Solar power can seem like a tricky topic but it doesn’t need to be – at Adventure Kings we’ve got a range of Camping Solar Panels to choose from and they’re all super simple to setup, use and benefit from. Starting with the 10W personal solar panel for charging USB devices, right up to the versatile and powerful 250W folding solar panels that will provide up to 20 Amps of charge right into your battery to quickly charge it back up to full and then keep it there!

To try and put it simply, solar panels are made up of a series of photovoltaic cells. When photons of light hit the panel, they push electrons out of the top layer material where they collect on the bus bars (the silver lines visible on solar panels) and then travel into another layer of material. It is this movement that forms a small electric charge. This charge isn’t enough to power more than a very small circuit and is usually around half a volt and around 3 amps of current – so in order to increase the overall output, solar panels typically use a number of cells in series and parallel. This boosts the output voltage of the whole panel to around 20 volts and depending on the overall power of the panel anywhere between 5 and 20 amps. These figures are suited to a 12V system, though the higher voltage must then be reduced by way of a regulator or solar charge controller – the most common types are a Pulse Width modulation (PWM) or a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). If you had a 24V battery you would need a solar setup with a higher voltage of around 40V in order to be effective when connected up to a regulator in order to charge your system.

A Solar Controller or Solar Regulator is so called because it controls or regulates the voltage down from the solar panel output of around 20 volts to the correct voltage to charge your AGM battery. Adventure Kings 160W Folding and 250 watt Folding Solar Kits have built in regulators so you can plug them directly onto your battery and start charging immediately. The regulators on these models constantly vary the their parameters to get the most out of the folding solar panel and ensure they’re efficiently and effectively charging your deep cycle battery. The ‘MPPT’ name comes from the fact that an MPPT regulator constantly tracks the output coming from the solar panel and can hold the panel at the point where it is providing the maximum amount of power. MPPT solar regulators connected to the same panel as a PWM regulator could output up to 50% more power, so they’re perfect for getting the most out of your setup. PWM controllers are less advanced, though they can be a cost effective option for basic setups

There are plenty of ways to help your system work at its best too. Things like positioning, angle of setup and even how much air flow the panel is getting to stay cool can have a big impact. Solar Panels work most effectively when they are perpendicular to the sun – in an ideal system you could adjust the position your folding solar panel throughout the day to follow the sun by changing the angle and orientation. But a good option that makes the most of a stationary panel is to consider both the angle of orientation and the incline angle of the panel that will capture the most sun throughout the day and leave it setup from sunrise to sunset. Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun spends most of its time in the northern part of the sky. This is particularly obvious in winter when the sun is low in the sky, but in summer it is the same. So if you don’t want to move your panel through the day, point it due north for the best efficiency! 

The incline angle of a solar panel also relates to the sun’s northerly position, but it is more affected by where you’re located at camp! As you go further north in Australia you need to decrease the angle of your solar panel. If it’s summer time in Darwin the sun will be much higher in the sky than winter time in Tassie! And while it doesn’t need to be perfect, here’s a rough idea of the angle you should position your solar panel to make the most of the sun this summer In Darwin, set your panel at around 5 degrees, which is close to horizontal. As you travel down the mainland in Brisbane you’ll need to set it around 17 degrees, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide around 25 degrees, and Hobart around 30 degrees. In summer camping a lot of people are caught out by having their solar setups pointing too close to the horizon, when it’s much more effective having them higher up in the sky! That’s one of the reasons a flat-mounted permanent solar panel can be so good in summer – while you’re parked you’re getting plenty of sun charging up your camping battery! However, the opposite can be true in winter, when the sun is lower in the sky. For this reason it really pays to have a variable solar setup – having both a fixed or Semi Flexible Solar panel as well as a portable solar panel gives you the best of both worlds. Another fantastic option is to mount your fixed solar panel on a adjustable bracket so you can angle it higher or lower when staying at camp for extended periods.

Finally, ensure you keep your solar panel as cool as possible. Solar panels are less efficient as they heat up – which is what they’ll inevitably do when left in direct sun… so always make sure they have good air flow or at the very least they’re not sitting on a hot, dark coloured surface that is going to absorb heat and transfer it into your panel. If you’re using a solar blanket try and hang it, or lean it against a surface that allows air to circulate like a roof rack. Follow all these tips and your solar will be super effective this summer!