Solar panel identification

[Yukon_Tom]

I'm new to the forum but have been reading it for some time. I just bought a 2012 Adventurer 86FB . This unit came with a solar panel professionally installed but apparently not by Adventurer. There are no stickers or identification on it at all so I am wondering if there is any way, short of parking out in the bright sun, of finding its capacity?
Thanks

[Ski_Pro_3]

Yukon Tom wrote:
Perhaps next year we’ll head south. This summer we are heading up to Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea to drive the newly completed all season road. Check it out

Aw man! You are gonna love that trip! I did it on a motorcycle some time back.

[Ski_Pro_3]

work2much wrote:

skipro3 wrote:

work2much wrote:
What are the physical dimensions of the panel? Is there a solar charge controller present anywhere? Can you determine how the panel/charge controller is connected to the battery?

Sure would like to see your camper some time! The truck too for that matter. If you are ever up in the Placerville area, give me a shout. Reddog and I would like to check it over.

We are farting around in AZ right now in Organ Pipe Cactus NM. Not sure when we will be back in CA. Come join us. 😄

BigFootFord is down in AZ right now. Towed his Samurai behind his camper and really living it up. Hope he'll post a trip thread about it. I'd come down but got a buttload of winter projects to wrap up and with this warm weather, 75 today, I aim to be done before long!

[Yukon_Tom]

Perhaps next year we’ll head south. This summer we are heading up to Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea to drive the newly completed all season road. Check it out

[work2much]

skipro3 wrote:

work2much wrote:
What are the physical dimensions of the panel? Is there a solar charge controller present anywhere? Can you determine how the panel/charge controller is connected to the battery?

Sure would like to see your camper some time! The truck too for that matter. If you are ever up in the Placerville area, give me a shout. Reddog and I would like to check it over.

We are farting around in AZ right now in Organ Pipe Cactus NM. Not sure when we will be back in CA. Come join us. 😄

[Ski_Pro_3]

work2much wrote:
What are the physical dimensions of the panel? Is there a solar charge controller present anywhere? Can you determine how the panel/charge controller is connected to the battery?

Sure would like to see your camper some time! The truck too for that matter. If you are ever up in the Placerville area, give me a shout. Reddog and I would like to check it over.

[Yukon_Tom]

Much appreciated! We are going to take her out for the first time , this weekend, so it will be interesting to see what the panel puts out. Assuming the monsoons are done for a bit...

[Ski_Pro_3]

Sounds like a 100 watt rated panel at that size with an open circuit of 16 volts DC. As long as panels are fairly close matched to size, you can just wire them in parallel. Most panels have diodes in them to keep a shaded panel from pulling down the other. Most likely your controller also recognizes the benefit of isolating each panel and provides two inputs.

Search Amazon for your Solar Regulator. There are several kits. If your install is a kit, you can probably ascertain the solar output of your panels by physical size.

[Yukon_Tom]

The panel measures 20 3/4" x 40 7/8" x 1 3/4". There are 32 5" squares. The wires appear to connect approx 1/3 of the way down the back. It is wired to a Go-Power 25 Amp Digital Solar Regulator inside. There is an A & B so I assume that means it can handle two panels?
Thanks for your interest!

[work2much]

What are the physical dimensions of the panel? Is there a solar charge controller present anywhere? Can you determine how the panel/charge controller is connected to the battery?

[Ski_Pro_3]

Each square is about .5 volts. A typical 12 volt panel will have 36 cells for 18 volts open circuit. The current output will depend on a lot of things;
1. the material the photoelectric cell is made of. Poly-crystalline or Mono-crystalline.
2. The physical size of each of the 36 cells.
3. The intensity of photons hitting the panel from the sun.
4. The angle to the sun.

Solar panel current output is rated into a short. Basically take your amp meter and measure between the positive and negative, shorting out the panel with the meter. This measurement will be somewhat more than it would be into 12 volt load. Your panel won't be at the optimum angle to the sun, so that too will diminish the actual vs rated output, but it will give you a real view of actual power it can generate.

I have 200 watts RATED solar and rarely see more than 8 amps with the sun directly over head and into a load of something greater than 8 amps (a tail light bulb for example). Doing the math; P=I*E, Where I is 8 and E is 12.8 volts, the power out of my 200 Watt panels is 102 watts. That is very typical of what to expect from roof mounted solar; 1/2 rated of the panel. Also remember the type of solar controller will also affect the final power that can be generated. Some controllers are better at converting than others. Just the fact the open circuit voltage of a panel is 18 volts and the typical float voltage of a battery is 12.8 to 13.6, shows you that there are inherent losses in a typical solar generation system. Wire size/gauge and wire length also will affect the final power you'll get out of your solar plant.

[Yukon_Tom]

The panel is hard wired to the roof of my camper. It is not adjustable so I can’t easily see underneath. I see your point, though, that underneath I’ll find the sticker. Short of removing it I guess it’s the bright sunlight thing...there is a panel so I’ll be able to monitor what it does.
Thanks for all your responses. I was thinking one could get a measure by the size of the individual squares on the panel.

[centerline]

by measuring it, you can get a rough idea of its capacity. but I agree there should be a label near the junction box....

[Ski_Pro_3]

Assuming you checked the underside? Is there a junction box with a lid on it to connect the wires? If so, open the box and check inside.

[Lwiddis]

What are the dimensions? What does the controller say it is producing at “high noon?”