I'm curious if anyone knows how to set up a car charger directly to solar panels without involving an additional battery. I mean, wouldn't the car's own battery be enough?
3 Answers
To connect your solar panels directly to a car charger, you typically need to use a solar charge controller. This controller essentially acts like a battery charger. It’s true that your car already has a battery, so you might be wondering why another one is needed. The charge controller helps manage the power flow efficiently. For setups over 100 watts, I suggest going with an MPPT controller; for smaller systems, a basic PWM controller can do the trick. Just remember, standard AC car chargers won’t work for this setup!
I’ve had success with a small solar panel on my dashboard, around 1.5 watts, which keeps my old Jeep's battery nicely topped up. It's a feasible option if you’re looking for something simple. But honestly, you might need to add a battery if you want a consistent charging rate, especially on cloudy days when solar output dips.
You might want to consider that while it sounds easy, hooking up a car to solar panels isn’t straightforward. The car's system isn’t designed for direct solar input without extra components, and you'd likely lose production when it's not directly connected. Having a battery helps in stabilizing the charge output.