally at all times.

As others have said you can do this with a relatively small setup. There is a LOT to consider - HOW portable, HOW efficient, etc etc. Help me out if the below suggestions don' t meet the need I can piece together just about any system for you :P

​

You could get by on a small sealed lead acid battery designed for uninterruptible power supplies. They range in size but average 9 amp hours. I say get yourself a little 35 amp hour and never worry about discharge rate if you are only powering the win2 even if the sun don't shine that day. For the solar - buy BIGGER than you need - learned this the hard way with my truck camper. Right sized is great until the season changes or its overcast etc.

​

Check out this little starter kit - it includes the solar panel and charge controller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DCDZOI0/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_2ehvCbKCNM5MT

​

Down in the frequently bought together you should see a 35ah battery - will fully charge the win2 a few times and not even feel it:

https://www.amazon.com/85980-D5722-Sealed-Battery-UB12350/dp/B001VV0318/ref=pd_bxgy_2/135-2046487-8709925?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001VV0318&pd_rd_r=f062a34c-263c-11e9-b2b2-83751d0b2340&pd_rd_w=Nxcwh&pd_rd_wg=KqE5I&pf_rd_p=3f9889ac-6c45-46e8-b515-3af650557207&pf_rd_r=KWC3NGMZ50M5TJWJ1STT&psc=1&refRID=KWC3NGMZ50M5TJWJ1STT

​

12v car charger that I use with the win2 - works great:

https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Anker-PowerDrive-Adapter-MacBook/dp/B071WYF9HP/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549038482&sr=8-3&keywords=anker+pd+2+car+charger

​

​

Plenty portable depending on your needs. Its almost as easy as color coding to setup. You can power the win2 and multiple devices if you so choose. Expandable at a later time if you choose with panel and batts. Will fit in any trunk or backseat. Hell it will fit in a big backpack (panel is 21x26). Large enough charge current to top off your battery quick even in partial sun - big enough reserve to keep you going for a couple days easily. This is just an example of an 'easy' bundle if you wanna save some more money I can show places to get these items cheaper.

​

​

If you wanna talk more DIY and are not afraid of LI-ION 18650s you can build you a safe lighter and denser battery for pretty cheap. It would be piecing together a charge controller and panel but I would say stick to 50w range - affordable and covers your power needs even in less than ideal conditions. If you wanna go more expensive but more portable flexible/foldable panels are out there too.

​

​

Solar will work. Go for a couple full sized rv panels and a pair of 6volt batteries and a charge controller. Basically, the setup for an RV. Make sure the inverter you choose isn’t oversized as this will waste power. Clear a couple trees if you can.

Panel I’m using

This plus This and you are good to go in any post apocalyptic scenario.

It is possible. You would want to get some DC LED lights like the ones that are put into travel trailers ( I have some in my camper). A deep cycle battery sufficient to run the said light(s) for required time and a 50W panel/charge controller, possibly :
http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Solar-Starter-Kit-50W/dp/B00E7NDMC4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1412195507&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=renog+50w

Awesome! Thank you so much!

Amazon is selling a great [kit] (https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watt-Polycrystalline-Solar-Starter/dp/B00DCDZOI0/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=50w%2Bsolar%2Bpanel&qid=1549817864&s=gateway&sr=8-6&th=1)

So the 5 gallon water tank lasts you all day?

So, let's shave that 4 hour run time down to a mere 1 hour, and you'll have plenty forever. Building it smaller (since you're only building ONE of these systems) doesn't save you a whole lot:

Loads per day: 32.5 Watt-hours.
Days without sun: 3
Hours of sun per day: 4

Panel needed: ~25 Watts. (You only need ~8 watts for your load, but I figure you'd want to recover from a cloudy day or three with only one day of full sun, so that's where the extra wattage comes in!)

Battery Storage Needed: ~100 Watt-hours; a 35 amp-hour, 12-volt battery would be fine, and keep you above 75% SoC most of the time. Long as the cart's outside and in the sun every day, the battery will last a long time!

Charge Controller: Cheap 10 amp PWM still works.

