Shed Solar Panel advice.

[HarryML7]

My Mhome is stored in a shed without mains electricity, I am considering fitting a 100W solar panel to the shed to keep the batteries topped up.
A few questions;
1. Is there any issue with connecting the shed panels controller directly to the van battery (obviouly the van's panel will not be receiving any "solar" ?
2. Do I need to fit an isolator to the shed panel supply to isolate it when the van is not conected ?
3. Can the shed panel be left isolated / not connected to any battery when not required ?

 

[Googlebot]

I would add a battery master to your leisure batteries.

Then put a plug in the connections for the current solar before the controller in the motorhome.

Then just plug in as required and use the kit you already have.

1, No, that’s fine.

2, I would but only because you have to connect the controller to the battery first so it recognises the battery voltage, then switch panel on.

3, Yes, but isolate it first.

 

[canopus]

First thoughts are 100W solar not much use in winter in this country.
Might be as easy to run a 240V AC supply to the shed and leave the van hooked up.

 

[two]

(it must be a big 'shed')
Fix the panel(s) so that they face South and towards the horizon.
If you are merely 'topping-up' you may not need much power but you should have space for plenty more if required.

 

[andysam]

No problem with solar connected straight to the battery via a solar controller. A house panel (normally around 250w) may be cheaper and a more suitable size, especially a used one. Wire in pig tails and connect straight to those. If you haven't got one, a battery balancer would share this with the vehicle battery.

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[HarryML7]

(it must be a big 'shed')
Fix the panel(s) so that they face South and towards the horizon.
If you are merely 'topping-up' you may not need much power but you should have space for plenty more if required.

10m x 4m

 

[TinaLes]

10m x 4m

Thats got a lot us onto shed envying now, you lucky B.......r A 10x4mtr shed with front doors over 3 mtrs high, plus enough room to house such a thing is a pipedream for many.
I guess you must live on a farm or something similar, our neighbours asked if we had planning permission when we erected a 5x3mtr log cabin office in our rear garden, which luckily we didnt need as the roof height was below the requirement, plus it was far enough away from the house.
Many of us remember the planning application problems CazPaul went through with their MH shed erection and thats up in the moors with no neighbours showing concerns.
If I had a shed like yours, facing the South, then I would be looking into having as much solar up there as possible, with a battery bank to supply our house also.
LES

 

[jockaneezer]

Not in the same league as you have planned, but a couple of years ago I received one of those small (350mm x 200mm) solar panels by mistake (ordered some other Chinese tat and they sent the wrong item but told me to keep it) and I stuck it on the inside of my South facing garage window and ran a 5 metre long bit of twin and earth to the old starter battery I use to run my garage's diesel heater and it has kept it topped up since March/April time.
I appreciate the battery hasn't had much load on it, but it was secondhand and not in its first flush !
The panel is (I assume) unregulated because it can put in as much as 15 volts on a very sunny day, but the amps are probably miniscule ?
The main gist of this is that I was surprised that such a small panel actually had sufficient output to achieve some charging, though I'm sure the vertical orientation has been a big help ?

 

[scotzsue]

First thoughts are 100W solar not much use in winter in this country.
Might be as easy to run a 240V AC supply to the shed and leave the van hooked up.

We kept batteries and tracker/alarm over winter for years with 80W

 

[gus-lopez]

If I had a shed like yours, facing the South, then I would be looking into having as much solar up there as possible, with a battery bank to supply our house also.

This^^^^

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