All About the Angle

Finally, I have an additional solar panel that actually works with my system. I knew it would help, but I didn’t realize how much it would help.

I picked it up, installed the legs, and had it plugged into my van by mid-afternoon. The sky was overcast, with only filtered sunlight coming through. The image on the right is a snapshot of my rooftop solar status. With 600 watts of panels on the roof, I was pulling in about 200 watts of power. That’s been pretty common lately, with the sun so low in the sky as we go into winter. Meanwhile, my single 200-watt panel, on the ground but tilted toward the sun, was generating 116 watts. I’ve increased my charging capacity by more than 50% just by adding a single panel and, most importantly, tilting it toward the sun.

This difference was even more profound when I woke up this morning. I didn’t get screenshots, but shortly after sunrise, my 600 watts on the roof were bringing in just 35 watts, while the 200-watt panel aimed toward the sunrise brought in 75! With the sun so low in the sky this time of year, it really seems to be all about the angle. I’ve read that with solar panels so affordable these days, it’s easier to just add more panels than to worry about tilting them. I don’t believe that’s true. I could add this new panel to my rooftop system. I designed it for that exact purpose. But I think it’s doing a lot more good sitting by itself, angled toward the sun.

This is the readout from one of my two batteries at that time. Even with Starlink on, the voltage was good, and I was charging at six amps. (The SOC, or State of Charge, reading is always wildly inaccurate, so I just go by the voltage and current.) The second battery was in a similar state. Even on a slightly cloudy day with filtered sunlight, this was working well.

What would happen if I redesigned my rooftop solar array so that it, too, could tilt? I see many rigs around Quartzsite with panels doing exactly that. It wouldn’t be too hard to do. Instead of bolting directly to my roof racks, I could add hinges to one side, and a way to add or remove supports from the other side to either hold it up or secure it flat for driving, or during the summer when I get all the solar charging I need. The panels would have to be hinged on the driver’s side of the van because that’s where the wiring is, and I don’t have enough slack to raise the panels too far. The other side could swing freely with no wires attached. I’d have to completely rearrange how I set up my camp so that the nose of the van points west, and the panels tilt south to soak up as much sun as possible. I would have to bolt the panels flat every time I move the van, then raise them again when I get back to camp.

All of this is certainly feasible. However, if my current setup provides enough power, I probably won’t bother. It’s much easier to unplug the extra panel, stash it in my trailer, and drive away than to get up on a ladder to reconfigure my rooftop panels. It worked for my previous van last year, so it should work this year. I’m going to wait and see how I do before making any more changes. If I still don’t have enough solar charging, this is my next plan, but I may not need it.