A specific shopping list because I'm waiting on a video to render before I can get on with my night:

Solar Panel:

https://www.amazon.com/Monocrystalline-Newpowa-Quality-Module-Marine/dp/B01M9B6RQI/

Charge Controller:

www.amazon.com/PowerEZ-Controller-Battery-Intelligent-Regulator/dp/B074TB6FS8/

Battery:

https://www.amazon.com/Powersonic-PS-12350NB-Battery-Nut-Bolt-Connector/dp/B0010AI3LM/

Water Pump:

https://www.amazon.com/Seaflo-Diaphragm-Pressure-Caravan-Marine/dp/B00DLKT4OO/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1522996286&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=SeaFlo+water+pump&psc=1&smid=A3EBZ5HHZPL73

Wire:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0YDC6K/

This isn't copper, it's CCA, but for this amount of current really... :/ You're talking only a few amps at only a few feet, so it should be fine. (I mean, you're gonna get max less than 2 amps from that panel down to the controller, so really, you're not going to be pushing anything.

You can also use landscaping wire, if your hardware store carries 12 AWG landscaping wire. It's good for random small solar projects, or cut apart an old 12 AWG extension cord. (Or even 14 AWG if it's pure copper.)

http://www.amazon.com/Brunton-Watt-Foldable-Solar-Array/dp/B000GEFFBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312839646&sr=8-1

this is a 12 volt, 26 watt folding panel. It has flexible cells. You could get a 12v DC to USB adapter from any big box store.

I'd say forget what you see on youtube, thats some made up fantasy shit. If you try living on the beach prepare to be rousted every time you try to sleep.

Mosquitos will destroy you, be ready to deal with that. Mosquito netting over your bed area is a good idea(I use a king sized bed sheet and a clothes hanger rope over my cot). Also I have one of these I run if unwanted biting insects get into the van, I just full charge my battery before I go to bed and leave it on all night.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079N6BSNR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

You will need a minimum of two 100w solar panels and a 100amp hour deep cycle battery if you plan to have any kind of electronics. I run a laptop(acer e5-575-338m) two cell phones and a 27" monitor on this all day every day. Once the sun goes down I unplug the laptop from the charger and can get ~6 hours off the laptop battery and the deep cycle will run my cell phone(internet) and my 27" monitor all night with power left over. The 27" monitor uses 28w of power(acer K272HL).

Currently I use this so I can have the panels out in the sun while I'm in the shade:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L6OU74M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Y connectors to combine the panels:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753X68PS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This charge controller(I wish I had spent the $200 to get a really good one but it works)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5NP5JR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I went with poly panels, did a ton of research they seemed to be the best option for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCCOSV0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A couple of these so you can plug in 12v chargers:

https://www.amazon.com/BreaDeep-Cigarette-Lighter-Waterproof-Motorcycle/dp/B014RD1OPU/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_0_2/146-1188812-1452443?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014RD1OPU&pd_rd_r=6b983fee-fccd-44b0-9fce-701243a4c0df&pd_rd_w=Sa4dV&pd_rd_wg=e0mjZ&pf_rd_p=e7de3e41-8621-46b5-8090-e75951bb9b3e&pf_rd_r=JEW1CZD3WQW1QCM9GMDC&psc=1&refRID=JEW1CZD3WQW1QCM9GMDC

1000w true sine inverter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002I04A74/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

much cheaper 150w inverter(not true sine):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H2XD2DY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Honda generator for when there is no sun or emergency electricity, get the honda its more expensive but I originally had a cheaper generator and it only lasted like 6 months before it broke.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A104214812TOLRTJE6CW7&url=%2FHonda-2200-Watt-Portable-Inverter-Generator%2Fdp%2FB07R1HK2RL%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fkeywords%3Dhonda%2Bgenerator%26qid%3D1567965512%26s%3Dgateway%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1%26smid%3DA1QT7IAE1TPQ4M&qualifier=1567965512&id=8997328653646739&widgetName=sp_atf

​

You will need a commode, I have tried them all and this works best in my opinion. Use either dirt or mix black water deodorizer in a gallon of water and poor it over the waste. Pee into a separate bottle, combining pee and waste is what cause most of the smell. Then tie off the garbage bag and put it in a gallon freezer bag and store that in a 5 gallon bucket from home depot with an airtight lid. This way you can throw out the waste with your regular garbage.

https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Portable-Lightweight-Self-Contained/dp/B000FIDZLI/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=bucket+toilet&qid=1567964099&s=gateway&sr=8-6

​

You will need the best cooler you can afford, ice is a serious pain in the ass to keep having to get every day. A Yeti knockoff will work and you can get one for under $200 but a dometic compressor cooler/freezer is best, but it will cost you like $800.

