Do you ever notice solar panels on vans and imagine how great it would be to harness Australia’s always-available sun for energy? It’s not as complicated as you may think, but likely more expensive. This is why I’m sharing how to install an easy solar power set-up for van life.
Before purchasing anything, I took in as much information as I could. I read a lot of blogs, but found most offered too much information. Not to discount other people’s set ups—developing a solar system set up plan for van life is different for everyone.
Here’s a few benefits of installing a solar system:
- Increases the resell value of the vehicle
- Solar system itself can be sold separately if the vehicle breaks down
- No need to rely on public energy sources
- Live a more sustainable van life using solar energy
- Save money by being energy independant
- Ability to travel and live off-grid
Solar energy is popular in Australia for both vehicles and homes. This makes it easy to buy quality pre-owned equipment, to save money. Purchasing high priced items such as these used can be risky, but it worked for me.
If purchasing equipment new, I recommend skipping common auto stores, as I’ve found them overpriced. Do plenty of research on pricing. Nearly everyday solar energy gets cheaper from new technology on the market. For deals check out 4WD Supacentre online or in-store for bulk solar set-ups, which include everything.
Pro Tip: Be careful trusting sales representatives in battery and auto stores, as their main priority is selling products. When I did this I was getting completely different answers from different people. Do your own research before purchasing anything.
Looking to do online shopping, but you don’t have a mailing address? Check out mailing options for travellers in Australia for help.
For my system I have a battery, inverter and solar panel with a built-in solar charge controller. My system works independently from my car battery. This allows me to spend days at one campsite as I don’t rely on driving to charge the battery. Some people have both systems, using the car battery to charge the second battery and using the solar panel for days on standstill.
Regardless of the hassle and money I spent on my system and learning about it, it’s been so useful for travelling Australia. And, even on cloudy days there’s enough sun for my solar panel to charge the battery.
Please note: I’m not an electrician and don’t give professional electrical advice, this is just based off of my knowledge and experience.
Table of Contents
How to Choose a Battery
A good battery is the most important part of a solar system set-up for a van. Without a quality battery, the charge won’t last and power devices—which is the entire point of the set-up. Walking into an auto or battery store, you’ll notice there’s a lot of options for batteries. But, they all have different uses and qualities.
The two most prominent types are batteries are deep cycle batteries and car batteries. The price difference is the biggest differentiating factor, deep cycle batteries are around to A$500—depending on the size—whereas some car batteries are under A$100. A solar system set-up for a van, needs a deep cycle battery.
The difference between the two is how they release energy. A car battery releases high energy for a short period, whereas the deep cycle releases a more moderated energy over a longer period.
As for charging, the deep cycle is meant to lose its charge (by using it) many times. Doing this to a car battery would damage it—which is why draining your vehicle’s battery isn’t good for its life-span.
When buying a battery I didn’t focus too much on the brand. If buying used, it’s important to know is it’s age and what it’s been used for. Buying a battery brand new will ease these doubts, but it depends on your budget.
What’s important to think of next is the size of battery you’ll need. If you’re really into it, count up what you need the battery for and use a deep cycle battery power calculator.
I have a 150ah deep cycle battery and it works great for charging my devices. This charges two smart phones everyday, my laptop every second day, an essential oil diffuser every day and two battery packs a few times a week. Based off of powering these devices, I charge it every few days for a few hours with my solar panel. I can power more devices, but it’s just all I need right now.
Inverters Explained
Solar panels generate, and batteries store and release Direct Current energy. But, most household devices use another energy source Alternating Current. Without getting too into electrics, they’re different from each other. To deal with switching currents, any solar power set-up for a van needs an inverter.
There’s all kind of inverters on the market, some for 12v (the round plug-in your vehicle has) as well as 240v and others for higher powered devices. Most laptops, smartphones, and similar devices work best with 240v—but check labels and/or packaging to be safe.
To power these you’ll need an inverter that changes the battery’s energy into DC.
There’s a few other qualities that are important to an inverter. They also protect devices with a low voltage shutdown, which prevents your battery from discharging if it’s too low. It will also make alerts for thermal, overloading and short-circuit protection. And, there’s a built-in fan to keep the inverter from over-heating.
To sum it up, plugging devices directly into a battery isn’t that safe. Having an inverter in-between regulates a ton of systems so you can relax and safely charge devices.
The inverter for my 150ah battery is 1000w continuous power and 2000w surge power. I purchased my inverter used for A$200. Inverters should say in the instruction manual the recommended battery size to power it.
Solar Panel Options
After choosing an inverter and battery the next step is how to keep the battery charged—with a solar panel. The advice given to me by a battery expert was to choose a solar panel’s watts based on your battery’s ah. My battery is 150ah and my solar panel is 140w, which are about right.
It’s important to have your battery charged as much as possible, it’s not good to have its charge dropping too low.
