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Tried and tested: Mobile solar system from SOLARA

As a rule, solar systems are permanently installed. However, in some cases, a mobile solution can be useful – for example, if you usually stay overnight with electricity and only occasionally need more self-sufficiency, want to use the solar system with different vehicles, have no space on the roof or appreciate the possibility of placing the solar panel in the sun but park the mobile in the shade. Especially during winter camping – where we have tried the Solara-Power-Mobil-Plus-Set – two more advantages become apparent: It is easier to clear the panel of snow on the windscreen than when it is mounted on the roof. In addition, the inclined installation fits the winter sun position better.

Insulating mat, solar panel and anti-theft protection in a practical Solara set.

The Solara set is cleverly combined with an insulating mat for the windscreen. This is fixed to the windscreen frame with the help of a Velcro strip running through the driver’s cab and sewn-in magnets in the edge of the mat. The mat helps to keep the heat inside in winter and outside in summer. It also has sewn-on tabs into which the foldable solar panel can be inserted. An enclosed steel cable with combination lock also ensures that thieves are deterred. The five-metre-long connecting cable is connected to the panel via a plug and fed through the rubber seal of a cab door or body window to the inside. The other end is simply plugged into one of the 12 V sockets in the body via a cable-connected solar charge controller. Alternatively, it can be connected to a permanently installed charge controller. During the practical test in the Allgäu region of Bavaria, the 102 Wp module managed to refill the battery, which is about half full according to the control board, to 75 percent over a sunny day. The Solara-Power-Mobil-Plus-Set is available tailor-made for the VW Transporter, Mercedes Vito and Fiat Ducato. With a charge controller, it costs 1124.90 euros – in other words, similar to a permanently installed system.