RV/Mobile Home panel kits

I do not even know where to start.  And I'm afraid to ask anywhere else for fear or sales pitches.

I am about to start a mobile home renovation project on a 1980s mobile home 14'x60' (I think).  By law, this thing needs to be on the grid, but I'd like to save some $$ and have a backup by having some panels.  Two people living in there.  Hot water heater, pump for water, lights, fridge and electronics.  I don't see us having a TV in there.  No microwave.  "Main" heat is propane.  "Secondary" heat will be wood.  

Himself thinks it's going to cost $500/mo for electricity.  I think that seems way high even with the current increases.  I'd obviously like to get the bill to near zero.  I have no idea if there is a calculator where you plug in what is drawing electricity and for how long, and get an estimate usage so that I can size my system.  

But once I've done that, what do you all like for kits?  Batteries?  What is the best bang for the buck?  I am assuming that I will wind up needing to buy new.

Thanks heaps!

Nissa Gadbois wrote:I do not even know where to start.  And I'm afraid to ask anywhere else for fear or sales pitches.

I am about to start a mobile home renovation project on a 1980s mobile home 14'x60' (I think).  By law, this thing needs to be on the grid, but I'd like to save some $$ and have a backup by having some panels.  Two people living in there.  Hot water heater, pump for water, lights, fridge and electronics.  I don't see us having a TV in there.  No microwave.  "Main" heat is propane.  "Secondary" heat will be wood.  

Himself thinks it's going to cost $500/mo for electricity.  I think that seems way high even with the current increases.  I'd obviously like to get the bill to near zero.  I have no idea if there is a calculator where you plug in what is drawing electricity and for how long, and get an estimate usage so that I can size my system.  

But once I've done that, what do you all like for kits?  Batteries?  What is the best bang for the buck?  I am assuming that I will wind up needing to buy new.

Thanks heaps!

based on your list of energy users in the RV I would estimate 5 to 10 KwHrs per day as is. So try to ask around what the base charge is for a grid connection and what people are paying per KwHr. Looking at your goals I would say look hard at a solar hot water solution either solar thermal or direct pv to hot water. It is possible to wire a hot water tank to have one element run on solar and one element to run on the conventional grid. Next would be refrigeration then probably water pump and lights for order of energy usage. A lot of it depends on where you are and what your energy use is like. I would suggest starting there and figuring out a system after you have a good idea of your needs and what they cost per day.

For a 1980 Mobilehome, your needs would be more than for an RV because RVs are made with 25amp or 50 amp systems.

RVs use propane appliances for cooking, heat and refrigeration.

Something that could be done since you are doing a renovation, it might be easy to change over to an RV system so that RV appliances could be used.

That way your solar needs would be less.

We use the on demand type waster heaters.

Your biggest use of electricity would seem to be the water heater.  I would suggest that you look at an on demand one.  Yes, the $500 per month does seem high, but prices vary greatly across the country.

I'd second an on-demand water heater. My change to an on-demand  oil fired water heater lowered my electric bill by roughly 50-70 dollars a month.