Renogy’s 100W, 12V Mono-Crystalline Starter Kit
WindyNation’s
100W Panels
HQST 100W, 12V Polycrystalline Panel
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Solar power is definitely the way to go these days when it comes to sustainable energy, but it’s important that you find the proper solar panels, and other parts that you’re going to need in order to get the best energy gains without draining all of the power for your RV. Having the best RV solar panel kit can completely eliminate the need for propane and other fuel sources if you do it right, but how do you get the best kit on the market?
Fortunately for you, we’re going to tell you how to get the best RV solar panel kit that you can get to provide the most natural power source on the planet that can help you get energy for free! These are the 10 best kits that you can find today – and we’ll let you choose for yourself!
Best RV Solar Panel Kit List
1
Renogy’s 100W, 12V Mono-Crystalline Starter Kit
This is one of the best solar panel kits out there. It is highly resistant to shock and impact – this makes it one of the most popularly bought panels. It’s built super tough to withstand the elements. The Renogy Microcrystalline starter kit provides an excellent panel that is perfect for charging 12-volt batteries while still running a few other items at the same time. We wouldn’t recommend running everything at once when you’re charging the batteries of course (oven, coffee-pot, stove, microwave, etc. all at once). There are numerous benefits to using this panel kit when you’re just starting to use 100-Watt power for your RV.
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2
WindyNation’s 100W Panels
WindyNation’s 100-Watt panel is another great panel that can be used to charge a 12-V RV battery as well. It’s extremely long-lasting, charges quickly, and is able to deliver power to multiple devices also. It comes with its own charge controller, and while it’s a polycrystalline panel, it has numerous features that enable you to completely monitor every minute detail – even including the temperature – while you’re charging your batteries. You can maximize the charge’s efficiency even more by using the controller to fine tune your charging sessions. If you’re a beginner just starting to go off-grid, then this is one of the most viable and perfect solutions for you.
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3
HQST 100W, 12V Polycrystalline Panel
HQST Solar’s 100-Watt solar power kit is one of the best that we can recommend as well. It’s very durable and reliable, despite its smaller size and portability. Polycrystalline is extremely successful in providing a maximum charging solution and the entire panel is covered in tempered glass to make it withstand pretty harsh conditions. If you’re wanting to go off-grid, this panel can provide a waterproof solution that can even continue to charge and provide power due to the way it’s built. Even in heavy rains and heavier snow, you can continue to charge and use the panel as the sky permits. It has its own leads build directly in the solar panel itself, and all you have to do is plug it in and start using it. The fact that it’s one of the easiest solar panels out there makes it one of the most popular investments for RV “off-gridders” all over!
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4
Renogy’s 200W MC Starter Kit
One of Renogy’s other popular products, the Renogy 200-Watt kits features Microcrystalline solar panels and you get two of them instead of one. It’s just an efficient with charging RV’s and other items, including smaller sheds and mobile homes. Despite it providing 200W 12-volt charging, it’s extremely quiet and provides a great amount of 30 Amp power with its charge controller. You can even expand the solar panel system up to 400 Watts (4 panels) and you even get the control over the negative grounding to keep from overcharging the system. As one of the safest models out there, it’s no wonder why this easy-to-install kit made it to number 4 on our list.
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5
Renogy 200W MC RV & Off-Grid Kit
Yet another Renogy 200-Watt RV solar kits, this one is optimized to help its users be fully off-grid. This is capable of battery charging and allows you to do it all without the additional noise like the above model. You can use the onboard controller without needing to use a power hookup, which makes it a completely free source of power (who doesn’t love free energy?) that you can use to power your devices as well. Nearly the entire system is able to safely charge regardless of the weather condition, and as it says, it can allow you to have 200-Watts of power to use! This kit is a little more on the expensive side of off-grid kits, but it’s still worth it in our opinion!
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6
ACOPOWER’s 100W Solar Panel Kit – Folding Panels
ACOPOWER has a unique solar kit that is a perfect addition for on-the-go solar application. The solar panels provide 100 Watts of power with ease, and the panel itself can fold up, which makes it more portable than stationary panels. If you’re using this for any purpose in the great outdoors, you can simply stow away these panels when they’re not in use, and it even allows use to serve both generator and battery kits. By providing a MC4 connectors on the kit, you can also add solar panels to provide a maximum power supply of 400 Watts with ease – which can help charge your batteries and provide power faster and more efficiently. The panel is super-easy to install and set up since it has stands built right into the panels as well to help it extremely versatile and mobile.
