Charging 12v Battery with Solar Panel?

[harryajh]

I use a small 12v 1.5w Solar Panel to charge my engine battery, quite often it's not powerful enough and the battery loses charge.

If I buy a bigger one say 30w, would that still trickle charge (albeit faster) it, or would it damage it?

TIA

 

[PS Electrics]

I use a small 12v 1.5w Solar Panel to charge my engine battery, quite often it's not powerful enough and the battery loses charge.

If I buy a bigger one say 30w, would that still trickle charge (albeit faster) it, or would it damage it?

TIA

Unless the panel is designed to be connected directly It is best to use a charge controller circuit and not directly connect the panel to the battery. It provides protection and battery management functions.

Some of the smaller panels for cars have a diode to prevent back discharge but no charge controller because the power is so low, around 1.5W usually. But if you buy just a solar panel with higher output then you need a charge controller circuit of some sort.

Some of the kits come with the solar panel and charge controller and cables.

 

[harryajh]

Unless the panel is designed to be connected directly It is best to use a charge controller circuit and not directly connect the panel to the battery. It provides protection and battery management functions.

Some of the smaller panels for cars have a diode to prevent back discharge but no charge controller because the power is so low, around 1.5W usually. But if you buy just a solar panel with higher output then you need a charge controller circuit of some sort.

Some of the kits come with the solar panel and charge controller and cables.

thanks for that, The SP is not connected directly to the battery, it's connected in the engine compartment as the actual battery is under the driver seat (motorhome)

Either way. sounds like I need to buy a charge controller circuit, would I then be able to reduce the 30w output for trickle charging and to what w?

 

[PS Electrics]

thanks for that, The SP is not connected directly to the battery, it's connected in the engine compartment as the actual battery is under the driver seat (motorhome)

That doesn't matter if it would still be connected directly to the battery without any protection circuit.

Either way. sounds like I need to buy a charge controller circuit, would I then be able to reduce the 30w output for trickle charging and to what w?

A 30W (12v) panel would still be in the trickle charge range of 1-3 Amps.

 

[harryajh]

That doesn't matter if it would still be connected directly to the battery without any protection circuit.


A 30W (12v) panel would still be in the trickle charge range of 1-3 Amps.

thanks (again), so if I bought an even bigger one (to charge other stuff as well), I'd need to "dial it down" to 3 Amps for trickle charging?

 

[PS Electrics]

thanks (again), so if I bought an even bigger one (to charge other stuff as well), I'd need to "dial it down" to 3 Amps for trickle charging?

The charge controller takes care of all that for you amongst the other things it does.