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RV Solar Panels

By Anna Williams

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 11Apr2009 Word count: 533 Viewed: 663 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

If you own an RV, or thinking of buying one, one investment you might consider is a set of RV Solar Panels. They can greatly extend the amount of time you are able to spend camping with the full benefits of electricity. Once the panels are installed, you will not only be able to enjoy longer stays in your RV, but you'll be doing the planet great service by using solar power as a clean energy source.

When solar panels installed are installed in your RV, you rely less upon generators or batteries to power the lights and other electrical devices in your recreational vehicle. Some RVs can then stand on their own without hooking up to external power sources.

How Solar Power Works in an RV

RV Solar Panels are photovoltaic panels that convert solar energy into direct current. These panels are connected to an inverter, which turns the direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). AC is the type of electricity you normally get from a home wall socket. You can use this electricity to power the equipment and appliances inside your RV - making it possible for you to spend several days away from RV camps. And there is no need to use a noisy generator to power up your RV.

Types of RV Solar Panel Kits

There are various types of RV solar panel kits available on the market today. Their outputs range from 50 to 440 watts. Their overall capacity will depend on a several factors, such as how much power you'll need, and for how long you will need it. If you will only be out on the weekends, you won't needs as much power as you might need if you live in your recreational vehicle for long periods of time.

You can make a rough estimate of your total power consumption by reviewing the equipment you will use in your RV, how many watts each item will use, and the duration of use of each item. The more power you use, the more RV solar panels you will need to purchase. An electrician might be able to help you with a power computation.

The type of RV solar panel kit that is right for you will also depend on the weather in your region. The solar panels will need sunlight in order to provide electricity. A system with an inverter and a built-in charger makes it possible to store energy in batteries, and then use that energy as a power source on days when no sunlight is available. Systems that aren't set up this way will be out of power once bad weather comes.

RV Solar Kits

RV solar panels are usually available in DIY (do-it-yourself) kits. These kits typically include the following:

- The actual solar panels

- Mounting structures

- Charge controller
- Fuses
- Output wires
- Intermodal cables.

If your energy requirement increases after you have installed solar panels for your RV, you can usually simply add additional panels. If you aren't comfortable with installing the system yourself, you can ask the retailer of the RV solar kit to refer you to an installer. There are several installation centers across the United States.

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