Anyone use a solar system to charge your ebike? What system are you using?
- Thread starter Dallant
- Start date
Depends on what camping tour.
It takes 6 hours of sunny weather for a 100W panel to charge 500W battery that is discharged near zero.
If you are doing radial trips, you either need a second battery or stay put every 2nd day, and somebody has to stay on the camp when you're away.
If you travel on a bike and charge on the road, you need a second battery and a bike trailer.
If you travel in RV then charge it from your coach battery, either with panel or without. The most care-free would be installing panel on the roof, in this case.
It takes 6 hours of sunny weather for a 100W panel to charge 500W battery that is discharged near zero.
If you are doing radial trips, you either need a second battery or stay put every 2nd day, and somebody has to stay on the camp when you're away.
If you travel on a bike and charge on the road, you need a second battery and a bike trailer.
If you travel in RV then charge it from your coach battery, either with panel or without. The most care-free would be installing panel on the roof, in this case.
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BrianK
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- NOVA
I have 2 Renogy 100w solar panels charging a Yeti Goal Zero 1000 lithium solar battery generator. It has two 120v outlets. I have not yet plugged in my e bike battery charger yet but I suspect it would fully charge the e bike battery overnight and the Yeti would be fully recharged during the daytime.
Yeti and others make portable folding case solar panels that should work in your circumstances.
I drove my van from Maine to California and back in two months last fall. I had one cheap 150w solar panel on the roof of the van charging the Yeti, so I could have 120v in my van for the trip. I also charged the Yeti with the 12v cigarette outlet, as the panel failed somewhere around the Grand Canyon on the way out.
Yeti and others make portable folding case solar panels that should work in your circumstances.
I drove my van from Maine to California and back in two months last fall. I had one cheap 150w solar panel on the roof of the van charging the Yeti, so I could have 120v in my van for the trip. I also charged the Yeti with the 12v cigarette outlet, as the panel failed somewhere around the Grand Canyon on the way out.
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CdnShaun
Active Member
Have you heard of the annual Sun Trip? Absolutely fascinating what these riders accomplish. Here's a link to a rider's experience in 2018 where he complete the 8,000 mile ride in 64 days unsupported using human power and solar only.
electrek.co
The Sun Trip has certain restrictions that help the riders achieve efficiency and advance the designs and choice of technology (hub motors, solar panels, etc). Solo rider is limited to 400watts of panels, tandem riders limited to 550watts. 1,100 Wh battery maximum.
These restrictions lead to a very efficient setup, weight and fitness level of the riders of course.
If you have 20 minutes to spare, here's a great video from Justin (owner of ebikes.ca) completing half of the 2018 tour with his wife in a back to back tandem setup - awesome video if you can spare the time.
If you have 15 more minutes to spare, here's a cool video of a gent who committed to a continuous travelling life with a converted ebike and a trailer. 400 watts of panel, year round clothing and camping gear, fun activities equipment (water sports) and even an electric fridge!
I mention the converted bike approach - while I'm becoming a huge fan of the OEM offerings coming out each year, a conversion approach allows you to pick the exact bike that you want and the exact motor/battery/controller/etc setup for your plans.
What I hope the links above show you is the size and weight you should consider for continuous trips using Solar to assist you while you ride.
Great thread and appreciate all the posts shared.
Here's how this solar powered electric bicycle traveled 12,800 km in 64 days from France to China
Jack Butler built a solar powered electric bicycle and raced it 12,800 km from France to China in just 64 days. Here's how he did it.
electrek.co
The Sun Trip has certain restrictions that help the riders achieve efficiency and advance the designs and choice of technology (hub motors, solar panels, etc). Solo rider is limited to 400watts of panels, tandem riders limited to 550watts. 1,100 Wh battery maximum.
These restrictions lead to a very efficient setup, weight and fitness level of the riders of course.
If you have 20 minutes to spare, here's a great video from Justin (owner of ebikes.ca) completing half of the 2018 tour with his wife in a back to back tandem setup - awesome video if you can spare the time.
If you have 15 more minutes to spare, here's a cool video of a gent who committed to a continuous travelling life with a converted ebike and a trailer. 400 watts of panel, year round clothing and camping gear, fun activities equipment (water sports) and even an electric fridge!
I mention the converted bike approach - while I'm becoming a huge fan of the OEM offerings coming out each year, a conversion approach allows you to pick the exact bike that you want and the exact motor/battery/controller/etc setup for your plans.
What I hope the links above show you is the size and weight you should consider for continuous trips using Solar to assist you while you ride.
Great thread and appreciate all the posts shared.
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CdnShaun
Active Member
I do want to share, as it's in the theme and spirit of this thread, I did look into a multi-day camping trip ebike setup using Solar. I even have the trailer (Burley coho xc) that I tested out to both carry camping gear and possibly a solar panel setup above.
My research lead to the above videos and many more like them. I think the idea is amazing and have not ruled it out of my plans long term. I hope (as many do) that solar charging technology continues to improve (efficiency per square inch) and I believe ebikes will continue to lead the way on using solar for propulsion purposes compared to other modes of transport.
