Van - Electrical

The electrical system comprises:

- House battery: 330 Ah AGM battery

- Charge controller for the house battery with the alternator

- 200W solar panels connected to the house battery via MPPT controller

- Distribution panels and fuse boxes on either side of the van

- Electric only refrigerator

- 300W inverter, for laptop only

- Lights, fan,..

I selected a 330 Ah AGM battery for the house battery and located the main electrical in the equipment storage compartment. I decided against Li-ion based on their limited cold temperature performance and high cost. Their lower weight / size are secondary factors. I sized the battery to stay off grid for 3 days. My electric appliances are the refrigerator, LED lights, fans, stereo and computer. The house battery is charged by the alternator and / or the 200W solar panels. With the solar panels I can live off grid indefinitely. Charge controllers, fuse box and distribution panel are also housed in the storage compartment. A second electric fuse box and distribution panel is placed at the kitchen side and supplied by the house battery.

My loads with the respective user profile are summarized here. I did not install a water heater or high power fan.

The main users are the refrigerator (~30A a day) and charging the laptop (~45A, 1 hour), totaling a typical amperage of ~ 85A per day. 

The alternator has to charge for only ½ hour to replenish the battery. The solar panels need about 6 hours assuming a typical efficiency of 60%, which is fairly close to what I measure over a mostly sunny day day.