Technology for solar panels are advancing every day. That means the price of a solar panel years ago wouldn’t be the same, as there’s now higher efficiency and watts per price. Meaning, if you’re buying a used older solar panel the price should drop, instead of holding its value.
Choosing a solar panel
There’s so many things to consider when purchasing a solar panel, but to keep it easy I’ll just outline a few important details.
Price-wise, a solar panel shouldn’t be too expensive in comparison with the battery. Mine was A$120, and that’s a pretty normal price for the watts.
Solar cells are the type of material a solar panel converts sun into energy. It’s between polycrystalline and monocrystalline. The latter was previously known as the best for its heat tolerance, and size. Meaning, it could be smaller, but generate more energy despite hotter temperatures that would normally prevent that.
Polycrystalline though has also advanced and some brands offer better options than once available, including smaller panels with more watts and with a better heat tolerance. My solar panel is monocrystalline.
The type of solar panel is also important, do you need flexible, foldable or neither? It depends if and where it’s being mounted. Flexible panels often have lower watts output, check out what’s available at local stores or online.
I went for a foldable panel because it worked best for my situation, I still have plans to mount it, but it’s not necessary. Foldable panels are great because they can move around to get the most direct sunlight. An obvious downside is you can only use them when you’re not driving.
Mounting a solar panel is a great option in Australia as there’s many sunny days and often not many trees in the way. Because I haven’t done it yet I can’t attest to mounting solar panels. There’s different options such as tape and brackets.
Either way, find the best solar panel that meets your needs by accounting for size, price and energy output. It’s best to compare all of these qualities equally—choosing a solar panel on just one may not work out well.
Solar Charge Controller
The final step to an easy solar power set-up for your van is deciding on a solar charge controller. This is necessary to prevent the solar panel from overcharging the battery, and knowing when it’s full or not.
My solar panel comes with a built-in solar charge controller. It’s also why solar panels with chargers are a bit pricier. On their own, solar charge controllers are around A$80.
Solar charge controllers can come with a ton of extra features. This could how much energy is going from the solar panel to the battery. I’m a firm believer that basic information is good enough.
My solar charge controller has a single light that blinks when its charging and is solid when the battery is fully charged. For my needs, this works great and I’ve never had any issues with it.
Choose a solar charge controller that works for your needs, different people want different features. More features may also mean a higher price tag.
How to Install an Easy Solar Power Set-Up in your Van
Equipment
I’ve linked to the exact products I use in my set-up to help others check prices and sizing of the products.
- 150ah 12v Deep cycle battery
- 1200w Inverter
- 120w Portable solar panel or non-portable (with solar charge controller)
This equipment should come with all the cords necessary to connect the solar power set up.
Method
- Find a semi-permanent spot for the equipment
Choose a spot for the equipment where it won’t need to be moved often, especially as the battery is really heavy. It doesn’t need to be a permanent spot. As you live in your van you may find another spot that works better. The battery and inverter should be somewhere with good air flow, and where they’re not at risk to have something spilled on them. This will also prevent overheating. Also, have it somewhere the solar panel can be plugged in and out easily, if using a portable one.
For the placement: The inverter must be close to the battery as the cables to connect the two are short. I prefer to screw on the cables versus using clamps or plug-ins for the battery and inverter. The solar panel should have extension cables. So, whether it’s mounted on the vehicle or a portable one, it shouldn’t have to be too close. The extension cables will also help with getting the best sun exposure. For the solar panel, have it in a safe space without the risk of something falling on it—as they can crack. For the solar panel’s connection to the battery, I have a plug-in on both my battery and solar panel. I use this to connect the two every time I use them.
- Secure equipment in place (optional)
It’s not mandatory to secure all of the equipment, but it does make it easier if you decide on a permanent spot for it. I didn’t have my equipment secured for months. Once deciding on a spot for the inverter, most can be screwed in somewhere stable. This makes it easier to plug in devices.
- Connect equipment
Plug the AC and DC cables from the inverter to the battery, most are colour coated red/black to coordinate. If not, they may have a + and – to match up other cords. If using a separate solar charge controller, plug this in between the solar panel and the battery. Otherwise plug the battery into the solar panel. Connect each cord to correct AC and DC cables. Check the image below for the connections
Important: You could get a shock if the wrong cables touch, remember + always goes into + and – always goes into – only.
- Ensure it’s working
Once everything is connected, it’s important to make sure everything it’s actually working—and charging. Without doing this you may drain the battery (like I did) without even knowing. A few minutes after the equipment is connected, the solar charge controller should give some indication that it’s charging. Reference your solar charge controller’s instructions for this. After this you should be good to go!
Don’t have a permanent spot for your solar system set up to live in your van? Check out how I built a custom bed frame and shelving unit to install the solar system.
