What power of solar panel is needed to charge a 24V 200Ah battery?

To determine the power of the solar panel needed to charge a 24V 200Ah battery, we first need to find the energy capacity of the battery and then calculate the solar panel size based on the desired charging time and available sunlight.

Calculate the energy capacity of the battery:

Battery capacity (Watt-hours) = Voltage (V) x Ampere-hours (Ah)

Battery capacity = 24V x 200Ah = 4800Wh (Watt-hours)

Determine the desired charging time and available sunlight:

You should consider how fast you want to charge the battery and how many hours of sunlight you have per day.

For example, let’s say you want to charge the battery within 6 hours and you have 5 hours of sunlight per day.

Calculate the required solar panel power:

Solar panel power (W) = Battery capacity (Wh) / Charging time (h) / Sunlight hours per day (h)

Solar panel power = 4800Wh / 6h / 5h = 160W

So, in this example, you would need a 160W solar panel to charge a 24V 200Ah battery in 6 hours with 5 hours of sunlight per day.

Keep in mind that this calculation does not account for factors such as inefficiencies in the charging process, energy loss in the cables, or varying weather conditions.

To compensate for these factors, you might want to consider using a slightly larger solar panel.