Many people with no solar experience want to start with a small project in the hope that this will deepen their understanding of solar systems so that they can build solar into the grid in the future.
It’s a great idea that allows you to learn about solar applications at little cost and turn some part of your life’s needs into solar power, such as outdoor lighting, powering a travel trailer, etc.
What does the starter kit include?
While a wide variety of beginner kits exist on the market, they are mostly the same and Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit is the most popular one for the reason of more than 10 years of validation.
Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit includes 100W Solar Panel + 30A PWM Negative ground Charge Controller + Solar Panel Connectors +8Ft 10AWG Tray Cable+ Mounting Z Brackets for RV, Boat.
The monocrystalline solar cell efficiency is 21%；The Charge controller has been upgraded to Renogy new 30A PWM negative ground charge controller – The Renogy wanderer.
Its ideal output is 500Wh per day, it means fully charge a 50Ah Battery from 50% in 3 hours (depending on the availability of sunlight).
You may notice that this kit does not include batteries, in fact most starter kits do not include batteries. This is because there are different requirements for battery capacity and output depending on the application scenario. So the battery is required to be equipped by the user.
What battery suitable for this starter kit?
This is a question that almost every user has to ask.
While much depends on how much load power you want to carry, the combined capabilities of this kit 12v 50ah battery is better, The 12v 100ah battery is beyond the capacity of this kit.
Wihle, how was it calculated?
The starter kit’s ideal output is 500Wh. The 12v 50ah’s power is 12v x 50a =600Wh. The 12v 100ah’s power is 12v x 100ah = 1200Wh.
Considering the healthy usage of the battery, we plan to use at most 50% of the battery’s power every day so that the kit can be fully charged on the next day.
A 50ah battery can meet this condition, but a 1000ah battery does not.
With the battery selected, you can then specifically evaluate how much load to carry and how long to use.
For example, we are using it to power outdoor lighting, if the overall power of the led lights is 30wh, then this starter kit and 12v 50ah battery will support at least 600wh*50%/30w=10h of working time. 10 hours is almost enough to meet the lighting needs of a whole night. If Led lights is 60W, then you can get 5 hours at least per day. Beyond that, it can’t be expected to carry much more load.
As the Renogy starter introduced “The Starter Kit is great for off-grid applications, such as RVs, trailers, boats, sheds, and cabins.”
So, If you just want to do a small project, the price and stability of this kit is still well worth the choice.
Sarah O'Connell
As a research member with a background as an engineer, Sarah believes we need to know enough about products before we buy and use them, especially those that require some expertise and ability to operate. Sarah is happy to share her opinion and what she has learned with everyone. She believes that conscious consumption is everyone's responsibility and that all content should be complete.