This is the one I have:

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-Electric-Powered-Portable-Freezer/dp/B072MLT6QW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=dometic+compressor+cooler&qid=1567964655&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

Another thing I found very useful is a salt shotgun for flys and other annoying insects(its a never ending battle). They make one you can buy but I made my own instead, you just cock the bolt pump it up and then use a funnel to poor a pinch of salt down the barrel. It will kill any bug you shoot as if it was hit by a mini shotgun.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crosman-P1377BR-American-Classic-Air-Pistol-Bolt-177-Brown-Black/43989760

​

I would recommend a cheap propane burner instead of the fancy coleman butane burners, personal preference but when I had the butane burner I would go through butane like crazy and its kind of expensive. Not to mention you can't always find butane in store but you can always find the little propane canisters.

​

Wet wipes are your friend.

Apple cider vinegar with water works for a diy sponge bath.

Keep a well stocked medical kit

Get a big can of bear spray or two for self defense, just know it won't work on mountain lions. I keep bear spray and a marlin guide gun for large animals(moose/bear) and a 9mm for two legged predators. I have had death threats and all kinds of crazy shit happen so just be prepared.

​

Locking gas cap is a MUST, lost one of my vans due to some asshole pouring water in my gas tank.

​

A Verizon phone with the cheapest unlimited tethering plan($70/mo), Verizon has by far the best coverage in the USA.

​

I'm probably forgetting something but that is my advice, been on the road over three years now.

​

It is going to be hard, extremely hard, you will suffer. Don't expect it to be a vacation, its a survival skill not some pretend shit you see on youtube unless you have unlimited money to spend.

​

Gas will be your biggest expense, I spend more on gas that it would cost to rent an apartment. The only way to cut down on that is to find a spot you can stay long term(which is VERY hard, people do NOT want homeless guys in vans living outside there house).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B4XUUDI/

This is the most efficient window unit I could find. 5000 btu for 410 watt.

I believe 6 of these solar panels: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Polycrystalline-Photovoltaic-Solar-Module/dp/B00DCCOSV0/ would fit on the roof of an extended ford van.

I think either solar or a real generator is best. Your car is not a good generator. It only produces enough power to run the accessories and maintain the starter battery so that you can start it reliably.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B079JVBVL3

I want the cheapest, lightest, smallest, best way to get 3 amps at 12 volts 24 hours a day for 7 days straight at 47 degrees latitude in the summer in the US. How would I do it?

My thinking is 100watt panel at $150 I kind of like the flexible for my application, and lighter is better here:

https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Monocrystalline-Flexible-Lightweight-Irregular/dp/B074G1CN6N/ref=sr_1_10?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525191310&sr=1-10&keywords=100+watt+solar+panel


This could work, but the metal and glass and weight will be harder to mount: https://www.amazon.com/Newpowa-Polycrystalline-Efficiency-Module-Marine/dp/B00L6LZRXM/ref=sr_1_7?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525191310&sr=1-7&keywords=100+watt+solar+panel

A second panel, esp. flexible is not out of the question.

A mppt controller at $100 I'd like the controller to have the possiblity of a second panel.

Can I get away with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071ZVD7R5/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B071ZVD7R5&pd_rd_wg=TpZ8s&pd_rd_r=3NBQTEN5HQV42CS632RT&pd_rd_w=nuxLH

Or is something like this better: www.amazon.com/HQST-MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller/dp/B01B28DBX6/ref=sr_1_11?s

How close can you run the controller to the limit, is a 20amp controller good for 200watts of panels, or is it better to not be so close and go to 30amp?


A 4x10 amp hour 12v in parallel, LiFeP04 bank at $500 (battery might be a bit small, but 3 amp constant might be a bit exaggerated and a dark period might be ok)

https://bmsbattery.com/ebike-battery/652-12v-10ah-38120s-lifepo4-battery-4-cells-ebike-battery-pack-battery.html 17lbs


SLA could work probably x2 www.amazon.com/HQST-MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller/dp/B01B28DBX6/ref=sr_1_11?s Can you run the SLA as far down as a LiFEPO4? 3x the weight, but 1/3 the cost. How does the life compare?


