Our team at RocketCity Solar often receives various questions regarding anything solar related. We often get asked what you need to install solar panels, the amount of panels you need to start your solar journey, what the right panel is for your solar project, etc. Our teams does their best at answering these questions and below you’ll see the most frequent questions we receive. Take a look at the questions below and see if we answered your doubts.
What do I need to install solar panels on my RV, van, trailer, etc?
You don’t need much to get started on your solar journey and RocketCity Solar makes it easier for you with our Solar Panel Kits. We provide the essentials to get started and make your life a bit easier. What you essentially would need is solar panels, charge controllers, MC4 parallel pigtails, MC4 inline fuse, circuit breaker, Z brackets, PV wire, and MC4 connectors.
Charge controller
Charge controllers prevent battery overcharge. They regulate the current traveling from the solar panel to the battery.
MC4 parallel pigtails
MC4 parallel pigtails are perfect for connecting multiple panels together in a solar field, and are typically used in parallel applications. These come in 2 to 1, 3 to 1, and 4 to 1.
MC4 inline fuse
An inline fuse provides protection for electrical equipment and the MC4 inline fuse is used to provide protection to solar panels wired in parallel.
Circuit breaker
Circuit breakers are designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage which is caused by excess current from an overload.
Z brackets
Z brackets are used to mount panels to flat surfaces. They’re ideal for RV, Marine, Boat, Car, and Home applications.
MC4 Connectors
MC4 connectors are simply used to connect solar panels together easily.
I need to charge 12V batteries, do you sell 12V panels?
Unfortunately, we don’t sell 12V panels but our panels can still be used with 12V systems with the use of a MPPT charge controller. We have many solar panels ranging from 250W to more than 400W!
How many watts do I need for my RV, van, trailer, etc?
The amount of watts you may need for your RV, van, trailer, etc. depends on your energy needs. Whether that be powering your fridge, microwave, blender, TV, etc. To calculate how many watts a certain appliance uses you need to do some calculations.
How many panels do I need to charge my battery bank? (Panels are measured in watts, battery banks in amp hours)?
The amount of panels you may need to charge your battery bank depends on the wattage of your panels and the voltage of your battery bank. Our solar calculator can help answer this too.
How many panels do I need to run my house?
The amount of panels you may need to run your house depends on your energy needs. Whether that be powering your fridge, microwave, blender, TV, etc. Some factors to consider are your electricity usage, sunlight hours your house receives and your budget. You can calculate how much energy you use by looking at your electricity bill. On there it will show you how many kilowatt hours you used this last month.
You also have to consider how many hours of direct sunlight your house gets a month and how much you want to spend. We have a informative article that will help you answer those questions.
