Questions and Answers for Grape Solar 100-Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel for RV's, Boats and 12-V Systems

A:  USA!!

A:  MADE IN CHINA

A:  Not sure. The web site lists the 180 and 300 watt panels as manufactured in U.S. However, no information was available on the 100 watt panel.

A:  grape solar in from canada

A:  Grape Solar offers a wide range of product lines with varying product origins and characteristics. For made in USA products, we would recommend the 180W-US panel for off-grid systems and 300W panel for grid-tied and larger off-grid systems. Contrary to the community answer, these panels are not made in China.

A:  Each panel in direct sunlight can produce 5.85 amps maximum, when new, with a nominal output of 5.55 amps so you can count on 11 amps at 18 volts. With an MPPT charge controler and series wireing of you 2 panels to 36 volts, the MPPT can correct the voltage output and give you up to 13.4 amps at 15 volts to your batteries for a faster charge. I recomend 1 - 100 amp hour 24DC - 12 volt battery for each 100 watt panel so you would need 2 Batteries for 2 panels for nightime running. I have set up a 2 panel system like this to run a 32 inch tall compact refrigerator/freezer and LED lights in a van conversion. Once the batteries are charge up, you can also run a Microwave oven, 24 inch LED Television and blu-ray player. All the usable power comes from the batteries so use #4 copper or larger wire betwean the batteries and to your 120 volt 2000 watt inverter. Grape Solar also makes the MPPT charge controlers and can be purchased through Home Depot.com.. The MPPT Charge controler can handle up to 6 - 100 watt Grape Solar panels and calling the Grape Solar people will help you design a system that fits your needs.

A:  Theoretically its 100 watts divided by 12 volts, so lets say 8amps x 2 for 16 amps. This is the max possible.

A:  The specification sheet says each panel can output 5.56 amps under maximum sunlight conditions, so two panels wired in parallel will be about 11 amps.

A:  On my RV without aiming it directly at the sun I've seen 9.7 amps at 14.4 volts (2x 100watt panels)

A:  Depends on how you wire them. I run two in parallel to drive a Ham radio and charge a car battery. I get a solid 8 amps in full sun. I have no experience in wiring them in series and I am not sure if you could.

A:  Two of these panels in parallel would result in a max-power-point current of 10.6A and a short circuit current of 11.2A.

A:  One would have to check what type of cables that the habor freight control box accepts.

A:  They have standard uni-axial connectors .. I think (don’t quote) BC-4, maybe. They could be adapted, should they not wire directly.

A:  I am not sure that the plug fittings will work, but if you get some sort of plug adapter or wire it direct, the solar controller should work. I had an old solar system from Harbor Freights and the connecting plugs were not the same as the ones used on the Grape Solar Panel.

A:  Our panels have the industry standard MC4 connectors. Check with the manufacturer of your control box to find out what connectors they use.

A:  The Harbor Freight control box might be good for tapping onto the battery for different voltage outputs but I would not recomend the Charge Controler that comes with their 100 watt kit for use with the Grape Solar 100 watt panel. You need the PWM type or MPPT type controlers that have multi stage pusating charging and float capabilities to protect the battery(s) from overcharging. I tryed to use the Harbor Freight comtrolers and they would just burn out after a few uses on bigger panels.

A:  Check how much current your lights draw. The 100-watt panel is rated for about 5.6 amps (under full sun conditions). Most likely you will connect your panel to a controller and use a battery or a DC/AC inverter to power your lights. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get 5-8 hours of sun conditions in the summer to charge your battery (12 volts). I used the 100 watt panel to directly power a trolling motor and an aerator pump - I'm just using pure solar to power both and have no problems with the load. Both the motor and the pump run when the sun is out - that's really all I need though.

A:  I do a lot of experiments with these panels and I can get about 60-70 watts peak out of them on a sunny day. the 100W rating is for STC conditions which is a test lab. You have to put them in parallel to get more power. I doubt it will run a heat lamp. Definitely not during the night with no sun. These are rated for 12V DC. Is that what the grow light is rated for. They won't work for an AC light unless you add an inverter.

