{"id":298,"date":"2009-02-18T16:16:13","date_gmt":"2009-02-19T00:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/?p=298"},"modified":"2019-11-10T03:21:07","modified_gmt":"2019-11-10T11:21:07","slug":"the-never-ending-debate-generator-vs-solar-panels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malimish.com\/blog\/2009\/02\/18\/the-never-ending-debate-generator-vs-solar-panels\/","title":{"rendered":"The Never Ending Debate: Generator vs. Solar Panels."},"content":{"rendered":"

While I am on a little bit of a boondocking roll, let me share my two cents on this ongoing discussion: Generator or Solar. It is really not a debate on whether one is better than the other. There are plenty of folks who’ve decided to use both technologies. For those of us who are on a budget, the main reasons to choose are the cost and storage availability.<\/p>\n

\"solar\"
\n<\/a>A 120 watt panel mounted atop a late model Airstream<\/em><\/p>\n

\"P1000205\"
\n<\/a>The ‘New-To-Us’ Honda EU2000i Generator<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This topic is very subjective and every RV’er has an opinion on what works best for them. The information here might be very rudimentary for a seasoned traveler but hopefully it will help some of the new comers to the RV lifestyle. This post does not attempt to sway people from one side to the other but rather to pose the pros and cons of each option and let the readers themselves make their own decision.<\/p>\n

I have asked this question to a lot of my Airstream friends I have met over the last few months. Most of them have their own reasons for why and which they have picked. Rich, from Airstream Life magazine<\/a>, and I had a conversion about just this topic when he graciously invited us to his house on our trip to Tucson<\/a>. He had recommended that the best first step is to increase our battery capacity before deciding which power source to choose. I could not agree more and it is part of the reason why I am going to make room and bring my portable battery bank along with us. My implementation of added battery capacity<\/a> is the least costly option to extend a boondocking vacation. It does not require any modification to the trailer and with readily available parts, anyone can build one in a couple of hours.<\/p>\n

Assuming your battery capacity is to your satisfaction, the next step is finding a way to fill them back up when they are low. A generator user might know that it is best to run the generator while the power usage is at its peak rather than trying to replenish the batteries after heavy use. The charging mechanism in trailers are not the most efficient when powered by a generator and you will probably get the most benefit by using the power that is being generated than trying to charge it back into the batteries. Solar panels on the other hand can be very efficient depending on the type of charge controller used. Most modern charge controllers today is of the MPPT (maximum power point tracker)<\/a> variety and they are great at managing the power output of the panels to replenish your batteries. These are a couple of examples how the two options can be fundamentally different and someone using both systems can benefit differently from both if budget and space allows.<\/p>\n

To best quaify which system might be ideal for those of us not made of money, I have outlined below the pros and cons of each. Feel free to add your own to the comments if you feel that any are missing. The solar option assumes a fixed rooftop installation and the generator assumes ample wattage for microwave and AC unit.<\/p>\n

Generator – Pro:<\/strong><\/p>\n