Solar setup options for a milk float, no, no come back!!Help!!

[Jason9999]

Hey
I've just taken delivery of a Crompton Smith's electrical milk float and will be fitting solar panels on the roof, I would like to go big with the panels and fill the roof with good quality panels.
I'm now looking into the setup, do I go straight to the cells via a controller.
Or to an inverter then to the controller, then to the cells, controller then inverter? I'm sure there are a couple of legit ways of doing it... what would be the best way?... To a few leisure batteries after the controller, then to an inverter then the float cells...

[organic farmer]

Hey
I've just taken delivery of a Crompton Smith's electrical milk float

Those are really cool vehicles congratulations

... and will be fitting solar panels on the roof, I would like to go big with the panels and fill the roof with good quality panels.
I'm now looking into the setup, do I go straight to the cells via a controller.
Or to an inverter then to the controller, then to the cells, controller then inverter? I'm sure there are a couple of legit ways of doing it... what would be the best way?... To a few leisure batteries after the controller, then to an inverter then the float cells...

In my area, I have seen an assortment of DIY EV farm tractors.

What you are suggesting sounds like a great idea to me.

I would love to have an EV milk float like that.

You should be able to wire directly from the panels to a charge-controller. You would only include an invertor if you had some desire to provide 120/240vac for something.

I drive a hybrid sedan that I recharge from my household solar system and battery-bank. I think that a problem you may see is that it will take many days to charge the milk float batteries. Consider building a carport or shed, put more panels on the roof of the shed, and park your milk float next to that shed. So you can use both sets of panels to recharge your milk float.

Good luck

[Jason9999]

That's great to hear thanks for the positive reply, I've had a few people look at me like I just asked them to scratch my balls for me haha, sounds like you live in a pretty cool world bud, converted diesel ev tractors?Well when it's done I'll be on your case to see if you want to buy it

[Jason9999]

Missed half the message out that's annoying... Had my best jokes in that bit.

But basically do you have any suggestions for a controller for 5 x 320w mono panels, I was looking at the one attached on Amazon, looks like it does a job..

[bcroe]

In my area, I have seen an assortment of DIY EV farm tractors.

That sounds pretty difficult. My 2 ton car gets FAR better mileage, than my half ton 4WD tractor. The
reason is the car is mostly coasting, most of the time. The tractor is always pushing some kind of
heavy load (mower, snow blower, etc) every foot of the way. That continuous load will be emptying
the battery of energy pretty fast, and the motors would need to be designed for 100% load cycle
as well (like a locomotive traction motor). Bruce Roe

[Jason9999]

Sounds like you know your stuff Bruce, anything constructive about the topic?

[bcroe]

Sounds like you know your stuff Bruce, anything constructive about the topic?

Do not expect a lot of miles from a vehicle powered by panels on the roof. Bruce Roe

[Jason9999]

That's great thanks for the info Bruce Roe. What makes you say that? If the batteries are okay I should get 60-80 miles on a charge with your expertise what would you say I'd be looking at after the panel installation? If you could shed some light on that I'd appreciate it. No pun intended.

[bcroe]

That's great thanks for the info Bruce Roe. What makes you say that? If the batteries are okay I should get 60-80 miles on a charge with your expertise what would you say I'd be looking at after the panel installation? If you could shed some light on that I'd appreciate it. No pun intended.

The panels that can be carried may take quite a long time to do a full recharge, remember they will
hardly ever be at an optimum angle. Sometimes they will be in the shade, even partial shade is
pretty devastating for solar production. They might be regarded more as range extenders, adding
some miles to a start from a full charge. Your results may vary, let us know. Bruce Roe

[Jason9999]

I was hoping you had a bit more than that if I'm honest, nothing I don't already know. I'm mentioning it as you were very quick to shoot down the one other person that was actually trying to give me some help on this thread. But thanks all the same.

[Jason9999]

Hello and good day to anyone looking in, this is the details on the back of the panels and the charge controller I was looking at, will it do the job? I'm happy with the quality, I just don't understand the numbers and don't want to just hit and hope. With the info here could anyone say it's up to the job? I want to be able to squeeze every bit of available power out of the money spent on these panels so I'm assuming the controller is probably the most important piece in the system??

Look forward to being educated

[Mike90250]

That's great thanks for the info Bruce Roe. What makes you say that? If the batteries are okay I should get 60-80 miles on a charge with your expertise what would you say I'd be looking at after the panel installation? If you could shed some light on that I'd appreciate it. No pun intended.

with 500 w of panels, one day (4 solar hours) maybe an extra 5 miles on level ground. Depends on the efficiency of the drive train

[Jason9999]

with 500 w of panels, one day (4 solar hours) maybe an extra 5 miles on level ground. Depends on the efficiency of the drive train

Hey Mike, thanks for your input, that's some very useful info for me... so in theory I could get over the hundred mile mark with those figures... potentially. I was looking into installing a 3kw gen to also help with power? maybe not needed for my application...I guess I was hoping I could get to a point where depending on its life style it wont need to be plugged in.

So just to add so its clear what i have in mind which could change the advice given, I have decided that it will become mobile catering vehicle.... coffee and cake maybe.. as my original plan for a ev camper i think will not be to practical for the traveling aspect, as after driving it just round my block it would be a kind of torture to drive it for any length of time, and the stiffness of the steering if not rolling woh haha, but for a mobile catering van with pop open sides and can be stored/parked close by and have plenty of free power to run it as well as being tax, mot and cc exempt you could say this would be a right money maker for someone in London where they could charge 8 quid for a coffee and a piece of carrot cake.

also I'm a little concerned about how I connect it up, solar panels to controller to batteries, do I just hook it up to the positive and negative? There is a connector for the batteries to be connected to the float, would I just wire it to that? is it that simple??

thanks again for any of your time and knowledge

[Mike90250]

Ha Ha. If you are going to use this to run a business, you need to plaster all surfaces with PV panels, and park in full sun. The pop open sides, need to have panels on them.
Even using propane for heating, you will need a fair amount of power for the milk chiller, the inevitable blender.......

Check this older thread out. PV panels have improved 0.05% since then ! read response #15
https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum...-on-food-truck

[SunEagle]

Ha Ha. If you are going to use this to run a business, you need to plaster all surfaces with PV panels, and park in full sun. The pop open sides, need to have panels on them.
Even using propane for heating, you will need a fair amount of power for the milk chiller, the inevitable blender.......

Check this older thread out. PV panels have improved 0.05% since then ! read response #15
https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum...-on-food-truck

The best way I have seen solar power all of the loads for a food truck (except the burners) was when they had a trailer with way over 2000 watts.

But if the OP thinks a few panels will work then have at it and let us know how you make out.