A:  First the solar panel cannot connect directly to the 120 volt garden light. You need MC4 cables from the solar panel to a controller that regulates the volt from the panel to a battery (marine AGM battery). From the battery, you then need an inverter that converts the 12 volt battery to 120 Volts. The light plugs directly into the inverter. Alternatively you can buy a complete unit from Goal Zero that has the battery, controller and converter all combined. However, this is two to three times the costs of the panel

A:  You would have to use a storage battery to run at nighttime and the grow light should be less than 100w output to get maximum on time. Most heaters need way more power than one panel can provide. Check the heat lights rated wattage to determine suitability.

A:  Probably the best answer is no, you would need a large battery, deep cycle with a charge controller and the DC grow light. Typically the chick warming lights are AC and draw a lot of power and caused a lot of fires.

A:  If you where going to use this for a grow light and its already sunny your better off using the sun itself then trying to convert it to electric and then produce power. If you did want to go that route, you will need a a charge control, battery, and also AC coverter and I would then suggest LED grow lights as they are much cooler.

A:  This is a 100 watt 12 volt solar panel. It needs to have a controller hooked between the panel and the 12 volt battery to regulate the charge current going to the battery. It only works if panel is in sunlight and needs to be positioned to receive maximum exposure to sun to reach it's 100 watt potential. If your grow light is 120 volt ac then you would also need a 12v to 120 v inverter which converts 12v dc to 120 v ac.

A:  A 100W panel would not produce enough to power a grow light and heat light. Reach out to support@grapesolar.com for custom system design.

A:  The voltage is more than 12 volts in sunshine. you would have to have some control to get 120 volts. I am using these to power a place in Mexico, 12 volts in series to get 24 volts and a charger controller to maintain batteries. Sine wave inverter to run appliances. It's free power except for initial cost and a battery now and then. I have two setups, two batteries and 600 watts of solar for the kitchen and 800 watts solar and five batteries for the rest.

A:  You can wire them in a series to generate 120 DC volts. Most panels will produce more than 12 volts, about 15 volts DC. Check the specs on the panel. But you will not be able to just through a switch and power your home. It,s not that simple. You will need to wire your array into an inverter and have it dump into the grid. This will credit your meter by turning it backwards any time the panels put out electricity.

A:  Inverters have the capability to take 12Vdc and output 120Vac, so having ten 100W panels isn't necessary. Contact support@grapesolar.com for custom system design and for production estimates.

A:  All right starting from the top. 1) Can I use 10 of these in Series to generate 120V, convert to AC, and with a switch, switch out my APS/SRP utility provider, and use this electricity to power lights/range etc for my home during the peak periods? (That would lower my demand component too.) Yes you could do that, however lights and an electric stove don't need AC you could just use a transfer switch for those loads and run them on the DC output. If your load is less than a thousand watts and only used during full sun 2) Any calculations on how much money it could save me per month? Based on Cost, has anyone calculated the break even period? In Nevada it would save you about a dollar a day Break even years=(watts in system×min hours usable for location per day×cost per watt from service provider×365)÷(number of watts per panel÷cost per panel) 3) Is this even doable? Absolutely but I think you'll find it's not as practical. It's probably better to pick up 2-3 small grid tied inverters for around a 150$ a peice and connect the the panels in parallel. This avoids the cost of a transfer switch and the issue of if a 1k system can handle the load.

A:  This is a very complex question. First you would have to figure out your usage of electricity but I have doubts it would be that low . There is a loss when you convert it from DC to AC and the panels rating is best case so it would be less. You would also need a battery storage as directly powering off panels is very problematic.

A:  Yes they can be stored. I stored two of them for several years and just put them into use. Just leave them in the box or covered.

A:  The panels only degrade over time while exposed to sunlight. Long term storage will not affect output when finaly pluged in. Just store then where they will not have things placed on top of them because they can crack and be made not to work.

A:  There is no shelf life and thus they can be stored for use indefinitely. Not sure I understand why u would want to do that as the price on solar panels continued to go down.

