Many off-grid solar charging systems exist to allow campers to keep their campsites running flawlessly, it is important to fully understand how solar works and what you need to let solar run your campsite 100% off grid!

No matter what camping accessories you need to operate you will always require a battery to operate your camping power accessories.

The battery gives you the ability to store all of the energy you require and with the right choice in battery, generally campers will do best with an AGM Deep cycle battery, as it allows you to discharge it down 80% from full capacity when compared with a standard flooded crank style battery which will only drop to approximately 50% before damage is done, the other advantage of an AGM Style battery is its ability to take on a charge approximately 5 times faster than traditional crank batteries, additionally AGM batteries are also spill proof thanks to the impregnation of the internal fiberglass matting that is soaked in the Acid this means that the batteries do not vent hydrogen gas and are therefore sealed meaning these do not leak or spill acid.

There are many different ways to install a battery in your setup, whilst many people might think the only option to install a deep cycle battery is with a “Dual battery setup” often found in 4WD touring rigs, however there is a new way to upgrade your setup to include a 12v deep cycle battery and one of the more popular ways to bring a deep cycle battery to camp is by using an Adventure Kings Battery Box, due to its portability and non-permanent installation you can rely on the setup to be accessible and completely standalone, allowing you to attach all of your camping accessories when you require them, including plugging USB charged devices directly into your battery box.

With the power source sorted out, you now need to consider your charging method as mentioned earlier some people choose to hook their auxiliary battery up in a Dual battery system resulting in their setup being charged by their vehicles alternator which is an excellent way to keep a 12v setup running when on the move quite regularly.

How-ever when you setup camp for days at a time, starting your vehicles motor to build a bit of charge is an inefficient and annoying practice, this is where more passive charging setups like 12v solar come in handy!

With a literal mountain of different ways to turn solar energy into power for your campsite the choices can be extremely overwhelming. Starting with what exactly a solar panel is and how it works might give you a better idea on exactly what type of solar setup you need to keep cranking off grid!

A solar pane otherwise known as a photo-voltaic – turns photons of light into voltage, as you can imagine, in our sundrenched country this allows you to turn picturesque sunny days into free campsite power that is deadly silent!

Now as you can imagine some days are brighter than others, and even on the same day, with moving cloud cover, you will find the voltage output of your solar panel can vary minute to minute, and hour to hour, for this reason the output can vary from up to 20+ volts all the way down to well below 12 volts this is why we need to employ a voltage regulator in line, between our solar panel and battery!

There are 2 main types of solar panel regulator the first being the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) the PWM regulators are the most cost-effective units on the market, offering a clever way to reduce the voltage from the maximum output down to a more sensible voltage for charging your batteries, and also monitors the temperature and voltage of your battery to prevent overcharging.

The PWM Systems are effective but not the most efficient system available, you can add an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) regulator for the most efficient setup around, offering up to 30% more efficiency during low light situations, the MPPT systems use complex algorithms to extract more amperage (closer to peak output) from the solar panel setup regardless of the light hitting the panel, this has the added advantage of charging up a system much faster without hitting over voltage, whether or not the panel has a full dose of sunlight or not, meaning your setup will remain at full charge for much longer than a setup only fitted with a PWM regulator.

with all of this knowledge you can start making decisions about what you want to run using your 12v system comfortable that your adventure Kings Solar will keep your batteries topped up and ready to go when you need them the most!

To find out more about what solar setup is best for your application call us on 1800 88 39 64 of visit our website at www.4WDSupacentre.com.au for the latest prices and specs.