Am I thinking wrong, or missing something significant other than wires and connectors?

Are their controller considerations if looking at LiFEPO4 vs. SLA?

This is the one I use works awesome for charging on thing at a time it does take the day to charge something from empty to full but when shtf itll be a awesome thing to have stick it in the window and your good to go

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj8pYHhqZfjAhWDGH0KHQ8RAH8YABAIGgJwdg&ae=1&sig=AOD64_2VAhtLNPutr36tjo8xIfIpJ5W_JA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjXufngqZfjAhUFP30KHW8GDSsQwg96BAgKEAw&adurl=https://www.amazon.ca/Coleman-22007-7-5W-Folding-Panel/dp/B007JU9K32/ref%3Dasc_df_B007JU9K32/%3Ftag%3Dgooglemobshop-20%26linkCode%3Ddf0%26hvadid%3D293002272198%26hvpos%3D1o2%26hvnetw%3Dg%26hvrand%3D16798034189496052952%26hvpone%3D%26hvptwo%3D%26hvqmt%3D%26hvdev%3Dm%26hvdvcmdl%3D%26hvlocint%3D%26hvlocphy%3D9000801%26hvtargid%3Dpla-442020479418%26psc%3D1

Have you seen these? Comes in 50 or 100w

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DXZ2QGY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509931991&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

Thank you for your response. I was researching a bit, and I was thinking of getting a battery with a converter to AC. Below are the items I am considering.

Battery

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002QGVWBW/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A33OOXQLQV58WQ

Converter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001RNOHBC/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Solar Panel

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004FOEUI0/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&smid=AU5MW0P13QZ5V

Total would cost about $80. I researched this from my phone, I think I really need to think about this some more.

Again, I am woefully unknowledgeable about AC, here we just open a window so I'm really unable to comment on that. However, volts and watts are not tied THAT closely together. For example here is a 150w 12v panel
https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watt-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel/dp/B00KH855YG/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1469748621&sr=8-8&keywords=200w+solar+panel

Here is a 12v 160w panel
http://www.ebay.com/itm/160W-PV-Solar-Panel-160-Watt-Mono-Solar-Module-for-12Volt-Camping-Boat-Battery/370752742393?_trksid=p2045573.c100034.m2102&_trkparms=aid%3D555012%26algo%3DPW.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D35375%26meid%3D0c1c56078c484599bd78c97d813ff334%26pid%3D100034%26rk%3D7%26rkt%3D8%26mehot%3Dag%26sd%3D281304487222

etc etc. And we really don't know what their daily sun exposure is OR if this is being used daily or just on the weekends. They may be running 500 watt solar panels with 8 hours sun exposure and storing them in phat batteries so they can live large on the weekends.

They certainly make 12v ceiling fans that are very efficient and even small refrigerators that operate at around 50 watts. Who runs a 10w bulb anymore if they are dependent on solar?!?

I appreciate you doing the math, but I still just don't think we have enough info on their collecting, storage or use to really judge at this point.

Here is the one I bought - it is now $270 (plus a car battery)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CIADLG/ref=wms_ohs_product_T2

CHEAP introduction to solar power

Yes! They are actually two 175w panels that I made a custom mount for so they could stick in between the lumber rack while providing shade but also aerodynamically helping out the RTT. I also think they kinda make the "lines" of the truck look a bit cooler with the RTT :)

Yes, it's indeed. For me, I bought a 100W solar panel and I have tested [it] (https://www.amazon.com/SunPower-Flexible-Connector-Charging-Compatibility/product-reviews/B01DXZ2QGY/). Measured power at 2.1 amps on 21 volts (44 watts) laying flat on ground. Pointed at Sun power was 5.1 amps on 21 volts (107 watts). Sun angle was about 42 degrees at 2:40pm. Will be using Blue Solar Victron 75/15 controller on primary battery (Optima 27F Yellow). Eventually will be going dual battery. I was using the setup for ARB Fridge.

