Solar panels are wonderful. They’re also picky. Our panel has a curve to it, to fit it to the front of the Bean trailers. This means we don’t get 100% of the sun unless it’s very bright, but it also means that it can get some sun most of the time if it’s points in the direction of the sun, without changing its orientation. Win some, lose some.
Since we were in a big wildfire smoke area, we weren’t drawing our usual solar amount due to the smoke cover. Thus we had to do everything possible to get every last ray. I noticed our battery was charging at about 10 watts one morning, far shy of our usual 60-100 watts. As I walked back from the bathrooms, I wondered if the truck might be blocking the panel a bit. Sure enough, we gained another 17 watts just by pulling it forward a few feet. Small action, but a noticeable impact. Take from that what you will.
This morning we’re in town having a shower, doing laundry, getting some legal and financial things taken care of, and cleaning/organizing later in the day. Saturdays will be nice for that as everyone else is out and about doing the tours, hikes, checking out the visitor center, etc.
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