So first, I need to preface that we're weekend warriors in the RV and not full-timers. And, with kids, we almost always go to state park or private campgrounds that have AC power so keeping our RV battery charged usually isn't an issue. However, we recently decided to visit Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland this April to camp directly on the beach and see the wild horses. The national park does not have any connectivity and is true boondocking. I use a CPAP that I've wired to work directly off of my RV 12V battery and needed a small solar setup to be able to keep up with the relatively low CPAP demand and to keep the lights on at night for the 2 nights we'll be there. I also didn't want to invest a ton of money in a large solar system just yet (maybe in the future). I looked high and low and decided I would go with a known name that has a reputation for making good solar panels so I didn't risk getting a no name that would fail in a couple years, possibly after that company has gone out of business. I looked at the portable suitcase units by several manufacturers (including Renogy) but they were closer to $300. I also don't like how most of those have the controller close to the panel with a long cable to the battery (not good for efficiency). I finally decided on this unit by Renogy for <$100 (on sale) since it was made by a reputable company and included everything I needed in the starter kit to power it up and charge my battery.
I received the unit a couple days ago and of course it was cloudy and dark after it had been sunny for days prior. I decided to connect it up anyway to see what sort of output I could get when it was cloudy.
Connecting everything is pretty idiot-proof with really only one way of hooking up the wires to the panel. Very low chance of making an ID-10T error (for you IT geeks like me). Just make sure you pay close attention to the polarity (+ / -) of the wires when connecting them up to the controller from both the battery and PV panel since all the wires are black. The polarity marking on the panel cables are also hard to see but it does have them on the connectors.
I did run into a bit of confusion on the readings after connecting the controller. First, it's very important to note to connect the battery to the controller BEFORE connecting the panel. There is a piece of paper in the box that also states this explicitly. After connecting the battery to the controller, it fired right up and gave an accurate voltage reading (verified by voltmeter) and cycled through the various indicators. There is a small, basic instructions manual that tells you what each reading means. Things like "15" meaning manual operation of the load power switch (via the red button). Yeah not very intuitive. The controller does have nice visual indication that shows if the battery is being discharged or charged (as indicated by the PV panel icon with arrow pointing to battery). The percentage indicator on the controller did throw me off and I read several other reviewers say the same thing. I too thought it represented the percent state of charge of the battery since it reads 100% or close to 100% when just the battery is connected to the controller. However, as soon as the PV is connected, the percentage dropped significantly for me (even as the battery voltage would go up). I also couldn't figure out any rhyme or reason for how the percentage (thinking it's state of charge) was reading since it would seemingly go up and down.
I sent an email to Renogy but then decided I would just call them to get a more immediate response. There was about a 10 minute wait to speak with someone so I decided to go outside in case they needed me to do something on the controller. And that's when it hit me! The sun was setting on an already cloudy day and I noticed that the percentage reading had gone down to 15% after being closer to 40% just an hour earlier. That's when it struck me that this might be the percent from max output from the PV panel. Sure enough, Renogy confirmed that's exactly what this was. I also asked and was told that I could expect a max output of about 2.85 A output from this 50W panel which is about what I'd expect. I have not had a chance to test this yet to confirm officially.
Today, the sun finally came out and I moved the panel into full sun hoping to see the controller show at or near 100% if it was indeed indicating panel output. But to my dismay, it still only read 40%. Frustrated, I left the panel in the sun and went inside for about an hour. When I came back, the controller was indeed reading 95%. Moral of the story: the controller is not an expensive unit and takes time for the readings to show accurately (maybe 10-15 minutes?) but it does do what it's supposed to so I'm happy. I may one day upgrade to a nicer MPPT controller in the future when the kids are in college and my wife and I want to do more boondocking but this PWM controller is just fine for what I intend to use it for.
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From the brand
Empowered
Offers various off-grid solar power solutions that provide the comforts of home for Tiny Homes, Vans, RV, Trailers, Trucks, Marine.
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Since 2010 we have been on a mission to change the way the world uses energy. We are committed to making a lasting impact on the earth by removing barriers to sustainable living and energy independence.
Our mission is to empower the energy independence of 50M people with DIY-friendly and reliable renewable energy products by 2030.
We are optimistic humankind can achieve a sustainable future where renewables are at the core of our energy supply.
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Reviews with images
Installed on boat for battery maintenance.
I purchased this product for use on my sailboat. The panel is installed on the stern (back) rail and connected to a wet cell (lead acid) motorcycle battery. This battery runs my electronics while I am out sailing. The electronics include VHF DSC radio, autopilot, and two GPS terminals (one for the DSC radio and one for the autopilot). At night, I have cabin lights and maybe navigation lights along with the electronics if still on.When I initially connected the battery to the controller it showed one bright red LED and the second LED was a dim red. Connecting the solar panel to the controller produced a green LED indicating the panel was connected and charging. I came back a few hours later and the green LED was flashing. The battery LEDs were all solid bright red. The product worked as advertised.50 watts produces (as stated) about 2.9 Ah of current. This would give my batteries, <12 Ah over a 4 hour period. While under sail, I found the product kept my batteries topped off even when using my electronics. This little bit of assurance allows me to not worry about losing the radio or GPS. The autopilot is optional, but radio and GPS are not.I have included images of the mounting on the stern rail. This is not a permanent solution. The concept is correct but the parts are not. I plan on making a better mounting for security reason. I also plan on adding another 50 watt panel to the stern rail on the port side of the boat. The 50 watt size (21x26) fits my rails better than the longer panels.As of right now I would recommend this panel for small boaters (<30 ft) or campers who want to have power in the field. It is light weight and does not take up much room. Connecting is very easy. Just carrying a motorcycle or golf cart size battery would be the burden, not the panel.Kit came with:(1) 50 watt solar panel (with connecting cables)(1) 5 amp solar controller (would recommend 10 amp controller if you plan on expanding)(2) 10 ft 4mm2 connecting cables with MC4 connectors.(1) Bag of mounting hardware for the panel and for surface mounting5 March '14 - Update. Was on the boat today working on other projects. Went to check on the batteries and found the 5a Charge Controller dead. Checked the solar panels and still getting about 21v (no load voltage) and the batteries were at 12.9 volts. So I am guessing it quit just a few days or maybe a week ago. I will be contacting the manufacture for warranty information. They might not honor the warranty since it was in such a harsh environment. I can live with that.I would still recommend this kit for it's price. However, if you plan on using it for any extended time outdoors near the water or on a boat, I would recommend getting a charge controller that is sealed against the elements.
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Top reviews from other countries
stephen smallpiece
Hook up positive and negative from the solar panel to the controller
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2020Size: Starter KitVerified Purchase
stephen smallpiece
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2020
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laudren eric
bien reçu.
Reviewed in France on July 19, 2018Size: Starter KitVerified Purchase
laudren eric
Reviewed in France on July 19, 2018
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Alan Huelin
does a great job.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2014Size: Starter KitVerified Purchase
Roger Bigras
The Panel is great, but the regulator is not set right
Reviewed in Canada on October 16, 2017Size: Bundle KitVerified Purchase
