Are my solar calculations right?

[dru8923]

I need to power a transmitter 24 hours a day. The unit uses 10W max.

10x24 = 240Whr/day
8 hours sun/day (Los Angeles)

240/8 = 30W

So is it correct to say I would need a 30W solar panel??

 

[dru8923]

The unit requires an input voltage of 24VDC-240VAC

 

[IRstuff]

No.

You assume that you get 8 full hrs at 30 W, which is a bad assumption. During the summer, on shore flow ("Coastal Eddie") only gives you about 4 hrs of full sunlight. During the winter, you may (will) get much less than 4 hrs of effective solar charging. I think you need to do more research to determine the available sunlight conditions and size accordingly.

You blithely assume that you're going to get sunlight every day. Are you living in the same Los Angeles that I do? I would assume needing to ride out a minimum of 4 days of no sun on batteries and size accordingly. But, I'd suggest that you find some historical data to get some basis for making your decisions.

You also assume that you're magically storing your 8 hrs of solar energy in a perfect storage medium. Package that, sell it, and make a fortune. Your batteries will require a charger during the solar charging time. You'll need a converter/regulator to get the desired operating voltage for your transmitter. All these consume their own power.

What's the consequence of not transmitting? You may need backup or redundant power.

TTFN