A:  They can be stores, its when they start producing electricity that there is s slight drop off each year in the amount of power they produce (for good panels is less then half a percent). I would though caution about buying panels and storing them for a decade, you will have issues not to mention the prices have fallen so much ,

A:  As long as they're kept stored and out of the sun, I personally don't see a reason why they won't last indefinitely.

A:  Stored for as long as you want

A:  It is not recommended to store these panels for years after purchasing. Solar technology is continually advancing, purchasing panels for use in ten years is possible, but not advised.

A:  Probably not, the voltage range would be ok, but a 100 watt solar panel can put out over 8 amps (voltage x amps = watts). If you can find a solar controller that can limit the panel output to 3 amps, then the panel should work.

A:  You will have to reach out to Westinghouse to see what their devices can handle. Our 100W panels have an open circuit voltage of 21.9V and a short circuit current of 6.1A

A:  No the possible amperage is higher than 3 amps, I bought mine over a year ago.

A:  Max Input Charging is DC 13V–25V/2Aps on this generator. The solar panel output is 5 to 6 Amps. So you would risk burning a fuse or the recharging circuit if you hooked the panel to it. The panels come with MC4 connections, the generator uses a 5.5MM/2.1mm DC Input so you would not be able to attach the panel without an adapter.

A:  With only a 5 amp hour battery, the Westinghouse I Gen 160 battery would be over powered if a Grape Solar 100 watt panel was pluged into it. You would also need an adapter from the MC4 solar panel conectors to the low wattage input plug. This unit was designed for a 20 watt or smaller solar panel with the correct plug and polarity. The charging power supply has a rated output on it that matches the unit and battery and whatedver panel you use should not exceed that output. if you charged a 100 amp hour battery with the solar panel and used a separate 120 volt power inverter from the battery to charge the Westinghouse I Gen 160 with it's own AC to DC charger then you could do so and have a fully charge 100 amp hour battery to run a 1000 watt inverter for larger items like a refrigerator durring a black out.

A:  If you had a battery, charge controller and inverter this could be a very good source of power if we are talking about Camping where you are not back packing it in, such as camping at a state campground

A:  A charge controller is needed to prevent damaging the devices powered by this panel. Without more information on what you plan to power with it, there isn't a way to determine if it is a good fit. Contact grape solar via email for free system design assistance.

A:  Yes, it is great for "out of the trunk" car camping because you will need to charge 2 - 45 pound 12 volt batteries with a charge controler and have a way to tap the batteries for USB, 12 volt and 120 volt power for electric appliances that would be to heavy to carry on your back for backpack camping. . A foldable or role up flexable 50 watt panel and ligh lithium batteries that weighs less than 10 pounds in all for USB powered phone, GPS, lighting, cb radio(s) and a smart phone(s) would be better for the back country by backpack. There are backpacks with small solar panels on them so you charge while walking in the sun. Each person would need one because they will only support small loads at night. . This panel weighs 22 pounds, while the "Windy Nation" Semi Flexable panel, also sold by Home Depot on line, only weighs 3 pounds total and can be placed on top of a canvas tent or car that are also 100 watts. I installed 4 of these on my canvas tent and can power everything from a refrigerator to a microwave oven theough 4 - 100 amp deep cycle marine RV batteries. you need 2 - 20 amp charge controlers and a 2000 watt power inverter to bring the comforts of home out on the trail. you will just need to figure out how to get all the heavy stuff out there.

A:  That depends on your expectations.....solar is mostly used to charge storage batteries...cell phones,etc would be charged with an inverter, but it's not a generator.....two of these with a hinge to fold them together [glass side together] would be better. Remember, you have to conform to solar, solar does NOT conform to you....read about solar, be realistic in your expectations....led lights are the ONLY bulbs, lights to use...there are 12 volt light bulbs that work in regular bulb SOCKETS, not 110 volt power.....but powered by 12 volts.The internet is your friend, but read a lot of different sites....rsbhunter

A:  These seem good panels for the price. I bought two and run them in parallel to power a 12 volt HAM radio that draws about 10 Amps and they will charge a battery and run the radio all day.

