solar rv  

The VIKING ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM for mid-sized RV’s, the VIKING 30A-240V, provides clean, consistent 120V AC power drawn from thin film solar panels and assisted by the grid power.  When grid power is not available, the VIKING 30A-240V provides AC power which is stored in a battery bank.  This system is designed to allow you to monitor energy usage, eliminate brown outs, reduce your electric bills and allow you to park your RV anywhere and not have to plug in to AC power.
 
INVERTER/CHARGER – THE KEY TO THE SYSTEM
The VIKING 30A-240V contains a pure sine wave power inverter / charger that works directly with 30A / 240V AC power sources.  Power your flat screen television, computer, stereo and other sensitive electronics without worry. The pure sine wave inverter and power factor corrected charger provide clean, reliable inverter power with low total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 5%. The system is housed in-line between the campground / city power source and your RV, and is tied to a battery bank. The system uses the VIKING Energy Solutions custom charge controller.  
 
Eliminates Brown Outs - The VIKING 30A-240V will virtually eliminate brown outs by providing consistent power voltage to your RV. No more dimming of lights or drains on your system.  Ever.  If a power loss does occur, the VIKING 30A-240V will switch to OFF GRID mode and provide clean, consistent drawn from your battery bank.
 
Convenient Remote Control - The VIKING 30A-240V package comes with a remote control that allows you to monitor and customize your energy management system conveniently from inside your RV.  The remote control provides convenient finger-tip operation, including the new one-knob programming to monitor the inverter and charger status and to customize settings.

Automatic Generator Start - The remote control also has the option of controlling an AGS (Automatic Generator Start) if you have a gas generator installed.  You can choose to select ON GRID or OFF GRID power.  You can also program presets that automatically switch the system to ON GRID power when your batteries dip below a determined power percentage.
 
THIN FILM SOLAR PANELS
The VIKING 30A-240V comes with PowerFilm thin film solar panels to match your particular energy needs.  These thin film solar panels are the most reliable, durable, and lightweight of its kind on the market.  PowerFilm thin film solar panels are made with professional marine-grade components and rugged UV-stabilized materials.  They perform well in diverse environments from the hot desert sun to freezing arctic temperatures.
 
Here are the reasons we choose to use thin film solar panels…
 
Lightweight – In general, thin film amorphous silicon is lightweight…typically 10% the weight of a crystalline solar panel.  Specifically, PowerFilm 12V Solar Chargers weigh less than one pound, whereas the typical crystalline panel weighs 40 pounds because of the weight of the silicon wafers, tempered glass and aluminum frame.  

Durable – PowerFilm Solar Chargers are encapsulated in EFTE (Ethylene Tetraflouroethylene) exterior, which is a Teflon-type material that is applied using a downweb process to make the panels waterproof and durable.  The panel is rated to operate safely between -55 degrees Celsius and +85 degrees Celsius.
 
Flexible – PowerFilm Solar Chargers use a flexible, yet durable polyimide substrate that results in enhanced flexibility.  It truly is the only thin film amorphous silicon solar module that is rollable.   
 
Adhesive-backed – PowerFilm Solar Chargers use a Butyl adhesive used by the automotive industry.  The adhesive will permanently adhere to any nonporous surface.
 
Longevity – PowerFilm Solar Chargers are not easily damaged since it is encapsulated in EFTE. Hail or other objects (rocks, golf balls, etc.) can easily damage crystalline solar panels.  If a portion of the crystalline panel is damaged, it will not work.  If a portion of a PowerFilm Solar Charger is damaged, the rest of the panel will still work. 

Power – Crystalline solar panels will only produce electricity in full sun.  If shade covers any portion of a crystalline panel, power drops off…sometimes to zero.  PowerFilm Solar Chargers work well in full sun, cloudy conditions, even at sunrise and sunset.  Depending on your location and the time of year, the solar chargers can double the amount of electricity-producing hours.   

Easy Mounting – Crystalline panels are protected by a heavy layer of tempered glass and housed in an aluminum frame.  PowerFilm Solar Charges do not require a frame and is mounted directly to your RV with adhesive. 
 
BATTERY STORAGE SOLUTION
This system uses a custom battery bank specifically designed to meet the power consumption needs of the RV.  This solution uses one of our custom remote battery units. 
 
Only deep cycle are recommended for inverter applications.  Deep cycle batteries are designed to be safely charged and discharged on a regular basis.  A starting battery is not recommended for an inverter application, because it will significantly shorten the battery’s useful life.  A starting is designed to be maintained at full voltage. 
 
You should use only the same battery type for all batteries in the bank. For best performance, all batteries should be from the same lot and date.  This information is usually printed on a label located on the battery.
 
Any deep cycle battery will work with an inverter application. Lead-acid deep cycle batteries are the most cost effective, but the fluid levels need to be checked every 3 months.  Absorbed glass mat (AGM) and gel cell deep cycle batteries are maintenance free, but will cost significantly more. 
 
The size of the battery bank determines how long the inverter will power AC loads without recharging. The larger the battery bank, the longer the run time.  Size your battery bank to your AC load requirements and the length of time required to run from the batteries.  In general, your battery bank should not be discharged more than 60%. Additional DC charging devices such as solar panels can provide longer run times by recharging the batteries in the absence of AC utility hookup or gas generator power.

THE VIKING 30A-240V PACKAGE  
The VIKING 30A-240V comes with two 14 Watt PowerFilm thin film solar panels and four deep cycle batteries (see the complete package list for ancillaries).  The VIKING 30A-240V is easy to install and maintenance free.
 
Depending upon your energy needs (click here to download our Battery Bank Sizing Worksheet); you can upgrade the VIKING 30A-240V package with additional solar panels and batteries.  The number of solar panels determines the amount of energy produced.  The number of batteries determines the amount of energy you can store in the system.