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Hi guys. I'm looking to install a solar setup with an inverter and lithium phosphate batteries in my sprinter.
I'll be living in this full time shortly, so I'd like it to be able to power a 240v fridge, induction hob, charge 18v power tool batteries and phone etc etc.
I've been looking at the 12/3000 inverter, but I'm unsure as to what other bit I would need please.
I have 4 100w panels
Any help is greatly appreciated.
You need to do a power analysis. Take inventory of all your AC and DC loads and how much power they draw. Estimate how long each day each load will be active. Multiply the average power draw by the daily run time in hours. Then add all these up. This will give you the amount of energy you'll need on a daily basis. Your solar output should be 150-200% of this to insure you actually get your batteries charged daily. Without shore power or a generator this is critical.
The daily watt-hour figure will also give you an idea of how much battery you'll need. A 12 volt 100 amp-hour battery will yield 1200 watt-hours.
For AC loads, also add up all the power (watts) for devices you will use simultaneously. This will tell you how much inverter you'll need. Give yourself some margin here also. Peak inverter power will also indicate how large a battery bank you'll need. Continuous amps and peak amps are different from the energy numbers (watt-hours). Be advised some people say amps when they really mean amp-hours and visa-versa. It can be confusing.
The figures printed on the appliance are often the absolute maximum and aren't good indication of actual power consumption over time. AC watt-hour meters are inexpensive and provide a good indication of power needs.