The direction I am taking for the next 2-3 years is building a bike that has enough battery capacity to go long distance - only improving as I lose weight month after month and increase my fitness level - and can carry not just 'minimal' camping equipment rather very comfortable camping equipment setup - larger tent, inflatable mattress, comfortable folding chair, etc.
I learned from my dear friends who R.V. that there are many campgrounds, often only 30-50kms apart, along the multi-day camping routes I would consider. For them, they pull out and drive for the day and look at the app on their phone to find options for an R.V. park to pull into for the night/couple days - it's all part of the adventure for them.
For me, I would plan my routes a little more ahead of time, knowing the amount of distance (i.e. 100 miles/160 kms) I would typically want to cover each riding day. In certain areas I would have multiple destinations to consider within 20kms, often by water and such - very cool.
Without solar I would be dependent on hydro to charge my batteries overnight at the campsite. As I made the decision I would not 'freestyle' camp off the side of the road and such (great video's on YouTube of people who do this, kudos to them) I would be staying in campsites anyways, use of the showers in the morning, again often located near rivers/lakes and such - and typical up charge for hydro at campsites is $10 CDN per night I have learned.
Ultimately with a bike built with considerable battery capacity onboard and payload capability - built first - I could eventually consider adding Solar to the existing trailer (or a separate purpose built unit) and would already have the bulk of the investment (cost and build time) in the bike/motor/batteries complete.
Just a different perspective/approach to the same goal of multi-day camping trips by ebike I wanted to share.
Cheers!
Shaun
My research lead to the above videos and many more like them. I think the idea is amazing and have not ruled it out of my plans long term. I hope (as many do) that solar charging technology continues to improve (efficiency per square inch) and I believe ebikes will continue to lead the way on using solar for propulsion purposes compared to other modes of transport.
The direction I am taking for the next 2-3 years is building a bike that has enough battery capacity to go long distance - only improving as I lose weight month after month and increase my fitness level - and can carry not just 'minimal' camping equipment rather very comfortable camping equipment setup - larger tent, inflatable mattress, comfortable folding chair, etc.
I learned from my dear friends who R.V. that there are many campgrounds, often only 30-50kms apart, along the multi-day camping routes I would consider. For them, they pull out and drive for the day and look at the app on their phone to find options for an R.V. park to pull into for the night/couple days - it's all part of the adventure for them.
For me, I would plan my routes a little more ahead of time, knowing the amount of distance (i.e. 100 miles/160 kms) I would typically want to cover each riding day. In certain areas I would have multiple destinations to consider within 20kms, often by water and such - very cool.
Without solar I would be dependent on hydro to charge my batteries overnight at the campsite. As I made the decision I would not 'freestyle' camp off the side of the road and such (great video's on YouTube of people who do this, kudos to them) I would be staying in campsites anyways, use of the showers in the morning, again often located near rivers/lakes and such - and typical up charge for hydro at campsites is $10 CDN per night I have learned.
Ultimately with a bike built with considerable battery capacity onboard and payload capability - built first - I could eventually consider adding Solar to the existing trailer (or a separate purpose built unit) and would already have the bulk of the investment (cost and build time) in the bike/motor/batteries complete.
Just a different perspective/approach to the same goal of multi-day camping trips by ebike I wanted to share.
Cheers!
Shaun
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Hasaf
Member
From my Kansas - Utah "Never Plug-In" trip.
I used two solar panels and a BBS02 motor without a throttle. I used the NuVinci N380 to control the power draw and control cruising speed. My target draw was 250W, which put me at about 13-15 mph on level ground. Of course, on hills, I dipped into the battery.
For various reasons, I was terribly overloaded.
I used two solar panels and a BBS02 motor without a throttle. I used the NuVinci N380 to control the power draw and control cruising speed. My target draw was 250W, which put me at about 13-15 mph on level ground. Of course, on hills, I dipped into the battery.
For various reasons, I was terribly overloaded.
Explorer-1
Have bike, will travel
- Region
- USA
- City
- Boston North Shore
@Hectors Ghost has a nice setup.
GypsyTreker
Well-Known Member
I can pretty much assure you it will work. I have the lead/acid Yeti 400 with a dual 35ah battery arrangement. Normally we power our Dometic 65 freezer/reefer when off-grid. You would easily be able to do exactly what you intend. We found that all efforts lead strictly to maintaining the Yeti charge levels and plug in what you want as you would a normal ac outlet. We use our car alt to charge the Yeti while in transit. They are great systems although I would do a DIY if I decided to go to 1000+ watts since individual parts...inverters , controller etc are cheaper by far.
Hectors Ghost
Active Member
It's good for what I do but I'm not trying to stack up as many miles as possible daily, s*it, sleep, eat and ride on filthy and tired. Apples and Oranges in how people think of solar powered ebikes. Stay safe.
