Nine months a year my 208Ah of battery and 270W of solar panel are plenty to run the fridge and lights, charge my laptop, hot spot and phone, and occasional AA and AAA batteries for various devices. The other three months I need to be more aware of available solar hours and the house batteries’ state of charge. And the state of charge of my rechargeable stuff.
From dawn to dusk I keep the solar panel aimed at the sun. Since it’s mounted to the van’s roof, that means repositioning the Rolling Steel Tent a few times a day. (That’s one reason I’m not the type who sets up an outdoor living space.)
Then each afternoon I recharge my electronics so as much of the last hours of light as possible can go to charging the house battery. That’s also a good time to recharge myself with a nap. In the sun.
The shortest day of the year is in the rear view mirror. We gain morning minutes but the sunset stays about the same for awhile. .
ReplyDelete...I think.
We're gaining a little at both ends. two more minutes in the morning and three more in the evening, since the solstice. Solar noon (when it's highest in the sky) has moved two minutes later. By 1/1/20 we'll have four more minutes in the morning and six in the afternoon, and noon will have shifted six minutes.
DeleteSo much for my dream of driving south for the winter. Following you Nomads over the years I have come to realize one is far better off flying away from North America to some country south of the equator where my few dollars will buy a lot more then gas and bread.
ReplyDeleteYES!
DeleteThe cold, windy spaces near Yuma offer little more than meager respite.
Recent discovery of
http://livingboondockingmexico.blogspot.com/
has prompted renewed enthusiasm for the land of "Que us mas macho?" ( a question posed by Laurie Anderson: http://www.laurieanderson.com/ )
I've been in cold and windy places in Mexico, too.
DeleteCynic!
DeleteIf I recall, you have one solar panel? Adding another would prolly solve yer problems. You wouldn't have to move the van several times a day. I can't imagine doing that.
ReplyDeleteBut....but...how would he then get his exercise?
DeleteI have a 270W panel and 208 Amp hours of batteries. That's slightly more panel than necessary for the battery capacity I have. So if I wanted to upgrade I'd need more battery capacity. I can't just add a new battery to older ones because it will degrade the older ones. I'd need to replace them all. Similarly, solar panels should be identical. There's not enough roof space for another 270W panel, so any increase would mean all new panels. Between the batteries and panels we're talking over a thousand bucks to avoid a bit of inconvenience.
DeleteI want to avoid the modern tendency to throw more...whatever...at a problem. I prefer living within the limitations of the stuff I have.
I seem to remember my folks wintering in AZ Oct thru April enjoying the mild temps.
ReplyDelete