solar panels

[huntinghawk]

I have read what has been previous discussed about solar panels but most seems to be about power to a charger.

I'm still in the design stage of my build & think here in Florida if the cost is kept down solar panels as the roof to directly trickle charge batteries would be advantagous. My two dog kennels have 12VDC fans directly powered by solar panels.

12VDC 15watt solar panels from Harbor Freight are $80 but have been on sale for $60. One panel would produce about 1amp.

With eight 6volt batteries would need four solar panels to directly charge two batteries at a time. So that would be 4amps per hour with good sunlight. I think that's a good trickle charge. Five good hours of sunlight is going to put 20amps into the batteries.

And I'm thinking of actually removing the roog & using angle iron for the roof frame to hold the solar panels. Then caulk to make the roof watertight.

Any thoughts?
Ross

[Santacruzslick]

I've thought about just using a single solar panel to trickle charge the separate battery for my 12v accessories. Never thought about enough panels to do the cart. Is it even possible to fit enough panels on a normal size roof to make a noticeable impact on battery life for the cart?

[huntinghawk]

Solar panels won't make a difference on battery life but will make a difference on your electric bill as would take less time to charge batteries.
But with just an extra battery for accessories, if you put several on the roof & just feed them to that battery, you may nevery have to put it on a charger.
Ross

[spock_79]

There are a few companies that manufacture solar roof top replacements for almost any golf cart and they claim a 20-30% driving range increase. That means if your fully charged golf cart can run for 40-50 miles, then if you drive it for less than 10 miles a day you won't have to plug it in at all.
The battery life increases because the batteries keep some charge all the time. What realy kills the batteries is a complete discharge. Estimates give 2 extra years extension of the battery life if you don't discharge them bellow 10-20%.
A solar panel that works for sure is the 270 watt made by Helios solar charger. Made in US, all aluminum hardcore/heavy duty and customizable with stereo system, lights etc, and made in the US! I got one for my star car and haven't plugged it in for the last 2 months now so I guess their numbers are about true. I commute with the golf cart almost every day 6 miles round trip.

[rib33024]

Here's some info on this---


http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...batteires.html


http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ar-panels.html



http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...ar-panels.html

[sunking]

The most efficient panel available are about 19%. So that means the largest wattage you can use on the roof based on the area is 200 watts.

With a high efficiency MPPT charge controller. panel oriented flat at 0 degrees in Tuscon AZ in mid summer will generate roughly 1 Kwh in a day if left out in direct sun all day. Less elsewhere in the USA.

A golf cart battery to wheel efficiency is 200 wh/mile. So 1 Kwh/ 200 wh/mile = 5 miles. If you use 8 Trojan T-105's has a maximum capacity of 10.8 Kwh. So you are looking at 10%/day best case.

However for the 12 volt accessory battery, 1Kwh per day is way more than enough unless you drive around with really high wattage headlights on all day.

[rib33024]

So your saying that you can only fit a 200 watt panel on the roof of a cart???

Originally Posted by sunking

The most efficient panel available are about 19%. So that means the largest wattage you can use on the roof based on the area is 200 watts.

With a high efficiency MPPT charge controller. panel oriented flat at 0 degrees in Tuscon AZ in mid summer will generate roughly 1 Kwh in a day if left out in direct sun all day. Less elsewhere in the USA.

A golf cart battery to wheel efficiency is 200 wh/mile. So 1 Kwh/ 200 wh/mile = 5 miles. If you use 8 Trojan T-105's has a maximum capacity of 10.8 Kwh. So you are looking at 10%/day best case.

However for the 12 volt accessory battery, 1Kwh per day is way more than enough unless you drive around with really high wattage headlights on all day.

[spock_79]

Originally Posted by sunking

The most efficient panel available are about 19%. So that means the largest wattage you can use on the roof based on the area is 200 watts.

