For most of our experiments with trickle-charging and maintaining batteries over the years we’ve used a
simple 15-watt panel from ICP Solar, usually in conjunction with a charge controller, but often by just keeping an eye on things and a multimeter handy. That panel has withstood baking sun, snow and ice, scratches, drops, short-circuits, and even a fracture of the glass in the back of the case (from being stepped on). It’s still going strong. Meanwhile, ICP has put out a updated panel under the Sunsei brand name, an 18-watt module called the Solarcharger 1200. We ordered one and have had it outside the workshop for a while, topping up a battery used for various chores, including recharging other batteries and running a small TV. We also ordered the optional but highly recommended Sunsei charge controller, so that we can more or less forget about monitoring the battery.
While the glass area of the panel seems about the same as its predecessor, it’s better protected on the new model, and ICP has made big progress with weatherproofing, connectors, and accessories. Shown in the photo here is a “what’s in the box” selection that came with the Solarcharger 1200. From left to right, 1) 10-foot extension power cable with male and end connections, 2) 1.5-foot connector with O-terminals, 3) 1.5-foot connector with female 12-volt socket., 4) 1.5-foot connector with male 12-volt plug, 5) 1.5-foot connector with heavy-duty battery clamps, 6) double-ended cable to connect two panels together 7) connector with bare wires for connecting to charge controller. At bottom is the supplied mounting hardware.
We can recommend this panel for several reasons. First, it does what it’s supposed to do. (Whether it can survive the trials and tribulations suffered by its forebear remains to be seen.) More importantly, it’s completely simple to set up. The ICP engineers have done a great job of making the whole process -- including the ability to add more panels and greater capacity -- completely plug-and-play. There's also a 10-year warranty on the product.
For those who don't even want to contemplate wiring a charge controller between the panel and the battery, ICP makes the same panel in Model 1201, which has an integral charge controller. We haven't tested that one. The links below are to the Model 1200 (note that the Amazon photo is wrong and there's a typo in the headline -- "120-volt" instead of "12-volt") and the optional Sunsei charge controller, which can handle up to a 10-amp current.
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