Shade Resistant Solar

Everything you need to know about Shade Resistant Solar for Vanlife

Fitting 800 watts of solar on a van roof, let alone shade resistant solar, is virtually unheard of. But I decided to do this in my new van build. This is how I did it.

To fit 800 watts of solar on my 2021 Ford Transit Extended van, I first installed my roof rack. I used this roof rack by AVC rig because I liked the sleek, minimal look.

https://avcrig.com/collections/roof-rack/products/avc-transit-roof-rack-v2?variant=43916538315001

This roof rack was much more expensive than the DIY one I did on my van build, but it was a very simple process and I love the way it turned out. After the roof rack was installed, the next step was installing solar.

WHY SHADE RESISTANT SOLAR?

I decided to fill up my roof with 800 Watts of Optivolt solar panels, the first solar panel that work in the shade. Just like in my old van, I plan to live full time in this one and Iā€™m almost always at campsites where there are trees above me. This has really impacted my solar in the past and even on a fully sunny day, if there are branches shading some of my solar panels the total output almost drops to zero.

Optivolt solar panels on the other hand utilize technology that virtually stretches the shadows across the entire panel and mimics a direct sunlight scenario that is slightly dimmer. This unlocks up to 60% more power in real world shading conditions and will allow me to have power at all my favorite campsites in the forest.

(Use my discount to get 35% off the first shade resistant solar panels from Optivolt: optivolt.com/100w/sarah)

HOW I DID IT?

To fit 800Watts of solar on my roof, I had to mount the solar in an unconventional way. Instead of using the mounting brackets that came with the solar panels, I mounted the solar directly to the cross beams of the AVC roof rack using stainless steel bolts, washers and nylon locknuts.

Watch this video to learn more about how I installed the solar array:https://youtu.be/o1Dw6GZDj_M

PARALLEL OR SERIES?

I decided to hook my solar panels up in Parallel because the manufacturer recommends this for maximum output from the shade resistant solar panels.

12V or 48V?

I used the high voltage (48V) panels instead of the 12V panels so I could use smaller wire and maximize efficiency of my MPPT charger

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOLAR POWER

Solar energy is the main way I will power most appliances in my van. I will have a fridge, air fryer, air conditioning, heat pump, lights, fan, water pump and charging stations that will all require solar power. I chose to fill my roof up with as much solar as I could fit but you may require a different amount of solar for your needs. The ideal amount of solar power should produce enough energy from the sun to fully recharge the batteries everyday with your average power consumption.

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