The actual numbers are as follows:
Assume a 6x8volt Trojan battery pack: total energy of the pack is 8.16 kWh. The number would be higher for a 8x6volt configuration. You can use the actual energy capacity of your pack if it is different.
Assume a 300 watt nominal solar panel: the average energy per day that the panel can generate if the cart is left outside all day unshaded would be about 1.2 kWh. This is essentially the integral under the solar curve for an average day in Florida. In the summer, it would be higher, in the winter it would be lower. For a lower rated panel the number would be less.
Therefore, you could take an essentially empty battery pack to full charge in about 7 days ignoring charger inefficiencies and if the cart was left idle and outside all day. Another way to look at it is you can gain, on average, 6-8 miles of range per day if you left the cart outside all day. Or, if you are only driving the cart 6-8 miles per day and you left it outside all day then you may not need to ever plug it in (energy in equals energy out) if you started with a fully charged battery pack. Of course, the cost of plugging the cart in if you are driving 6 miles per day is only 12 cents per day. And there is the rub; for the cost of a solar panel you can drive 6 miles per day for 14 years plugging in at home using SECO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyP
Your charger is 1750 watts to charge a set of batteries to full charge. Ive never seen a solar panel that can fit on the roof of a golf cart that is 1750 watts.
Whatever the wattage is for a solar panel, that is in perfect setting, so decrease its rating by at least 20 percent, then take into account that your not getting full effect of the sun all day long even here in florida. They have charts for the whole country as far as what you can really expect to see with the use of a solar panel as far as charging anything.
So I agree, take any solar panel and take 40 percent right off the top as far as what you are really going to get. Is it going to charge a golf cart to a full charge? The answer is no, as there is not enough "push" to full charge a deep cycle battery. Solar for golf cars has been around since the mid 1980's, so its nothing new. It still doesn't work as some say it should.
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