Pro tip: I switched from a $300 propane generator to a $600 solar setup for my cabin last spring

Used to haul 20 lb propane tanks from town every two weeks for my generator. Now I've got two 100 watt panels on the roof and a cheap charge controller, and I haven't paid a dime for power since March. The generator was loud and made me smell like exhaust, the solar setup is dead quiet and just works. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed their battery bank draining faster in winter than expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_shah851d ago

Wait did your buddy find a fix for that winter drain thing? I got a friend who went solar at his hunting cabin up north and he was complaining his batteries were dead by 5pm in December. He ended up adding another panel after a month of messing around with it. Turns out the shorter days and lower sun angle just weren't giving enough juice to refill what the inverter was pulling overnight. He said it was a total pain to figure out but once he got the extra panel it worked fine again.

kim_patel891d ago

Lol @wyatt_shah85, I get what you're saying but is it really that big of a deal? I mean yeah winter days are shorter, but an extra panel for a hunting cabin you use like what, a couple weekends a month? Seems like a lot of hassle over a dead battery situation that probably just needed a timer on the inverter or something. I bet half the people who freak out about this just don't run their fridge or lights on a smart schedule and overthink it. But hey if it works for your buddy then good for him, I just think people overcomplicate solar sometimes lol.