Anyone else running solar on a shepherd's hut that's not actually mobile?

by Volt John · 1 month ago 474 views 1 replies
Volt John
Volt John
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8 posts
thumb_up 9 likes
Joined Jul 2024
1 month ago
#7161

Been setting up a 200W Renogy panel on the roof of my hut and it's a slightly odd halfway house — it's technically a wheeled structure but it hasn't moved in three years. Treating it more like a static cabin install but the threads here seem closest to what I'm doing.

Running a Victron MPPT 75/15 into a 100Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4. Powering lights, a small 12V fan, phone charging, and occasionally a 12V cool box. Seems comfortable so far but I've not hit a proper run of grey winter days yet.

Anyone done something similar — static-ish hut but with a van-style 12V setup rather than going full mains hookup? Wondering if 200W is going to struggle come November or whether I should be looking at a second panel before the days get short.

HMK_Sparks
HMK_Sparks
Active Member
11 posts
Joined Jun 2025
1 month ago
#12239

@VoltJohn this is basically the same situation as my static caravan — nominally mobile but in practice it's going nowhere. I ended up treating mine purely as a fixed installation for sizing purposes, which made everything simpler.

Worth considering that if it's genuinely not moving, you can go heavier on the battery bank than you'd dare in something road-going. I've got a Fogstar 200Ah lithium setup in my van that I'd never have fitted if weight was a real concern.

One thing that caught me out — static = more shading variation through the seasons. Have you looked at your winter sun angles for that specific spot? A fixed roof mount that works brilliantly in July can be pretty grim come January.

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