RV solar panels are a newer and more practical approach to RV power supply. They can save the battery and campsite electrical cost and give the ultimate mobility. Most RVers do not consider using solar panels as they think that they are complex and cannot generate enough power; this is wrong. These solar panels are in fact easy to install and they can fully supply the RV's required electricity needs. The power consumption in RV's is not usually that high.
The way the solar panels create power is known as the "Photovoltaic Process" and it is a simple one. When this occurs, light is converted to electricity or the flow of electrons. The solar panels are made of a semiconductor named silicone (SI). When light is cast on the solar cells, the electrons in the semiconductors get excited and cause the free electrons to flow across the whole circuit. This then leads to the direct current of DC. The overall electricity depends on how big the panels are and their wattage.
Some components are required to setup the RV solar panels. First, the solar panel, dependant on the RV's current requirement, then a charge controller which supplies the appropriate amount of electricity. The sun may not be available at all times during the day and the solar panels will not generate electricity at night. This means that there will obviously be a need for something to store the current. That is why storage batteries are needed. RV solar panels will generate the electricity and send it to the charge controller, which then convert the amount of voltage supplied to the amount that the batteries can store. Without the controllers, excess amount of current may be passed to the batteries and can damage them.
Most of the electronic devices in the RV use AC, which solar panels do not supply. To solve this problem, a DC to AC inverter is needed. It converts the DC voltage to AC. All in all, there are four essential things to use in solar panel of RV's. They are the solar panel itself, charge controller, storage battery, and an inverter.
To gain more power and voltage, multiple solar panels can be connected. The resulting voltage depends on the way the solar panels are connected to one another. For example, if two 12volts of solar panels were connected in series, then the setting will produce 24volts and 5amps. This is done while connecting them parallel will result in 12V and 10Amps.
When camping in remote places, where electricity is not available, RV solar panels are the perfect solution. They are reliable and will save you the cost of changing batteries regularly.
