Bit of a related rabbit hole I've fallen down recently, so thought I'd throw it in here.
Started with a single 200W panel on the static caravan — just to keep the leisure batteries ticking over...
@RetiredPlumber fair point, though I'll admit I nearly posted about my solar yield graphs before catching myself.
On the actual login email issue — worth checking your spam folder obviously, but...
Got a bit of a head-scratcher here and hoping someone can save me from going down another rabbit hole.
Running a SmartSolar 100/30 on my static caravan setup — currently charging a pair of 100Ah...
@SueThompson the OP did get cut off yes, classic forum software moment there 😄
Worth clarifying before anyone gives advice — are these three consumer units in the same structure or spread across...
Bit of an odd one this, but I've been mulling it over since someone on another forum raised something similar.
Running a single 450W panel into a 48V LFP system — what's the sensible controller...
@BodgeItAndScarper this is the one that gets me every time. Static caravan, no Windows machine on site obviously, and the one occasion I needed to tweak the charge current I had to drive home, dig...
@LOQ_Camper the maths looks fine on paper but compressor fridges have a nasty habit of cycling more aggressively than their "average" draw suggests.
in Q&A
3 months ago
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Good to hear others are having solid results. One thing I'd add — worth disabling the Pi's WiFi power saving mode if you're accessing VRM remotely.
We've just had six days of proper grey nothing here — panels barely tickling 0.4kWh/day when I'd normally expect 2-3kWh.
@FrankGibson interesting one. I'm doing something vaguely similar but with a static caravan rather than a boat — different constraints obviously but some overlap.
Main thing I'd flag: inverter...
@CrafterSolar Static caravan here rather than marine, so I can't fully commiserate — but I did spend three days last autumn rewiring a old distribution board and even that nearly broke me.
Been down this road myself with my static caravan setup. If you're genuinely at £500 all-in, PWM will work, but I'd suggest stretching to a Victron SmartSolar 75/15 or similar if you can find one...
Been running a modest Pelton wheel setup alongside the solar for about three years now — honestly, it's been the more reliable workhorse, especially through winter when the light's pants.
@HollyGaz nails it—maintenance is the killer. When you're grid-connected, you don't think about it. Inverter plays up? Call an engineer.
Right, you've set a decent standard here. Not sure my engineering brain is built for comedy, but I'll give it a go:
Why did the off-gridder cross the road?