GypsyTreker
Well-Known Member
I think you nailed it. Its not a race its simply a solution for your parameters. We have boone-docked and had folk display wild solar arrays backed up with wind generators so they could show folks that their a/c would run ( or at least one of them). Personally I would simply fire up the gazillion watt diesel Onan that comes on those rigs and crank up both a/cs, micro up some popcorn and watch some brain dead show on my Direct TV big screen set up. LOL
Hectors Ghost
Active Member
There IS a downside when you need to stop to charge... solar or A/C. 2, 3, maybe more hours waiting to continue the ride. I replaced my handlebar tape while charging a few days ago, then listened to an audiobook... And took a nap. A very nice Forest Ranger let me use an outlet so I got to charge both 30Ah packs at the same time, one with a Grin Satiator and the other with Solar. I wanted a bike that could do singletrack and ride on more than just hard smooth surfaces.
I set up a small solar solution with a Jackery solar panel and Anker Powerhouse II portable power pack.
(I did this mainly because the battery in one of my eBikes is not easily removable for taking it inside to charge).
shiruba-japan.blogspot.com
(I did this mainly because the battery in one of my eBikes is not easily removable for taking it inside to charge).
Adventures in eBike Charging
I love my Yamaha YPJ-MT Pro (sold outside Japan as the YDX Moro Pro ), but in my previous quick and dirty review that there were some disad...
shiruba-japan.blogspot.com
theemartymac
Well-Known Member
This system seemed a tidy size and portable. You might be able to make one more efficient if you have the skills, but his test seemed 'practical' for the camper/casual tripper anyway.
GypsyTreker
Well-Known Member
I have a Yeti400 (GoalZero) that powers my Dometic 65 on Solar or my cars alt while traveling. I plan on charging my eBike batteries (one at a time,) using the a/c inverter outlet. According to Goal Zero I should have no problems. These "Solar" gen-pacs ( kinda misleading imo) do simplify running other stuff since the only job the panel or a/c charger or car alternator has is to charge the gen-pacs battery. I am going to add another 120w folding solar panel and another 35ah battery ( giving me 105ah - 52useable). I am looking @ lipo batteries around 250ah available thru Alibaba. I need a BMS, inverter and some 12v cigarette lighter inputs to make my own "solar generator" but 220ah would let me last awhile on our road trips out West. It would also be less weight than I have now.I set up a small solar solution with a Jackery solar panel and Anker Powerhouse II portable power pack.
(I did this mainly because the battery in one of my eBikes is not easily removable for taking it inside to charge).
Adventures in eBike Charging
I love my Yamaha YPJ-MT Pro (sold outside Japan as the YDX Moro Pro ), but in my previous quick and dirty review that there were some disad...
Remember, the more north one is, the longer the days are in the summer. For instance, at my latitude, in June, daylight begins around 4 AM and sundown can be at 9PM. There are charts if you want exact times.
I am interested in this. I have been pleasantly surprised with the solar panels I use to charge my travel trailer battery. They are not roof top, but are the suitcase style. If I was shopping now for panels, I'd look at the flexible, roll up kind. They weigh quite a bit less--quite a bit.
I am interested in this. I have been pleasantly surprised with the solar panels I use to charge my travel trailer battery. They are not roof top, but are the suitcase style. If I was shopping now for panels, I'd look at the flexible, roll up kind. They weigh quite a bit less--quite a bit.
GypsyTreker
Well-Known Member
I found a small a/c 2 amp charger that may allow me to use one solar panel (using my yeti400) to handle the 55ah battery on our Aliner Scout. We use so little current in our tag along because of led lighting. We use battery "bricks" to charge our small tablets and phones using a foldable 25w panel to keep the bricks charged. With campgrounds being hard to get into and getting more expensive being able to be off grid over the weekends. Our set up, as it stands will let us go about 5 days with normal amount of overcast. If I could talk my wife out of needing frozen food in our Dometic that time could really be extended. We use alot of juice keep meat frozen. I try to get her to use it as a cooler on vacation but she wants steak and burgers from our butcher at home. Roll up or folding light weight panels really offer options.
McSchotte 88
New Member
- Region
- Europe
I use our solar system. Don‘t have the range to go interstellar.
troehrkasse
EBR Webmaster
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- USA
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- Fort Collins
Oh man, this is such a sweet setup! Solar power and shade at the same time! I've been thinking about making some kind of long-distance setup with a trailer, but it never occurred to me to use a recumbent for it. How wide are your panels, did you have trouble riding in bike lanes or on bike paths?From my Kansas - Utah "Never Plug-In" trip.
I used two solar panels and a BBS02 motor without a throttle. I used the NuVinci N380 to control the power draw and control cruising speed. My target draw was 250W, which put me at about 13-15 mph on level ground. Of course, on hills, I dipped into the battery.
For various reasons, I was terribly overloaded.
Hasaf
Member
As odd as it seems, I never used it on any bike paths. Most of the cycle touring I was doing did not offer that as an option. The trike ended up being stolen. However, at that point, I had removed the panels.
I am currently in the slow process of putting them on a trailer with the intent of pulling it behind a velomobile.
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