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Topic ClosedAny other solar power people out there?

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secretbard View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Any other solar power people out there?
    Posted: 08 May 2012 at 8:19pm
Thanks guys.  This is a very informative thread.  Smile
2010 Rpod 172   :)
2004 Chevy Trailblazer
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bhamster View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2012 at 6:26pm
We've been using a 30-watt "briefcase" panel from GoalZero:


along with the battery minder solar charger:


I use a single group 24 lifeline AGM battery that has a very low self-discharge rate and it allows us to camp without electrical hookups indefinitely. We did a 2 week trip to Yellowstone last year and it worked perfectly. I have a 20ft extension cord so that I can put the panel in the sunniest part of the campsite and the charger actually fits inside the battery case. The battery was brought back to a full charge every day and had enough surplus energy to charge two cell phones and some random NiMH batteries.

When the trailer is parked I use a less-obvious (and less expensive) 10 watt panel that I put on top of the propane tank. It keeps the trailer topped off when not in use.

I should mention that our usage pattern is very minimal. At night we use lights (LED only), water pump, and heater blower (if it's cold). During the day we'll run the fan, charge devices, or run accessories since we have the surplus energy from the panel. So it doesn't work for everyone, but it's great for us.

Now only if we could harvest drinking water from the air and vaporize our waste... then we could really go off the grid.
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2012 at 8:01pm
Actually there are water-from-air devices, mostly small water coolers, although this article talks about larger ones.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_water_generator
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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