Solar Panels come to mind, but..those aren't cheap. Something like this, made for RVs, etc.: http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-50048-60W-Solar-Charging/dp/B000CIADLG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1369367925&sr=8-3&keywords=Solar+Panel

You could look into using a car battery for things: http://www.ehow.com/how_5847565_convert-car-battery-power-outlet.html - My research suggests Wal-Mary sells em for 39-45 dollars (various Yahoo Answer posts.)...but then you'll need an inverter, etc----and I don't think you'd be able to power things for super long, but, hey most can be recharged, can't they?: http://www.carsdirect.com/car-maintenance/4-tips-for-recharging-a-car-battery

Another Car battery based one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tf3fngKA-c


Sadly, generating any worthwhile amount of energy isn't free. and those that are cheaper probably aren't good for running things for a long time.

WindyNation does appear to be more affordable - They have a kit too
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HKK5VXY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2TN19FHI2Z5KL

Not this one specifically but my coop with about 35 chickens uses this timer design.

Automated Chicken Coop Door

I added a 12V LED light bar to give them some light at night during the winter. It definitely re-started their egg production then. It's all run off a 25W solar panel and 10Ah battery. Only thing I may change would be to add more battery capacity so on the sunny days during winter it can bank the additional power for the not so sunny days.

For reference, I'm in Northern California zone 9a/b and we get lots of sun here.

This may(or may not) do what you want but it is pricey at $1400-$1700.

Coleman has a folding one rated at 7.5W with a cigarette plug and a usb plug. I've since repourposed it and it's still going strong!

http://www.amazon.ca/Coleman-22007-7-5W-Folding-Panel/dp/B007JU9K32

I use a Renogy 100w solar suitcase, cant run a/c or microwave but it keeps the batteries (I use golf cart batteries) charged for the water pump and furnace fan.

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Off Grid Portable Foldable 2Pcs 50W Solar Panel Suitcase Built-in Kickstand with Waterproof 20A Charger Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JVBVL3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DSwwDbKVEKE91

There are bigger ones (not by Anker though)

Some links after a quick Amazon search:

• https://www.amazon.com/GIARIDE-Foldable-Sunpower-Portable-Notebook/dp/B0713YKWCL/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/SUAOKI-Charger-Portable-Foldable-Efficiency/dp/B0752TQ5Y7/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Sunpower-Mono-Crystalline-Portable-Cellphone/dp/B07432VBX8/

A bit pricey, but you could run this thing for a week of cloudy days no problem.

12V 7 amp Battery $17
50 Watt Solar Panel Starter Kit $135

Just cut off a 2.1mm plug from an existing DC converter, and attach directly to the "load" on the charge controller.

I haven't used this kit, but I have a 50W renogy panel, and a tracer MPPT charge controller and they work great.

You could make something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMskp5M8Igw using a cheap car door lock actuator and keyless entry system

http://www.amazon.com/Remote-Central-Locking-Keyless-Controllers/dp/B006QH9C5A
http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Power-Actuator-12-Volt-Motor/dp/B00CZBQCR2/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y

You can use a small 12V motorcycle battery as the power source.

http://www.amazon.com/ExpertPower%C2%AE-Rechargeable-Sealed-Battery-BLMFM12_7/dp/B003S1RQ2S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415825130&sr=8-2&keywords=12v+battery

And if you feel ambitious you can hook it up to a solar panel recharge so you don't have to charge or swap the battery.
http://www.amazon.com/Instapark%C2%AE-Black-Mono-crystalline-Charge-Controller/dp/B004FOEUI0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415825203&sr=8-3&keywords=12v+solar+panel

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panel (New Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFMBF3G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bTBZDb1FFV9EY

EPEVER MPPT Solar Charge Controller 40A 150V PV Solar Panel Controller Negative Ground W/ MT50 Remote Meter + Temperature Sensor PC Monitoring Cable[Tracer4215BN] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07429RK43/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LTBZDbQ4VNMAZ

Universal Power Group 12V 100Ah Solar Wind AGM SLA DEEP Cycle VRLA Battery 12V 24V 48V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S1RT58C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AUBZDbEKFZ000

Thanks! I've always wanted to go off grid, probably the first time I remember looking at land for it I was around 14 or so. I like raising animals, growing things and working with my hands. Moving to Alaska was my husband's idea, but I love it out here.

We have a 400 watt solar system that we use pretty exclusivly in summer. In winter we run a super efficient and quiet generator.

... wow... that seems a little high. The solar setups I do for truck scales run a boat 1500 retail...

