Installation PDF

Solar Panel Installation for Motorhomes

Any handy person should feel confident about installing solar panels. To have it done by an experienced installer will cost you from around $65.00/hour and the job will normally take from 4 to 6 hours for one to two panels, that.s up to as much as an extra $390 on your solar panel purchase. On top of this you will have to book your vehicle in for the work to be completed and leave your vehicle while the job is being done. This again adds further to the cost, and how good is the job anyway?

We have based these instructions on using Kyocera solar panels and a MorningStar solar regulator (in stock all the time).

Your solar panel installation will require the following tasks:

• Mounting your solar panels on the roof of your vehicle
• Mounting your solar regulator
• Connecting your solar panel to your regulator and your regulator to your battery

• Park your vehicle on a flat surface that has enough free area around it for easy access. You should deploy your stabilisation jacks
• Have a friend or partner assist you as you will need them to lift the solar panels to you
• Never work on a wet or slippery surface
• If you are working outside, cover your solar panels from the sunlight to prevent sparking when connecting (taped on cardboard cover is ideal)
• Do not have 240V electric power connected to your vehicle.
• Plan your work and how you can remain safe.

• Use insulated tools
• Ensure the area is well ventilated to release any explosive gases
• Wear eye protection
• Have fresh water available in case of contact with battery acid

Our secret is to PLAN!!! Do not rush into it! If we understand everything that we need to do, then we should not make any mistakes.

You will need to space your solar panels off your roof to allow ventilation under them to keep them cool. This also provides space so that debris is not trapped under the panels. A good distance from your roof to the top of your panel is 60mm. A 50mm x 50mm x 3mm aluminium angle will be ideal to use as brackets, and it is generally easier to fit two full length brackets at either end of the solar panel. To achieve your correct spacing simply start the angle 10 or 11mm from the top face of the panel.

• Decide where your solar panel/s will be fitted. Make sure that you have allowed access for removal from the mounting brackets at a later date if they ever require servicing. If your roof has some curvature you will need to straddle this by the orientation of your solar panel/s accordingly. Also look for a position that will be out of the high pressure air stream while your vehicle is travelling, as this may create extra drag, wind vibration and noise.
• Decide how best to fix your solar panel/s. If you do not want to drill holes in your roof you may choose to use an adhesive. This is fine providing the surface of your roof is robust. Fibreglass and powder coated aluminium is generally ok, though you will have to allow 24hours for the adhesive to cure.
• Decide the best wiring route from your solar panel/s to your regulator and to your battery remembering that this should be as short as possible. It is better to have your regulator close to your battery unless it has separate battery sensing. For instance, the MorningStar SunSaver has no separate battery sensing and should be mounted close to your battery, but the MorningStar ProStar with display metering has separate battery sensing and can be located in a position where its display can be conveniently monitored. The SunSaver Duo has a remote display that can be installed in a convenient location for monitoring and its regulator installed close to your battery for accurate charging.
• If you are using more than one solar panel you will need to decide on your connections. Kyocera solar panels have generous terminal boxes and you may use these to complete all termination but this will have to be done before final fixing. If your system voltage is 24 volts and you have more than two panels there would be less risk of wrong connections by running the wiring from each solar panel to a common connection point. This point should be a junction box mounted above the roof exit hole. Generally it is more convenient and tidier to use single core wiring in conduit or PVC duct. Your conductor size should be as large as possible, 6.0mm² is the largest wire that will fit comfortably into your solar regulator so this will be our obvious choice. You may use 4.0mm² for solar system wattages less than 130. Use different colour wires for +ve and .ve, red and black, and for the series connection of a 24V system, use white if available or identify it with tape or sleeve.
• Decide where your wiring will come through your roof. You will need to drill a hole to bring it through. A cavity or cupboard where the wiring can be concealed is normal practice. This position should be marked on the roof because it may be difficult to drill from the inside.

• Fit your mounting angles to your solar panel/s using stainless steel self tapping screws. It is easier for mounting if the flange is turned out.

