Calculating your onboard energy requirements for your campervan conversion involves
determining the amount of power you need to run your appliances, electronics, and other
equipment onboard. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to calculate your energy requirements:
1. Make a list of all the appliances and electronics you plan to use onboard, including
lights, fans, refrigerator, stove, microwave, TV, and any other devices.
2. Determine the power consumption of each device in watts. This information can usually
be found on the device itself or in the user manual.
3. Calculate the total daily energy consumption of each device by multiplying the power
consumption in watts by the number of hours you plan to use it each day.
4. Add up the daily energy consumption of all your devices to get the total daily energy
requirement in watt-hours (Wh).
5. Multiply the total daily energy requirement by the number of days you plan to be off-grid
to get the total energy requirement for your trip.
6. Consider adding a buffer of around 20% to your total energy requirement to account for
any unexpected power usage or inefficiencies.
7. Choose a lithium-ion battery with a capacity that meets or exceeds your total energy
requirement. We highly recommend choosing a quality battery from Battleborn or Victron. Remember that the capacity of the battery is measured in ampere-hours
(Ah), so you may need to convert your energy requirement in watt-hours (Wh) to
ampere-hours (Ah) by dividing by the battery voltage (usually 12V).
8. Choose a solar panel or other charging system that can recharge your battery within a
reasonable amount of time based on your energy usage and the amount of sunlight
available.
By following these steps, you can calculate your onboard energy requirements and choose the
right lithium-ion battery and charging system for your campervan conversion. For more detailed information, speak to one of our electrical experts, or book your Power System Consultation today and get started on your complete power system design.