We wish to thank Suzanne Price, and her colleagues at Sovran, for their contribution to the subject of RV solar options. Solar energy is simply energy that has been generated by the sun. Think of solar energy as your own personal utility company. Once the solar energy is transformed into electricity it must be stored, ready for use. That is where batteries come in.
Batteries store the energy until it is needed.
In summary, the solar panel charges your batteries which in turn supply the electricty as you need it. The only other main component of a solar system is an inverter. If you have an inverter, you can use either AC or DC electrical devices. Batteries or shore power will always be required if you want to use electric devices at night or during poor light conditions. The amount of additional electricity you need will depend on the area of solar collectors that you have and how much electricity you consume.