Van Solar in Florida
Florida gets strong year-round sun, but afternoon thunderstorms and humidity mean cloudy gaps are common even in summer. Winter sun stays usable, so cold derating is rarely a concern. The dominant load is cooling: a 12V fan runs long hours and many builders add a small air conditioner, which changes the battery math more than the panels.
How to plan a build for Florida
Florida rewards a slightly oversized battery more than a slightly oversized array. Sun is strong year-round and winter barely derates, but afternoon storm systems can shade you for hours at a time with little warning, so autonomy matters more than peak output. Humidity is the other factor: it drives constant fan use and, in many builds, a dehumidifier or air conditioner, which pushes daily loads well above the national norm. Cold-weather derating is irrelevant here, so you can size on the annual figure without a winter penalty, which is unusual and worth taking advantage of.
Take a steady 1,500 Wh/day build. At Florida's annual 5.3 peak sun hours that needs about 378 W of solar. In winter, with only 4.2 hours, the same load needs about 477 W — that is the ×1.3 winter penalty in one number. Size your array for the season you actually travel, and let the battery cover the cloudy days.
The calculator below is prefilled with Florida sun. Add your loads and toggle winter to see your own numbers.
Quick start with a profile:
Your daily loads
Add each device with its watts and hours per day.
No loads yet. Add your fridge to start, or pick a profile above.
Solar array
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Add loads to size your array.
Show the math
Battery bank
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Show the math
Charge controller (MPPT)
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Show the math
Inverter
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Show the math
Battery-to-inverter wire & fuse
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Show the math
Estimated cost
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Budget street price → premium brands.
Itemized breakdown
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Free to use on your own site — just keep the credit link. Sizing and options.