There are more than 11 million RVs in the United States, each with different energy needs. The latest data from the RV Industry Association suggests demand for RV-related products should be at an all-time high.
In South Bend, Indiana, one manufacturer is offering bespoke solar and energy storage solutions to provide clean power without diesel. Briter Products assembles solar modules for RVs as well as battery storage and inverters – a power plant on wheels.
Briter assembles and sells solar modules for RV rooftops; has its branded lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) 12 V, 100 A batteries, with a display showing state of charge; and stocks other RV-related products such as bunk ladders and collision avoidance equipment. What sets the company apart is its unique approach to building bespoke RV energy systems.
Tailor made
Briter Products President Avanti Lalwani told pv magazine that the company customizes solar energy systems to the specific needs of each RV user – from weekend campers to those who live in their RVs full time.
The solar and storage systems offered by Briter range from a single rooftop module, intended to charge a typical 12 V battery system, all the way up to a rooftop array with 1.2 kW to 2 kW capacity, integrated with four LFP batteries in a compartment, enough to provide “complete power independence” in most parts of the United States, according to Lalwani.
“We avoid one-size-fits-all generic installations. We take the time to gather knowledge and information about the RV itself,” said Lalwani. “We take not just the individual’s travel plan, we want to know their personal needs, and their RV hopes and expectations. We take their onboard component tree and then configure to support their travel goals. In my mind, it’s very close to a tailor-fitted shirt. Everybody’s arm length is just slightly different. Everybody’s neck size is different. It’s the same thing with refrigeration inside an RV, it’s wildly different. One appliance might take 2 A DC [direct-current] and then another one might take up to 100 A DC in one residential style refrigerator. So everything is made bespoke to each individual owner and the power systems.”
The right balance
At the heart of that approach is rigorous balance-of-system testing, according to Lalwani. This is often carried out with the customer in situ – Briter Products encourages potential buyers to test their power system at the company’s headquarters. It also creates an opportunity for Briter Products to educate customers on issues such as PV wiring and how it differs from a typical RV electrical system, as Lalwani explained.
“There is a lack of understanding in our field about photovoltaics,” she said. “One of the big challenges we’re finding is different groups not using photovoltaic wire, not understanding the changes in internal resistance with different components or thinking ‘wire is wire’ and so use any wire.”
“Given that RV roofs are made of entirely different materials than roofing materials for buildings and the heat generated by the panels and wires on the roof, particularly if mistakenly mounted directly to the roof – in direct hot sunlight, panels and wires can be as hot as [71 C] – failing to use PV wire can cause significant roof degradation.
“That’s a really big challenge and is the reason we implemented a program where we encourage customers to camp at our facility.”
Road ready
In the quest for greater efficiency, Briter Products operates a semi-automated production line to assemble its own solar modules, which are tested for efficiency on site. It’s not the cheapest way to do things – although there is some tax support on offer for renewables manufacturing through the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – but it’s a worthwhile approach, according to Lalwani, who said RV installations can be particularly vulnerable to faults such as microcracking.
“RVs are traveling thousands and thousands of miles every year and the vibration [when driving on] our highway system, and the constant change in environment and temperature, requires a heavier panel,” she said. “It requires a panel with more robust material and we want to control that, it’s quite critical.
“When we install solar panels on people’s RVs, we always include vibration dampening rubber pads so that they’re minimally exposed to that in the beginning. We’ve got a limited amount of real estate up on that RV roof so we have to make sure our solar panels really are producing at the highest possible level without the beginnings of microcracking and loss of power.”
State support
The IRA isn’t the only government intervention that’s good for Briter Products. Potential legislation prohibiting the use of diesel generators could increase demand for zero-emission power solutions, as Lalwani explained.
“Many times in the United States, California leads in terms of innovation. To improve air quality the California Air Resources Board recently passed ordinance laws prohibiting generator use throughout the state,” said the Briter chief. “What we’re finding is solar and lithium battery systems allow RVers to camp out indefinitely in California without the need of shore power and without the need for a [diesel] generator.”
Lalwani added that 16 other US states are considering similar legislation, which if passed will impact RV owners who had no interest in solar before.
“As the government increases its need for environmental protections, we’re seeing people that wouldn’t really be interested in solar, wouldn’t be interested in lithium iron-phosphate batteries, they’re now saying ‘well I still want to camp’,” she said.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those held by pv magazine.
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