Solar Panels for Caravans and Motohomes

For the most economical way of installing a renewable energy source, purchasing a solar panel would be the simplest method.

The Value of Solar Panels

Now we are using more and more electrical appliances in our caravans, or tents, we are becoming more dependant on having a hookup on our pitch. There are still sites out there without hookups and caravanners have to rely on battery power. You could make use of the power of the sun to run appliances such as TV's, lights, computers etc while not being connected to an electric hook up. By simply connecting the solar panel and solar charge controller to your 12V battery (ideally a leisure battery) the solar panel will generate power during daylight that can be stored in the battery pack and used to power your 12V electrical appliances straight off the battery. Standard 240V household electrical appliances may also be used if required with an optional DC to AC power inverter.

Solar panels for caravans and motorhomes are quickly becoming the alternative to expensive, environmentally unfriendly generators. Despite caravan solar panels being available for some years, historically, electricity has been held in a deep cycle leisure battery (or bank of batteries), charged as the motorhome engine is running, by using a diesel generator or by plugging into the mains both at home and in a caravan park. With energy costs rising to all time highs and wider awareness of environmentally friendly impact of power generation, lots of people are now turning to solar power panels to power their recreational vehicles.

Be realistic about your solar panel and it's limitations

Solar panels give you a cost-effective and efficient way to the energy problem for caravan and motorhome owners, however the solar industry has often 'over-sold' solar energy to be a panacea, as a solution to every problem. Unfortunately, whilst caravan solar panels are a good energy resource, they do have some limitations and it is very important we make use of the right products to do the job. Additionally we need to realize that we may not be able to power every electrical device at all times with simply solar powered energy. As long as we are realistic as to what we can and can't do, solar panels are really simple to install and offer a raft of benefits.

Purchase a Solar Panel

Solar panels are available as just the panel or as a kit which provides everything you need to set up you solar energy source. A good example is the 40W SOLAR PANEL MASTER KIT. There is also available a Folding Solar Panel which is a more portable example of solar power.