Grape Solar GS-400-KIT 400-Watt Off-Grid Solar Panel Kit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009ANH790/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_YO7gybVWEVWYM
Something like this, just add a deep cycle battery or 2

This may be overkill, but would almost certainly cover you adequately. You don't really need the inverter as it is 120v, you could just run your wifi doohickey direct off 12v.

...hope you dont have any neighbors.

Easiest way? Get a small 50watt solar panel, a usb adapter, and one of those portable bluetooth speakers with built-in batteries. wire it up, mount it somewhere sheltered from rain, and you're good to go.

​

panel: https://www.amazon.com/HQST-Monocrystalline-Applications-Compact-Design/dp/B07HYGSZKL

usb adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Charger-Socket-Outlet-2-1A（4-2A）/dp/B01N6S2SNM

bluetooth speaker with 8hrs battery: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Color-Bluetooth-speaker/dp/B01HETFQKS (something with a remote would be best)

The best online is sunforce at amazon. I have this kit. http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-50048-60-Watt-Solar-Charging/dp/B000CIADLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332840081&sr=8-1

It's great. I run off 3 deepcycle marines. that's all you need to buy extra. The kit comes with everything else. Hope that helps.

https://www.amazon.com/Newpowa-Polycrystalline-Efficiency-Module-Marine/dp/B00L6LZRXM?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-iphone-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00L6LZRXM
I have 4 of these that I can place out to power this bad boy: https://www.thereadystore.com/inergy-kodiak-battery. It’s expensive but it will last a life time and is super light. (20 lbs). Around Black Friday you can usually get all of it for about a grand, and never worry about power again.

For camping I use: https://www.amazon.com/25000mAh-Hiluckey-Compatible-Smartphones-Waterproof/dp/B07FMFGGNR/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=portable+solar+power&qid=1555207794&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Things that will kill your battery quick are TV's, electric coffee makers, hair dryers, or anything you use a DC to AC converter. Like mentioned earlier, use a french press or good ol' stove top percolator for coffee.
TV these days can be replaced with a laptop and a hard drive full of movies. If you are using DVD players and satellite you will triple your consumption of battery power. Solar is only good for a slow charge of the main batteries or to power small appliances like a cell phone or small laptop. And if the weather is bad then so is your solar system.
I have rough camped in my motor home and my batteries started going dead after the 3rd day. I had to run the motor home generator for a few hours to charge them back up. I have since then replaced all of my interior lights with LED bulbs and got a solar panel charger to use on the main batteries. This has extended the charge on my RV well past 4 days. I don't have TV's but I use a laptop and a tablet for entertainment so I cant comment on that. But the LED lighting has made the biggest difference.
Otherwise you can use your vehicle that pulls the trailer as a source of power to charge batteries Personally I would get a nice small generator to power the big stuff like air conditioning and microwave ovens.

Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240, 240Wh Emergency Backup Lithium Battery, 110V/200W Pure Sinewave AC Outlet, Solar Generator for Outdoors Camping Travel Fishing Hunting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29QNMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BcwgDbK965KGJ

And

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Off Grid Portable Foldable 2Pcs 50W Solar Panel Suitcase Built-in Kickstand with Waterproof 20A Charger Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JVBVL3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_edwgDbCSDQG23

Essentially you need to mimic RV wiring. You will need a 12v house battery -- one independent of your vehicle's battery. You can wire it to your alternator so it charges while the vehicle is running. For simplicity, I would recommend running everything as 12v DC. This will eliminate the need for a inverter and make for a more efficient system. Place the house battery somewhere accessible, or run leads to an accessible location. When you are parked, simply attach a solar panel to the battery (or leads) and point it at the sun. I wouldn't recommend permanently installed rooftop panels as it will be tricky to have it be secured properly and make it positionable towards the sun. Furthermore, I can't imagine rocks being kicked up at it while traveling 70+mph is going to end well.

[DISCLAIMER. THIS POST CONTAINS POSSIBLY FRADULENT AND OR POORLY REPRESENTED IF NOT FALSE INFO, I DID MY BEST SENPAI]

First, lets start with the facts

From Wikipedia.

$/w is cost per watt or dollar per watt.

• Coal is $2.10/watt
  
• Solar Panels are $0.70/wat alone. The cost of wiring, racks, and inverters up the price to $4.87/watt.
  
• Hydroelectric is $1.00/watt.
  
