Solar panel comparison: Video

DEPENDING on where you live within Australia – Tasmanians and Victorians look away now – you’re guaranteed to get plenty of sun, most of the time.

So why not harness this free energy to use at camp by investing in a solar panel? Getting a system that works for you could save you plenty of coin in the long run.

We laid five solar panels under the sun – Projecta 120-Watt Bi-Fold, Projecta 120-Watt Multi-Fold, Redarc 115-Watt Sunpower Black Blanket, Redarc 112-Watt Red Blanket and a Projecta 80-Watt Bi-Fold – and put them through a rigorous testing process to find out which one provided the best power.

Multiple weather scenarios were tested, including full sun, partial shade, half sun, indirect sun and cloudy conditions, to realistically represent Australian conditions.

All five solar panels were set up at the same time and in the same conditions, and all charged a single battery which was powering four fridges. Four fridges were used due to the high input power of the panels.

Mark Allen assessed each panel’s ability in the differing weather conditions, as well as the practicalities of the different designs – what are the pros and cons of a blanket panel compared to a fixed frame panel? Does size matter?

The read our complete solar panel comparison and to see all of the stats and figures, pick up a copy of 4X4 Australia’s January 2017 issue, in stores December 8.