Self-sufficient in the season - Part 1: Basics of self-sufficient power supply in the vehicle

The possible uses of an independent power supply in the vehicle are diverse and depend on your individual travel plans:

• Freestanding
  If you like to stay overnight away from the usual campsites, a reliable power supply is crucial. Your refrigerator, lighting, water pump, or laptop all require energy.
• Longer trips & vanlife
  Many travelers spend weeks or even months in their campervan. A self-sufficient power supply ensures you can provide for yourself while on the road—whether for mobile work, cooking with electronic devices, or charging camera batteries, smartphones, or your e-bike battery.
• Winter camping & year-round use
  Especially in the cold months, a powerful battery is indispensable to supply power to heaters, fans or other heat-related devices.
• Expeditions & Off-Road Trips
  Anyone traveling with an off-road vehicle needs a robust power supply for GPS devices, compressors, outdoor kitchens, or emergency communications.
• Power supply on the boat
  Sailors and boat owners also benefit from a self-sufficient energy source – be it for navigation instruments, lighting or cooling devices.
• More independence at home with a balcony power plant
  A partially self-sufficient energy supply can be beneficial not only on the go, but also at home. Balcony power plants allow you to reduce your electricity costs and become more independent from your electricity provider.

Which devices require electricity?

Before planning your self-sufficient energy system, you should carefully consider which devices need power while on the go. Here's a detailed overview of the devices you might need:

1. Basic Consumers – The Minimum for Self-Sufficient Travel
   You must definitely include these devices in your planning in order to be able to use your vehicle independently:
   Indoor and outdoor lighting: LEDs consume little energy but provide a pleasant atmosphere and safety at night
   Water pump: To ensure running water for the sink, shower or toilet, the pressure or submersible pump requires a constant power supply
   Refrigerator/Cooler: Thermoelectric coolers have high energy consumption, while compressor refrigerators are more efficient and can also be operated independently for several days.
   Ventilation and heating: Diesel or gas heaters require electricity for the control and the burner, as well as fans to ensure air circulation in summer.
2. Comfort devices – For longer journeys and more convenience
   If you use your vehicle more intensively or plan longer journeys, additional power consumers are often added:
   Laptop and mobile working: If you work on the go, you need a stable power source for your laptop, monitor and mobile internet
   Coffee machine: Devices such as a Senseo or a small espresso machine draw high power and can only be used with sufficient battery capacity
   Induction hob: If you want to avoid gas, you can also cook electrically with a powerful battery system and inverter
   Household appliances: Vacuum cleaners, blenders, and toasters are also popular comfort improvements in larger motorhomes
   Electric awning or pop-up roof: Some campers have electric awnings or pop-up roofs that require power for the motor
3. Safety & outdoor equipment – ​​essential for off-road and expeditions
   For adventurers and off-road enthusiasts, additional power consumers are important to be self-sufficient on the road:
   Air compressor: Ideal for increasing tire pressure after an off-road tour
   Navigation devices & radios: GPS systems, CB radio or satellite phones must always be operational
   Wildlife cameras or surveillance systems: Some overlanders rely on security cameras or motion detectors around the vehicle.
   Charging your e-bike & drone: If you want to charge your e-bike or camera equipment on the go, you need a correspondingly powerful energy supply
4. Medical devices – For a safe journey
   Anyone who relies on certain devices for health reasons must ensure a reliable power source while on the move:
   CPAP devices for sleep apnea: A continuous power supply overnight is vital
   Medicine refrigerator: Some medications need to be kept cool

How to calculate your consumption

Depending on the length of your trip and comfort requirements, power consumption can vary greatly. Before deciding on a specific battery size or solar panel output, you should calculate your individual power consumption. The best way to do this is to create a list of all your appliances and how long you expect to use them each day. You can use the following formula as a guide:

Power (W) x operating time (h) = energy consumption per day (Wh)

Here is an example Daily consumption of LED lights, cooler and laptop:

• LED light (10W) for 5 hours → 50Wh
• Cooler (50W) for 12 hours → 600Wh
• Laptop (60W) for 3 hours → 180Wh

The total consumption of these three consumers would then be: 830Wh per day
Based on this value, you can choose the appropriate battery size. A 100Ah lithium battery with 12V voltage (e.g. the WATTSTUNDE NOVA Base 100Ah ) stores 1200Wh of energy – sufficient for daily needs with reserve. In general, the The reserve buffer can be a little larger, at least 25%. You can find the power of your electronic devices on the device itself; it is given in “watts” and abbreviated as W.