• Wind is $2.00 /watt.
  
• Gas is $1.00 / watt.
  
• Nuclear is $0.70 / watt.
  
  Capacity Factor - The actual power produced yearly relative to the amount of power produced if the system could hypothetically run at full power all year long.
  
  
• Coal, gas and nuclear plants have to go down for maintenance. Nuclear power plants need to be refueled. The sun doesn't always shine, damns do not always have enough water, and the wind does not always blow.
  
  
• For example, in 2012, the United Sates had 60 GW of wind capacity. If max power was maintained for 24 hours, 365 days. 525,600 (60 x 24 x 365) gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy would have been produced. However, only 140,000 GWh were produced. So, the capacity factor of US wind power in 2012 was 27% (140/525).
  
  To give you an idea of what this means. The United States of America uses 4,686,400,000 Megawatt-Hours of energy yearly.
  
  That is 4,686,400,000,000 kilowatt hours OR 4,686,400 gw.
  
  As stated above, the U.S. in 2012 has 60GW of wind. 4,686,400 - 60 = 4686340. Wow, thats nothing.
  
  

  But wait? Why does this matter? Of course the U.S. has large energy consumption. Its a big country. Well good thing I looked up the rest of this information for you.
  

  
  According to solarpowerrocks.com, the average solar power watt/ft is 190 watts / 13sq ft.
  
  146 watts = 10 sq ft.
  
  1460 watts or 1.46 kw = 100 sq ft.
  
  14600 watts or 14.6kw = 1000 sq ft.
  
  146000 watts or 146.0kw = 10000 sq ft.
  
  1,460,000 watts or 1460.0kw = 100,000 sq ft.
  
  14,600,000 watts or 14,600.0kw = 1,000,000 sq ft.
  
  146,000,000 watts or 146,000.0kw = 10,000,000 sq ft.
  
  1,460,000,000 watts or 1,460,000.0kw = 100,000,000 sq ft.
  
  1gw (ONE, NOT 60GW, ONE) = 1,000,000 kW = 68,493,150 sq ft.
  
  68 million square feet required of current of solar panels at current technological standards to produce ONE GW. 68 million square feet is roughly 2.5 square miles.
  
  To give you some perspective, a football field is 57,600 sq ft. You could fit 1190 American football fields in 2.5 square miles. You'd have to fill 1190 football fields with solar panels to get 1GW.
  
  
  The United states uses 4,686,400 GW per year. 1GW = 68mil sq ft. So 4.6mil GW = 312,800,000,000,000 sq ft required.
  
  

  Three-Hundred and Twelve Trillion, Eight Hundred Billion square miles of solar panels. According to Space.com, the earth has 197mil sq ft of surface, and only 29% of it is land.
  

  
  Here the deal though, according to amazon, a 150 watt (rounding 146 up) solar panel is 200 bux.
  
  Using the numbers from above and rounding 146 watts up to 150 watts, 1,460,000,000 watts is 10 million solar panels. 6,849,315 solar panels would be required for 1GW of solar energy. 6.8 million x $200 USD = $1,360,000,000.
  
  So with all this (probably wrong but hey) math. It will costs the U.S.A. $1.3b to build the amount of solar panels to supply exactly 1GW of energy. A nuclear power plant, which costs about $0.76/Kwh, costs 2 billion to build for perspective.
  
  Wind in 2012 produced 15GW.
  Coal, natural gas, and nuclear produced the rest.
  
  According to NEI, the Nuclear Energy Institute. Nuclear provided 797 billion kilowat hours. 790,000 GWH. 17% of the amount of energy required. Not 1/4.68 million like the impossible solar project.
  
  
  

  TLDR 1: Is "renewable energy" a viable issue we need to be worrying about right now? No. The tech is simply not there yet.
  

  
  

  TLDR 2: Trump isn't against green energy, which is the ultimate goal of climate change activists. So its really whatever. Again, we aren't there yet.

I think you severely underestimate the complexity of a solar installation. As a reference point - a tiny 400W system is around 15k excluding batteries.

>If I just use a mains car battery charger that charges when the electricity is on it should be fine.

Hence the UPS suggestion - it is essentially that but safer & more or less designed for the purpose. Total cost sub 1k

Also, NB - lead acid batteries are not designed for full discharge.