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7
Renogy’s 100W Flexible MC Solar Panels
Renogy also offers a completely flexible mono-crystalline solar panel which makes it great for portability and maximizing UV absorbency. You can use it in numerous applications, and because these pads are flexible, they’re perfect for a roof that’s has a curve or bevel to it. The flexible range is almost 250 degrees, making them extremely pliable. Aside from this, these are extremely lightweight and very sleek compared to other solar panels on the market. The polymers that are used to create the solar panels also help to make it so light, and because of the compactness of these panels, you can install them seamlessly to provide some pretty sneaky solar power to your unit. Despite it being thin and sleek, it’s very durable as many of Renogy’s panels are, making it able to withstand the elements. Just be sure that you wear a pair of gloves while you’re installing these panels, since the panels themselves have a very keen edge on them and they can cut you.
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8
ALLPOWERS Solar Panel (100W)
If you’re wanting a solar panel that provides more energy efficiency, then the ALLPOWERS 100-Watt panels are perfect. By providing extensive sturdiness, they are somewhat flexible and allow you to have a water and weatherproof solar kit that can power and charge your RV, battery, and much more. They’re extremely easy to set up and they have a design complete with holes for mounting them and since they’re a little flexible, their design has no frame to make them great for a stealthy install. You may have some trouble routing the wires for these panels, but once you get that figured out, you should be able to provide efficient energy while you’re busy having fun!
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9
NewPowa’s Dual Piece 100W PC Solar Panel kit
Newpowa has a very good polycrystalline unit and panel available on the market. This PC panel provides amazing efficiency in terms of performance, and it uses special encapsulation in order to provide a good amount of energy for charging and powering items. When it comes to being durable and sturdy, this is one of the most heavy-duty panels out there. The frame is extremely corrosion resistant and is made out of aluminum to maximize its proficiency and stand the test of time. These panels can come in larger sizes, making this kit handle heavy use more than others as well, and the installation is pretty simple and well documented. You can use these panels to charge and power your RV longer than some other models we have on the list. The only downside is that the junction box isn’t necessarily as good as others we’re listing here.
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10
Go Power!’ 120W Solar Kit – GP-PSK-120
Go Power! Is one of the most portable power kits that offers you a great solar power solution as well. It’s great for charging batteries on the fly, or using direct power, and they are pretty durable. This panel can provide 120 Watts of power and the kit comes with many things you may need to install it pretty easily. When you’re wanting to charge your battery, it comes with clamp cables as well so that you can manage everything without having to do too much work. You can literally install it quickly and easily in no time, and comes with a handy controller that makes application and tracking easy to manage as well. It comes with a carrying case as well, but it’s one of the most expensive kits out there.
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How to Find the Best Solar Panels for RV’s
There are a lot of important factors that need to be determined when choosing solar energy. You don’t want a solar kit that will constantly bottom out and not be able to provide the energy you’re going to need while on the road or when you’re parked somewhere. These solar panel kits are becoming more and more popular as new technology continues to evolve, but it can help to bring a little bit of comfort from home on the road with you. Here are some things you may want to consider when it comes to finding the right solar panel kit for your RV.
How Energy Efficient Is It?
Does this unit have enough uptime? Also, can it actually power the equipment while it’s charging your RV batteries and also one that will be able to sustain energy in low-level conditions. You want to avoid amorphous solar panels, because while they may be cheaper than most, you won’t be able to get the sustainability that you need.
How Many Cells Does It Have?
Many people call these wattage cells, and you can actually see how the wattage is evenly distributed throughout the entire panel. The ones that have a higher wattage can actually have more cells, and some may even have less cells – it all depends on the throughput that is going through each individual cell on your solar panel. If you choose higher wattage solar panels, you want to ensure that you’re getting an appropriate amount of voltage and amps so you don’t overload or overcharge your batteries or equipment. One good practice, is to start off small, and simply get a larger set with multiple panels later on.
Are They Portable?
Having a solar panel kit that can fold is very great, but they do have their downsides. With portable options, you’ll need to continuously fold them up and put them back – even if it is extremely easy; this can be a hassle sometimes to first-time users. Also, for many first-time buyers, buying a cable that requires advanced assembly may be confusing. It’s very important and a good idea then (if you don’t want to deal with the headache), that you choose a kit that already comes with cables or cables and clamps together so you can easily move about and install them much quicker. You also want to ensure that you have a very extremely durable one that may match the geographical area that you’re in. Depending on your area, you may want a more efficient panel kit. There are many people who actually have different types all installed on their RVs at once so they can make sure that they get the best energy efficiency no matter what the climate is.
Final Thoughts
Our top pick is definitely the Renogy 100-W 12-V Monocrystalline solar starter kit because of the ease of use and installation. Of course, it’s a little bit heavier, but if you’re just getting the hang of getting off of the grid, then this one is the best by far. The fact that it can handle superior elemental exposure is also unmatched in comparison by most of them, even though they may have similarities – and the price isn’t unbearable too. With our number one choice, you get more out of it than what you indeed pay for, and that’s what is the most important.