A:  Energy used is measured in Watt-hours. four 100W panels should produce around 1200Wh in a day. If you are looking to run something on 4000W, you would have to multiply the wattage by the number of hours used. 4 of these panels should run a 4000W system for about 20 minutes if that gives you some idea.

A:  Most likely no, but your question is not totally clear. 4000 watts only defines the instantaneous amount of energy. Something like a very large air conditioner, might draw this much power. Four 100 watt solar panel hooked together could generate 400 watts of instantaneous energy (4 panels x 100 watts). Solar panel output for an 8 hour day of full sun would be 8 hours x 400 watts, which equals 3200 watt-hours or in more common terms - 3.2 kilowatt-hours of energy. In theory, this amount of energy would allow a 4000 watt air conditioner to run for 0.8 hours (3200 watt-hours/4000 watts). In reality, you would need a device to store the energy (battery) and another device to convert the power to AC and the correct voltage (power inverter). Hope this helps.

A:  You can’t possibly expect to extract 4,000 watts out of only 400 watts of panels. Whatever solar panels you buy, expect to AVERAGE over 8 hours of sunshine at best about half rated output, but possibly closer to a quarter. May I suggest the website “mobile-solarpower.com” for easy to understand solar power systems information?

A:  For the answer to this question, it would depend on a lot of factors, such as how many cloudy days you have, strength of the sun as that will limit the amount of energy. Also what type of inverter /battery storage you are using, these both cause a loss of power in charging them and also converting the power 4 panels are not going to be enough power to generate 4kw a day, especially as these are lower voltage panels. The panel rating is usually the best case scenarios so you are going to.Contact your local home depot they can help with this.

A:  Each panel will produce on average 350 watt hours and that power needs to be stored in batteries for distribution. To make sure you produce enough durring the winter months you need to double the panels and the storage to carry you through. you will need 24 - 100 watt panels and 24 - 100 amp hour batteries to get through the winter months. I did this and all the extra electricity, produced in the summer months, runs my window air conditioners. 4 panels and 4-100 amp hour batteries will run one 100 watt refrigerator and 1 - 10 watt LED light Bulb when the sun shines most of the day plus 10 minutes per day of a microwave oven use.

A:  No, not directly. The Grand Design is a very nice trailer and should have an outlet on the side or on the roof to plug into. Many RV manufacturers use the Furrion brand solar panel plug. You will need to conduct an internet search to find a compatible matting plug. Be sure to use a solar charge controller rated for at least 8 amps between the solar panel and RV battery wiring. Whether installing panel on roof of RV, or as a portable panel, a charge controller is needed to maintain the proper charging voltage from the solar panel to the RV battery. Also worth noting; your trailer will have an inline fuse some where between the solar panel plug to the RV battery. Be sure to know where this fuse is and what it's rating is.

A:  Yes, but you will need a charge controller to prevent batteries from over charging. It would go between the solar panel and the battery.

A:  Need more info than just the trailer. Panel plugs into a controller and the controller is connected to a battery/s. So it's not so much where it is being used at, it's what it's connected too. I bought the Grape Solar 50w starter kit that came with a controller that I hooked directly to one battery and installed solar panel to the roof of my RV. I have since added two 100w. panels, which I had to upgrade controller and now have three interstate marine/RV batterys that I have the 3 poly solar panels connected too. With a stand-alone panel such as this one is basically for upping the wattage/amps for a current already set up system, as long as the existing controller can take the extra amperage that you're adding. For my third yet second 100w panel I had to upgrade controller for more amps. Also if you are just adding a 100w panel to an existing system don't forget that you cannot mix the two types, the mono and poly have to be used in the same system. Hope that helps. Steve

A:  The size of a panel is 40.16” x 26.37” x 1.38. From the picture of the trailer, you can install more than one on the roof. This installation video may be helpful: https://vimeo.com/82035984.

A:  To assess compatibility, determine the solar panel port type for this trailer. The Grape Solar panel has standard MC4 connectors.