12-volt batteries and solar panels are both common items in any arsenal. While some users may use 6v, 24v, or even 48v battery setups, 12v batteries are the most common and the easiest to set up and manage, especially for smaller solar setups. Contact online >>
12-volt batteries and solar panels are both common items in any arsenal. While some users may use 6v, 24v, or even 48v battery setups, 12v batteries are the most common and the easiest to set up and manage, especially for smaller solar setups.
But what about different-sized 12v batteries? Can you use any solar panel with a 12v battery?
Solar panels of any size can be used with a 12v battery, but the panels must have a 12v rating too, and you must use a charge controller.
In this article, we''ll be covering the following:
If you''ve been wondering about 12v batteries and the right solar panels to use for them, you''ve come to the right place! In the following article, we''ll dive deep into all you need to know about 12v batteries and solar panels.
Technically, all you need to charge a 12v battery is a solar panel with a 12v rating. This can be any solar panel, although the bigger it’s, the quicker your battery will charge.
Anything under 5–10 watts is not enough, as these will only "trickle charge" your battery very slowly. In general, 12v panels are only available up to a rating of around 200-watts; from there up they are usually 24v or 48v.
There are various sizes of 12v batteries available, 100ah being the most common. For this reason, the amp hour rating of the 12v battery you have and how quickly you want it to charge fully will determine what size solar panel you need.
See also:Best Solar Batteries: Top Picks and Comprehensive Buying Guide for 2022
Solar panels are rated and tested at 77°F – which is the industry standard. However, solar panels operate between 60°F and 95°F. So the following calculations are based on the optimal environment – variations will occur.
These optimal temperatures will calculate the following charge times and the ah/watt current charge.
Seasons and shadowing will reduce the currents and charge times, so getting more panels or higher-rated panels to overcompensate to maximize the potential is best.
A single 200-watt panel should charge a 12v, 100ah battery daily. Alternatively, two 100-watt panels or four 50-watt panels will do the same.
It’s possible to use smaller solar panels — a single 100-watt panel, for example — but this will increase the time your battery takes to charge.
Typically, a 100-watt panel produces around 6ah per hour under ideal conditions or roughly 30ah–40ah per day. If you''re charging a 100ah battery from a flat, it will take about two days to charge the battery fully.
It''s important to note that proper battery maintenance and care requires that your 12v battery never goes under 50%.
A charge controller usually maintains this, so you''ll technically only need a panel that can produce 50ah per day to keep your battery fully charged.
Let''s take a 100ah 12v battery as an example.
Let''s say you''re using a 200-watt panel to charge your battery. This means you''ll be able to charge your battery fully in less than a day under ideal conditions.
A 100ah battery technically has 50ah of power available before recharging (to avoid damage), so if you put a heavy load on it, you can expect it to last a day or so.
Technically, you can connect a solar panel directly to a 12v battery as long as it''s not more than 5 watts, but connecting any higher-rated panels is not a good idea.
Solar panels will produce varying voltage outputs depending on the amount of sun hitting them, and this dipping and spiking of the voltage can quickly damage your battery.
Solar panels can generate up to 20v, much higher than the 12v required by a 12v battery. This can lead to overcharging, permanently damaging your battery.
The best action is using a charge controller or regulator between the panel and battery, which regulates the charge current and keeps your battery healthy.
Solar panel trickle chargers are mainly used to charge 12v car batteries. These chargers charge your battery at a rate equal to the self-discharge rate of the battery, which helps keep your battery charged at the desired level.
These panels are usually no more than 4–10 watts and simply keep your battery from going dead from the small amount of power consumed by small clocks, alarms, or indicators in your car while it''s not in use for long periods.
As long as your battery is over 20ah or so capacity, these trickle chargers will not overcharge your battery.
Depending on the ah rating of your 12v battery, you may wonder what size solar panel is best to pair it with and how long it''s likely to last. As mentioned earlier, it''s difficult to estimate how long a particular size battery will last, depending on what you use it for.
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