A 50W solar panel can charge a 50Ah battery, but it would have to be a solar panel with one volt to charge the panel in one hour. If you have a solar panel with a voltage above one volt, it will take more than one hour to charge the battery, but it is still possible.
This article explains what size solar panel you need to charge a 50Ah battery and how to determine the amps produced by your solar panel. Then, I’ll explain what a 50W solar panel charges and some factors that can affect the charging of a battery by a solar panel.
Calculating the Electric Charge(Ah) Produced by a Solar Panel
The formula you can use to calculate the Ah or Ampere hours produced by a solar panel is wattage/voltage = amps.
To determine how much Ah a solar panel produces, you need to know the panel’s voltage and wattage. Then, you can use the equation to determine how many amps it will produce.
The Ah you get from this equation gives you the Ah produced by the solar panel in one hour. If you need to charge a battery with a capacity of more Ah than your solar panel can produce, you can still charge it, but it will take more than an hour.
This equation works in other ways too. If you know just the Ah and the voltage or the wattage, you can plug in the two numbers you know and solve the equation for the third amount you need to know.
What Size Solar Panel Do I Need To Charge a 50Ah Battery?
You need a solar panel with 50 watts and 1 volt to charge a 50ah battery in one hour. The ratio of wattage to voltage determines the size of the solar panel needed to charge a battery.
A 50W and 1V solar panel is not the only option. You can also use a 100W and 2V solar panel or a 150W and 3V solar panel.
These ratios are only relevant if you want the battery charged in just one hour. You can still charge a 50Ah battery with other solar panels, but it will take longer.
The higher the voltage and the lower the wattage, the longer it will take to charge the battery.
For example, if you have a 50W solar panel with a voltage of 10, your solar panel will produce 5Ah per hour. So, to charge a 50Ah battery, you will need to charge it for 10 hours.
But, this is the number of hours in the sun. In the winter, when the days are short, or if you have a cloudy or rainy day, it will take longer than 10 hours.
Or, if you want to charge the battery even faster than an hour, you can use a 100W, 1V solar panel, which would charge the battery in 30 minutes.
Again, this is not the only option. Any solar panel with a wattage to voltage ratio over 50 would charge the battery in less than an hour.
Ultimately the size of the solar panel that you need to charge a 50Ah battery depends on the wattage, the voltage, and how long you have to let the battery charge.
What Will a 50W Solar Panel Charge?
There is a pattern to how much a solar panel can charge depending on the voltage of the solar panel. The amount that the solar panel will produce, in Ah, depends on the voltage of the battery.
We already know that a 50W solar panel with a volt of 1 will charge a 50Ah battery in one hour. But, the more voltage you have, the longer it will take to charge the same battery.
In one hour, a 50W solar panel with a low voltage will charge a battery with a higher amount of amp hours. But, the higher the voltage, the less charge the solar panel will produce per hour.
So, a higher voltage can charge a battery with much less capacity, meaning a lower Ah. Or, it can charge a bigger battery with a higher Ah, but at a much slower rate.
Other Factors That Affect Solar Panel Charge
Other than the wattage and voltage, other factors affect how much a solar panel can charge. The calculations we did above assume that the charging conditions for the solar panel are perfect. The perfect conditions mean peak sunlight at noon, no clouds, and no shade.
But, you do not always have full or peak sunlight. The calculations above are just estimates, and if you have a cloudy day or need a significant amount of time, like more time than you would have to charge during the day, you will have to wait longer for a charge, which may even take multiple days.
You should also ensure that your solar panel stays clear when needed. As the day progresses, you may end up with some shade, and you need to move the solar panel out of the shade as much as possible to get a full, fast charge.
Also, ensure that your solar panel is not covered by debris or even animals that may sit on top of the panels.
Final Thoughts
You can charge a 50Ah battery with a 50W solar panel, and the fastest way to do so is with a solar panel with one volt. You can use a 50W solar panel with a higher voltage, but it will take longer to charge the battery.
Remember, these times are estimates and are only accurate if you have full sunlight and no shadows, clouds, or nighttime darkness during the charging time.
