Tim Visser

Thanks again everyone. Really appreciating your replies. It helps a lot and I am learning a lot.

I will go for 2 x 50 watts panels in series (can get them from a friend), making it a 24 volts system. If I am reading it correctly I have two options (or maybe just one realistic) in my situation;

1. Run a 20 meter wire from the panels to the cabin where the charge controller and battery is located. According to the cable size calculator, I would need at least 10mm/8AWG wire for 20 meters of cable (100watts/24volts=~5 Amps with a 2% cable loss). While the battery is 12 volts (which I have), the MPPT charge controller (which I also have) will convert the 24 volts to 12 volts automatically.
2. Or I place everything (battery and controller) near the panels. Which causes me to run a cable from the controller at the panels to the distribution box in the cabin. According to the calculator (if I used it correctly) I would end up with the same cable size while based on max 50 watts of appliances going through it, this would also result in ~5 Amps (50watts/12volts, 2% cable loss).

I am not sure whether the second calculation is correct. Though that seems not really sustainable while if I would add appliances (so increase the watts), the wire size would not fit at all. So option 1 feels the way to go.

Temperature wise it will not differ a lot. In the cabin it is probably equally warm/cold inside and outside in summer and winter

Thanks everyone for thinking along with me. Some extensive replies. Really appreciated. I run DC and basically only for a couple of LED lights, a security camera and a mifi for internet. Less then 50 watts for sure. If we are not there, we only need the camera and mifi to check the property (and with a DIN timer, I want to 'cut off' the devices every other day). I have an AGM battery.

By the way, the fridge is on propane. I have a back-up generator for power tools and other appliances if needed. If we go to the cabin, we try to be outside most of the times so usually we do not use a lot of power. We also manage withoud power, so the need is not high. We like candles

Some out takes from what I have read;

- battery goes with the panels (both DC)
- seperate the battery from the charge controller
- battery does not like cold so I need to insulate
- A MPPT controller probably works best looking at my cabin site (I currently have PWM..)

While the panel obviously should be where the sun is and the battery where the panel is, it does mean I have to build a box with the battery and solar charger next to the panel. I am thinking of a pole setup with a box in which I can put the battery and somehome also the wiring and MPPT solar charger, although seperated and well ventilated. I guess the box needs to be insulated. From there run a wire (12 AGW or less?) to the cabin into a distribution box near the cabin from where the lights and some DC outlets are supplied.

Any thoughts on this setup?

Thanks a lot for the advice! Any thoughts on it besides the battery reason?

Dear all, I have a solar setup of 100 watts in mind with a 80ah battery at my cabin for some small appliances. At the cabin site there is no sun, but 30 meters (100 feet) away there is. So obviously the panel will be setup there. I am struggling with the following. Should I run a cable from the solar panel directly to the solar setup in the cabin (to the charge controller and battery) or should I place the charge controller and battery at the solar panel (in a box or something) and run a cable from the charge controller to the cabin appliances? Does this make a difference (e.g. voltage drop wise or something else)? Hope you can help.