How much Solar Power do I need for my RV or Skoolie

When you’re ready to take the plunge and invest in solar energy, many options for solar kits will get your system up and running. In general, though, it’s best if customers know what they need before making such an important purchase decision, so we’ve prepared this guide which discusses different types of installations as well as power levels at each level (100 W vs. 800W)

 

Renogy Solar Calculator for your skoolie solar kit

Renogy Solar Calculator is a great resource to help calculate your solar power needs. The solar calculator Renogy provides many options, cabin, yacht, or RV. Using a skoolie solar calculator will help you have peace of mind that you are correctly sizing your electrical needs. 

Skoolie Solar System Setup

While planning your skoolie solar system setup, deciding on several options ahead of time is essential. 12v vs. 24v, series vs. parallel, MPPT vs. PWM Charge controllers, amp-hour size of your batteries, and what kind of batteries (GEL, AGM, LITHIUM). Renogy has a learning center with all the information that anyone would need to plan and implement for your skoolie solar system.

Electrical needs are very individual, and it can be hard to know what you need for your RV or Skoolie. To ensure everything runs smoothly, use the Renogy Learning Center AND Renogy skoolie solar calculator!

A DIY off-grid solar kit

What's the best solar kit for me?

We list a variety of skoolie solar kits to meet your needs.

Small skoolie solar kits are perfect for camping or emergencies.

Renogy starter kits 100 Watt 12 Volt Solar Starter Kit with 20A/40A MPPT Charge Controller

200 Watt 12 Volt Solar Starter Kit w/ MPPT Charge Controller

300 Watt 12 Volt Solar RV Kit

The New 400 Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit is my favorite renogy premium kit and the one I installed for my skoolie solar equipment.

Renogys larger solar kits are ideal for powering tiny homes, campers, or even a skoolie.

600W 12V/24V Monocrystalline Solar Premium Kit w/Rover 60A Charger Controller

800W 12V/24V Monocrystalline Solar Premium Kit w/Rover 60A Charger Controller

The Renogy premium kits are a bit larger and have better-quality equipment.

For most people’s needs, an 800-watt solar panel kit will work.

If you want to increase the power input and have the extra space, adding several more skoolie solar panels, 1000 watt solar panel kit, or 1200 watts will power almost anything.

With these kits, you can easily install your skoolie solar system on the roof of your home or office without any hassle!

Renogy Solar Calculator

skoolie electrical system

Drawing out your skoolie electrical system before installing it will be extremely helpful. Finding diagrams online from many sources can help you visualize what’s going on and ensure everything goes smoothly!

skoolie battery bank

The process of sizing your skoolie battery bank can be a daunting one. Knowing how many batteries and what kind and size are needed can make this task seem more stressful than it needs to be! This chart will help you with your skoolie electrical system.

how many batteries for the renogy 400-watt solar kit

The New 400 Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit will, on average, produce 1.6-2.5kWh of electricity per day, depending on the sun. The formula from Amp Hours Ah (what batteries are rated in) to Kilowatt Hours kWh (what solar panels are placed in) is simple. Multiply Ah and the battery’s voltage to get the watts, then divide by 1000 to get kWh.

Example

12V 100Ah Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery is 12v x 100Ah=1200Wh, divided by 1000 to get 1.2 kWh.

So what does this mean?

Renogy.com

Is there a 120v solar panel?

Unfortunately, solar panels create DC (Direct Current), and the power inside your skoolie must be converted into AC (Alternating Current) for many household appliances.

Skoolie Inverter Charger

A Renogy Pure Sine Wave Inverter is a DC to AC converter that allows you to power skoolie appliances such as Air Conditioning and refrigerators.

 

skoolie sizes and solar power bus

Looking up “skoolie on YouTube will show you every shape and size of the iconic school bus. Everything from the short buses 25ft to the massive 40-footers. Adventure with Thor bought a 30-foot school bus, but maybe 35 would have been better just for planning and space if we could do it again.