RV FEATURE
This simple watt-meter placed in line with a solar panel can tell you a lot about its performance.
Fortunately, it is a very easy situation to avoid. Before you purchase an external panel to take with you, check the specifications of your rooftop panels. Pay specific attention to the VoC or Open Circuit Voltage of those panels and ensure any external panel you purchase has the same, or very similar, VoC rating.
If you don’ t want to be bothered by this, the best option is to fit a second solar controller to your RV’ s electrical system, specifically for connecting external solar panels.
A POOR MAN PAYS TWICE
You’ ve heard the expression‘ you get what you pay for’. Well, when it comes to solar panels, this is true. It amazes me that in a country like Australia, with very strict consumer protection laws, that many solar panel manufacturers / retailers can sell panels with a wattage rating they have no hope of ever achieving, even under seemingly perfect conditions.
The problem is normally associated with cheap solar panels purchased from online retailers. That doesn’ t mean some name brands don’ t suffer the same issue. It may not be quite so bad.
To illustrate the point, I compared two 300W solar blankets under the same conditions. One was made by Redarc, and the other was a relatively unknown brand here in Australia. The price difference was considerable, but so was the performance.
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