Array choice

Choose roof, portable, or hybrid solar by travel pattern

Roof panels charge automatically while moving or parked, but have fixed orientation and limited area. Portable panels can follow the sun and escape shade, but need setup, storage, and supervision.

Roof panels

Best when automatic charging, clean roof integration, and charging while travelling matter more than changing panel angle.

Portable panels

Best when campsites are shaded but a sunny clearing is available, and daily setup is acceptable.

Hybrid setups

A modest roof array plus a portable supplement can reduce dependency on either approach. Model both sources separately.

Continue planning

Turn this decision into a power plan.

Carry the planning question into the system sizer, then verify the component specifications it makes relevant.

Build a power plan

Generation

Plan solar production by month, not one annual sun number

Charging strategy

Model solar and DC-DC charging as separate sources

Editorial record

Maintained by Make Your Own Tools to turn “Size off-grid power” into a defined daily wh, battery reserve, panels, and inverter. The references below provide the technical context for this planning path. Its calculation rules and planning assumptions are documented in the methodology, and affected calculations pass regression checks before the review date advances.

Last reviewed
Evidence set
1 primary reference
Calculation coverage
1 affected rule checked
Read methodology →View change history ↗
Planning scope
Early off-grid array architecture planning before component comparison.
Next check
Carry the chosen array path into roof-area, shade, mounting, cable-run, storage, and site checks.
U.S. Department of Energy homeowner solar guidePlanning sequence, site constraints, energy use, and solar decision context.Open source ↗