Overview: These components are required for an independent energy supply

An efficient self-sufficient power supply consists of Several key components that must be dimensioned according to your individual energy needs. Assuming a daily energy consumption of 830Wh, your energy setup should look like this:

1. Solar modules – the energy source for on the go
   Solar modules convert solar energy into usable electricity, which is stored in the battery. There are different types depending on your needs:
   
   1. Framed solar modules: Ideal for permanent installations on motorhomes, vans or boats
   2. Flexible solar modules: Perfect for curved surfaces
   3. Foldable solar panels: Particularly useful for mobile applications and shadow parking, as they are only used when needed

• The required solar power depends on the solar radiation. In Central Europe, on average, 3-5 hours of sunshine per day calculate. A 120Wp On a sunny day under optimal conditions, the solar module produces a maximum of 480Wh (at 4 hours of sunshine).
• To generate 830Wh daily, you would need at least 2x 120Wp Modules. Calculate here too sufficient reserve with 830Wh, you should include a reserve of at least 207.5Wh.

1. Solar charge controller – the smart head of your solar system
   The charge controller protects the battery from overcharging and ensures efficient charging. For a system with 830 Wh of power consumption per day, an MPPT charge controller with sufficiently high current is recommended, such as the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15.
2. Battery – your efficient energy storage
   The battery is the heart of your solar system. The energy your solar panels generate during the day can be stored in the battery to provide power at night or on cloudy days.
   A 100Ah 12V lithium battery (e.g. The WATTSTUNDE NOVA Core 100Ah delivers approximately 1280Wh of usable capacity—allowing you to be self-sufficient for about 1.5 days. Make sure to include sufficient backup power here, too.
3. Inverter – 230V for household appliances
   If you want to operate devices with 230V, you'll need an inverter that converts the 12V direct current from the battery into alternating current. For smaller devices like laptops or coffee machines, which don't consume quite as much power, a 1000W inverter is sufficient.
   For energy-intensive appliances such as induction hobs or kettles, you need at least 2000-3000W.
4. Cables, fuses & accessories – For a safe installation
   In addition to the main components, high-quality cables and fuses are necessary to ensure a secure energy supply, including MC4-compatible extension cables for a secure connection between the solar module and the charge controller, battery cables and fuses for stable power distribution, and solar module mounts for robust installation on vehicles or roofs.
5. Charging booster as an additional power source while driving
   A charging booster ensures optimized and efficient charging of the onboard battery while driving. It increases the charging voltage to the optimal level, allowing the battery—especially modern lithium or AGM batteries—to be charged faster and more completely. Especially in Euro 6 vehicles with intelligent alternators, the charging booster prevents the onboard battery from being undercharged. This ensures a reliable power supply in the camper or off-road vehicle, even on short journeys.

Conclusion

With the right combination of solar modules, battery storage, charge controller, and inverter, your vehicle can be perfectly prepared for independent travel. If you Know your energy needs and the By choosing the right components , you can rely on a stable power supply even away from campsites. This means that long journeys with maximum independence and comfort nothing stands in the way!

This is what you can expect in the upcoming blog article

Stay tuned – in the next six parts In our blog series we go into more detail. We will show you, which battery type suits you, which charging technologies there is and how you can Wired correctly . In the second part, which will appear next week, we'll compare different battery types for you (lifespan, charging cycles, and maintenance) and discuss with you how many Ah you need.

Independent of shore power! In our blog series, you'll learn what components you need for your self-sufficient energy supply!