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Review on Efficient 50W Solar Panel Kit with Upgraded Charge Controller – SUNER POWER Mono Crystalline Panels, Waterproof, and Versatile 12V Solar System for Car, RV, Marine, Boat, Trailer, Off-Grid Applications by Greg Anderson

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Measured output was about 16.2 watts (0.81 amps) in very very light cloudy conditions

I hooked this up on July 1st - 90 degrees, almost no clouds. This gave 0.81A x 20V = 16.2W. * I never expected Revain's affordable solar panel to perform 100% of the description so to be clear I'm not complaining, I am enthusiastic about this panel. So 5 stars. It takes 5 seconds to set up and is mostly foolproof. If you want to play around with the luminous flux, set it to 120 (and that's not foolproof). I use this for auto camping (I wouldn't call it glamping but others may disagree). I have a heavy canvas tent and it's light enough to put on the roof or hang around a corner on a windless day. It really took me 30 watts to get to zero power consumption, but those panels were too heavy. If you need a longer cable, just look for an SAE extension. This is what I bought to place the solar array somewhere in camp more than 20 feet from my tent. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D54QN6BB Remember you only get a few hours of maximum solar activity, you have clouds and haze (and rain!) and the panel isn't moving like the sun moves, you have angle problems. I believe it runs at full power or 100% 1/4 of the time, 1/4 at 75%, 1/4 at 50% and 1/4 at 25%. (Number will be lower in winter, but I don't camp then.) Or average just 62.5% of solar panel capacity and try to see if you can meet your usage. For this solar panel, that's 121.5 watt hours. By my calculations on a 12 hour summer day [I use my battery to run the fan so I don't get as much sunlight on cloudy/rainy days, but I don't use the fan that often either. You may have similar needs. If not, consider cloudy days! [EDIT: Just realized I've lengthened the panel cable by 25 feet. This can lead to efficiency losses. The 5W panel I measured below is much shorter.]* This 5W charger (which doesn't require a controller) put out 5W (0.25 amps x 20V) with the Suner. It actually lists 5 watts, so haze or clouds can't be an excuse for Suner. [Again, I like Suner and recommend it.] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JO0TC

Cons
  • Good but not great