Van Life Solar Calculator 🚐

How to Use the Van Life Solar Calculator

Use the quick-add presets to add typical van appliances to your daily consumption. Or enter your daily Wh directly. Formula: Battery (Ah) = daily Wh × autonomy days / (battery voltage × DoD%). Panel (W) = daily Wh / (sun hours × efficiency).

Most van builds use 12V LiFePO4 batteries with 80% DoD. LiFePO4 saves weight and lasts 3–5× longer than lead-acid. 1 day of autonomy is typical for van life — you can drive to sunny spots when needed.

Van roofs fit 2–4 panels (100–400W each). For a typical van consuming 660 Wh/day at 4.5 peak sun hours: battery ~69 Ah (12V, LiFePO4), panels ~184W. Add 20% margin for safety.