Charging your batteries with a solar panel is a great way to use clean, renewable energy. However, before you can get started, you'll need to install a charge controller, which regulates the voltage from the solar panel as it's transferred to the battery.
If your solar panel is rated at 100W, under ideal circumstances, it would take about 6 hours to fully charge the battery. Identifying the energy output of your solar panel is crucial to estimate how long it will take to charge a solar battery. Peak Sun Hours: What Is It and How It Affects Charging Time?
Make sure the solar panel is getting enough sunlight first; if it is shaded, it will need more electricity to recharge the battery. Also, connect the solar panel's positive lead to the battery's positive terminal and the panel's negative lead to the battery's negative terminal.
The solar power generated by the solar panel is received by the solar charge controller. A solar charge controller is a component that helps manage the power that is going into the battery store from the solar panel. It safeguards the deep cycle batteries from being overcharged during the day.
However, before you can get started, you'll need to install a charge controller, which regulates the voltage from the solar panel as it's transferred to the battery. Otherwise, on sunny days, the solar panel may produce more energy than your battery can handle, which can damage the battery.
It’s crucial to match the panel size to your 12V battery. For example, a 50Ah (600Wh) 12V battery could be adequately served by a single 150W solar panel, providing about 4-5 hours of direct sunlight a day. Suppose you have a small 5W solar panel and you aim to charge a 12V battery.