How To Determine The Correct Solar Charge Controller For An RV Solar Power System

Question:

Solar is all new to me, and I want to know if this kit: Go Power Overlander Solar Charging System with Digital Solar Controller - 200 Watt Solar Panel Item # 34282181 would work with my rig. I have a 2022 Allegro Red 340 33AL, I have a question on the Solar Controller. The kit Im interested in has this controller: 30-Amp PWM solar controller Ive seen systems with 50 AMP. Thanks

asked by: Keith W

Helpful Expert Reply:

There is quite a bit that goes into determining the correct solar power setup for you needs so I've attached our help guide articles on solar power that offer a ton of information. There is a huge misconception that you can run everything solely off of solar power when you'll actually just be using your battery and recharging it with solar power.

Depending on the amount of wattage your panels pull in you could need a different amperage solar controller. The panel on the Go Power Overlander Solar Charging System # 34282181 has a max wattage of 200watts so to know the correct size solar controller needed you would divide the wattage by the voltage of your battery bank and add 25% for unexpected current increases. So 200w/12v = 16 + 25% would put you at 20amps. Since the included 30amp solar controller will be more than capable of handling the input wattage of the panel. If you increase the amount of panels you'll need to reassess using the same formula.

The # 34282181 will work with your 2022 Tiffin Allegro Red 34033AL motorhome. You'll just need to ensure you have enough space to mount the panel on your roof. If you plan on running solely off of your battery (boondocking) then I recommend reading the 'How much Solar Power Do I Need For My RV?' article to go through the steps of determining the amount of energy you use in a day and the compatible system and battery bank size to correspond with your needs.

I highly recommend reading through all of our help articles as they are super informative and can offer a lot of insight on how to determine what system is going to best fit your needs. If you have any other questions please feel free to reply back.

expert reply by: Kevin C