• Determine the length of wiring and conduit required and connect it into the terminal box of your solar panel. Use PVC conduit glue to fix and seal all conduit ends. You may be looping into an adjacent solar panel or connect to your regulator. Do as much of the connections as possible before lifting them onto your roof. Always recheck the polarity of your connections and always mark your wire ends if you have multiple panels. You only want to do this job once.

• Your solar panel/s are now ready to mount. We are using .Sikaflex-252. adhesive, without any screws, so you will need to ensure the mounting surfaces are clean and free from oil and grease. You may use .Mentholated Spirits. as a finishing cleaner. For maximum bonding strength we will prime both surfaces by applying .Sikaflex-210T. primer with a small paint brush. This should be done to the mounting angles before lifting the solar panel/s onto your roof as you will have to allow a drying time, for the primer, of a least 30 minutes and no longer than 8 hours. After lifting the solar panel/s onto your roof, you will need to mark the location of the mounting angles so that you can apply the primer and subsequently the adhesive to the correct area. Complete any further interconnections that are required under the panels. After at least 30 minutes of applying the primer, apply .Sikaflex-252. to the full length of the area marked on your roof in a single bead approximately 12mm high. Lower the solar panel onto the adhesive ensuring that it is orientated correctly and the wiring is in the correct position. Check the squareness and press into position. The adhesive should not be compressed to less than 2mm for maximum strength..

• Drill a 12mm hole to bring your wiring through your roof in the position nominated. Using a .Clipsal 240/16. junction box to seal this hole, terminate your conduit from your solar panel/s, and bring your wiring through your roof. Prepare this box by drilling a 12mm hole through the centre of its base. Feed your wiring through the box and terminate your conduit. Before applying .Sikaflex-252. between the junction box and your roof ensure that both surfaces are clean. Use generous amounts of .Sikaflex -252. before pressing the junction box into position. Seal the hole from inside the junction box with .Sikaflex.. Use a weight on the top of the box to hold it in position for curing. Fix any loose conduits to prevent them moving while travelling. The junction box cover can be fitted once the. Sikaflex. has cured. Be sure to seal around the cover and its screws.

• Your solar regulator will need air flow behind it for cooling so allow sufficient room at the top and bottom (at least 75mm). It must be mounted horizontally on a vertical surface away from direct sun, high temperatures, and water. Once mounted, connect the wiring from your solar panel/s into the terminals marked .SOLAR., +ve and -ve. Connect the wiring that will run from your battery to the terminals marked .BATTERY., +ve and -. If you are using a ProStar regulator, you will need to run two smaller sensing wires (1.5mm²) to your battery. Connect them into the terminals marked. SENSE., +ve and -ve. On some SunSaver and all ProStar models you will have a +ve and .ve terminal marked .LOAD.. This output protects your battery from being completely drained by switching off your load before your battery gets too low. It is a good idea to use this facility when available, providing your maximum load does not exceed its switching rating. Use lugs for all of your connections, rings or forks for the SunSaver and bootlace ferrules for the ProStar and SunSaver Duo. This will prevent any possible shorting by loose strands.

• Before connecting to your battery or your main DC terminals, recheck all of your connections for correct polarity. Cover any live terminals while you are working around this area. You may have +ve and .ve sense wires to connect as well as your main +ve and .ve power wiring. Use the same connection points. Connect your .ve lead to the .ve terminal using a ring type crimp lug. Your +ve lead will need to be fused. You can use an in line fuse for this. Remove the fuse and make your connections, with a crimp splice to join the two wire ends and a ring lug for the +ve battery terminal.

• Check that the solar regulator is setup for the correct battery type. Finish all cable fixing and make tidy. Connect the fuse. If you have used a ProStar solar regulator, observe the three battery status LED.s and note that only one should be lit. Remove the cover from the solar panels or move your vehicle into the sunlight and note that the charging LED should be lit showing that the battery is receiving charge. The installation techniques and the material nominated above should be used as a guide only. This instruction is to provide assistance to new installers and we would be only pleased to receive any feedback on better techniques or materials available.