With a high efficiency MPPT charge controller. panel oriented flat at 0 degrees in Tuscon AZ in mid summer will generate roughly 1 Kwh in a day if left out in direct sun all day. Less elsewhere in the USA.

A golf cart battery to wheel efficiency is 200 wh/mile. So 1 Kwh/ 200 wh/mile = 5 miles. If you use 8 Trojan T-105's has a maximum capacity of 10.8 Kwh. So you are looking at 10%/day best case.

However for the 12 volt accessory battery, 1Kwh per day is way more than enough unless you drive around with really high wattage headlights on all day.

200 watts on the existing plastic roof? It will barely support it, I would suggest using a smaller one or else the plastic may break. Mine is a complete roof replacement with an aluminum frame and 270 watts (extends over the rear seats as well).

[huntinghawk]

I think its sungosystems that sales a replacement roof that is 390watts.
Ross

[rib33024]

OK this thread is going to confuse alot of people,--Four different storys!





DRD65-says the most powerful Universal solar roof top kit available at 120 watts.


Sunking --says the larges you can fit on the roof is 200 watts



Spock_79--says he has a 270 watt one--- roof kit



huntinghawk--says--390-watts

Originally Posted by huntinghawk

I think its sungosystems that sales a replacement roof that is 390watts.
Ross

Originally Posted by DRD65

This one is similar: Only $1k

This solar roof panel kit is the most powerful Universal solar roof top kit available at 120 watts. It works well with golf carts driven about 6 miles and more per day in peak sun. As a rule of thumb, for every hour it is out in the sun, it will drive one mile further.

The picture to the right is the SG 120 Universal top on a Western Golf Cart.



A low cost high performance solar charging system.
Mounts on top of your existing golf cart roof. Uses Z-bracket mounting feet and stainless steal bolts to attach to the top. The bolt head underneath includes fender washers and a rubber seal.
Wiring is through the rear top support.
Dimensions are 42.6 x 31.3 inches.
Weight is 26.5 lbs.
Extends the life of your batteries because solar power keeps a constant charge when the golf cart is outside.
The solar roof panel is a complete kit including the 120 watt solar panel, all stainless steel mounting hardware, and the intelligent controller.
The 120 watt photovoltaic solar panel is held securely in a sturdy aluminum frame.
The kit features a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller that monitors and optimizes the charging process for high power output and reverse polarity protection.
Simple and easy to install.
Charges a 36 volt or 48 volt golf cart battery bank.
A universal solar panel that will fit on all golf carts including Club Car, E-Z-GO, Yamaha, Star, Tomberlin E-Merge, Bad Boy Buggie, and Fairplay.
30% of the purchase price can be applied as a Federal Tax credit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

Originally Posted by sunking

The most efficient panel available are about 19%. So that means the largest wattage you can use on the roof based on the area is 200 watts.

With a high efficiency MPPT charge controller. panel oriented flat at 0 degrees in Tuscon AZ in mid summer will generate roughly 1 Kwh in a day if left out in direct sun all day. Less elsewhere in the USA.

A golf cart battery to wheel efficiency is 200 wh/mile. So 1 Kwh/ 200 wh/mile = 5 miles. If you use 8 Trojan T-105's has a maximum capacity of 10.8 Kwh. So you are looking at 10%/day best case.

However for the 12 volt accessory battery, 1Kwh per day is way more than enough unless you drive around with really high wattage headlights on all day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~



[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by spock_79

Actually this is manufactured by Helios solar chargers here in US. Has the MPPT controler and it's a 270watt panel made also in US (money spend here stays here). A super cool advantage of having this is a) the frame is aluminum aka 100% recyclable and not cheap plastic b) they have some realy cool options like dome lights, stereo systems etc, c) a US made MPPT controler. I got a similar golf cart from Star and the solar panel is way too bling bling (kinda expensive but in my opinion worth the money versus a lift kit or shiny rims). I commute 6 miles almost every day in Florida and haven't charged it for about 2 months now.