Solar Panels for RVs How RV Solar Works & How Much it Costs

As you’re driving down the highway, sunlight pouring down on the roof of your RV, adding solar power seems like a no-brainer!

Here are a few reasons why solar power can be a great addition to your RV experience:

• Freedom: You can choose off-the-beaten-path locations.
• Quiet: Solar is virtually soundless.
• Ease: Solar requires no fuel and little maintenance.
• Green Merit Badge: Reduce your carbon emissions.
• Cost: Save money!

Although running solar can save you money, purchasing and installing a solar power system sufficient to meet your needs can be expensive, meaning cost-savings follow only after years of use.

How do you know whether it makes financial sense to go solar? Look at the basic costs involved for three categories of RVers: weekend warriors, who RV occasionally for vacations and weekend getaways; boondockers, who spend extended periods at campsites and dry camping; and full-timers, who spend the majority of their time at campsites. This chart is based on an average campsite hookup fee of $40 per night.

How do you know if a solar power system makes financial sense? This guide will help you understand all the costs involved in an RV solar power system.

Does an RV Solar Power System Make Sense for You?

A solar power generating system is made up of solar panels and batteries, plus monitoring and controlling devices. The more solar panels and batteries you have, the more appliances you can power. Once you know how much power you typically use, you can estimate the costs of powering some, or all, of your appliances and devices.

The Math of Energy Consumption

This chart is a quick gauge as to whether solar power makes sense for an RVer, based on lifestyle categories. For a more in-depth look, examine your own power consumption. Determine how much power your individual appliances consume. It is possible to use solar to power a portion, but not all, of your appliances.

Typical Power Consumption per Day, in Watt-Hours/Day

Below are typical daily power consumption figures for some popular RV appliances: a 19” LCD TV, a 13” laptop, four lamps, a water pump, two fans, a 1000-watt microwave, and an under-the-counter refrigerator. While this chart provides common usage amounts, you should develop your own list tailored to your personal power consumption levels.

Samples of RV Appliance Energy Use

Device	Typical watts	Hours of daily use	Watts-hours/day
TV	150	4	600
Laptop	60	8	480
Lighting	60	6	360
Water Pump	100	.5	50
Fans	15	2	30
Microwave	1000	.25	250
Refrigerator (RV)	200	24	4,800
Total			6,570

Note that a refrigerator is an energy hog, representing more than 70 percent of power consumption, with the remaining appliances using 1,770 watts a day.

In doing your calculations, also figure in appliances you use only occasionally, such as a vacuum cleaner or hairdryer. And note that all appliances continue to draw small amounts of power even when not actively being used, so you’ll need to add a margin of capacity for sleep mode.

Basic Parts of an RV Solar Power System

Solar energy for an RV can come in a number of configurations, particularly if you are a do-it-yourselfer. A 400-watt starter kit suitable for the roof of a standard RV might consist of four solar panels with wiring and an attached controller. You’ll also need batteries, a battery monitor and an inverter, which changes the DC power stored in the batteries into AC power for your appliances.

How Much Do Solar Panels for RVs Cost?

A 400-watt system gathering sunlight for five hours a day can theoretically generate 2,000 watts. In reality, few days are 100 percent sunny, and few systems are 100 percent efficient, but a 400-watt system can generate enough energy for daily appliance use for weekend warriors and boondockers.

As a practical matter, a system of 800 watts or more is ideal for an RVer, particularly if you are boondocking. You’ll generate twice the wattage, up to 4,000 watts, which is sufficient to run the majority of your appliances. Doubling the wattage will require four additional panels and one or two additional batteries, but your converter and inverter remain the same. The net additional cost might be $800 to $1,200.

You can buy solar panels at home improvement stores and online at Amazon, eBay and a number of other websites. Solar power systems are often sold in kits, which include panels plus a system monitor, wiring and connectors. Kits may or may not include mounting gear, controller and inverter — check kit contents carefully, as you will need all these components.

Example RV Solar Panel Systems & Costs

Note: Pricing does not include installation. Some kits include wire, connectors, and inverter. Most kits include a 30-amp charge controller, which is excessive for small systems but gives you the option to add panels in the future without buying a new controller.

The Math of RV Solar Energy Savings

When describing the energy savings of going solar, it’s usually in terms of how much you’re saving when compared to what you would spend generating power with a gas generator. An average generator burns one half-gallon of gas an hour; the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. is $2.25. If you are parked at a site and use a gas generator for four hours, you’ll spend $5 on gas.

Based on that figure, if you had a $3,900 investment in solar instead, you would reach a break-even point on your investment in 780 days, which is 2.14 years of daily use. If solar allows you to avoid $40-a-night campground fees, your break-even point arrives much sooner.

After you reach the break-even point with solar, your energy costs from then on would be $0, other than what you’d pay for any replacement parts. For instance, your batteries would need to be replaced after about five years of use.

In reality, even if you have a good-sized solar energy rig, you likely will use a gas generator from time to time, particularly during rainy or cloudy periods, in order to maintain a charge in your batteries. You may also want a generator capable of running an air conditioning unit, as it’s nearly impossible to run this energy-guzzling appliance on solar.

RV Batteries for Solar: Old vs. New Battery Technology

If solar panels are your power-generating source, batteries are your power storage center. An RV typically has at least one 12-volt battery, but you will need more; the number you need would be based on the amount of power you are generating from your solar panels. There are three major battery technologies readily available on the market, and each has its pros and cons.

How to Decide Which Battery Technology to Use

The cost differences among battery types are dramatic, but so are the differences in performance. Simply stated, do you buy the cheap but highly standard battery and change it out every two years, or do you get a higher performance unit that will last up to eight years?

The truth is, you can’t really go wrong either way. If you choose the cheaper route, you can always upgrade in a couple of years, and any extra money might be better spent on more solar panels.

Sampling of Batteries Suitable for RVs

Can I Run My Air Conditioner on Solar?

When you’re considering the economics of solar, it’s best to approach it in progressive steps:

Glossary

RV Solar Resources