In this article, you will learn about golf cart solar panels.
Charging golf cart batteries with solar power is a great way to extend the range to make sure you never get stuck halfway through a round. Most golf carts are electric and run using deep cycle batteries. This is perfect as most solar panels are specifically designed to charge this type of battery.
This guide will show you how to use a solar panel for a golf cart including what you’ll need, the best products, and the installation process.
Can You Charge a Golf Cart with Solar Panels?
Yes, you can easily use solar panels to charge your golf cart batteries. It’s a very simple process to install the equipment and enjoy the benefits.
Putting solar panels on a golf cart means you’ll always be charging the batteries when there is sunshine. This allows you to continually top-up during your round which helps to extend the range of the cart. In addition, when not in use the solar power will charge the batteries for free with clean electricity. Not only does this keep the batteries charged, but it is also good for the lifecycle of the batteries as they never become discharged even if left unused for long periods of time.
One thing to note is that you will still need to plug a golf cart into the mains for quicker recharging when you use it regularly. The solar power will usually act as a boost rather than relying on it to fully charge. With fully depleted batteries it would take several days for solar panels to fully charge your golf cart.
What You’ll Need to Charge Golf Cart Batteries with Solar
There’s a couple of components you’ll need to charge golf cart batteries correctly with solar power. You can’t connect a solar panel directly to a battery, a solar charge controller is required.
What you’ll need:
- Solar Panel
- Solar Charge Controller
- MC4 Adaptor Cables
- Battery Cables
Let’s Talk about Voltage
The biggest problem to address when combining golf cart batteries and solar panels is the voltage.
This is because golf cart batteries have a voltage of 36V or 48V. They consist of multiple batteries connected in series to produce this higher voltage.
A solar panel will have a voltage of 12V or 18V. As you can see this is less than a golf cart. And this low voltage won’t be able to charge the batteries.
Don’t worry. You can increase solar panel voltage in two ways.
The easiest way is to use a booster solar charge controller. This is a device that increases the voltage automatically to match the gold cart. You’ll need this device if you only use 1 solar panel, plus you can use it with multiple solar panels connected in parallel. You’ll need some sort of charge controller anyway so this is the easiest solution.
Secondly, if you use two or more solar panels you can wire them together in series to increase the voltage before you attach a charge controller. For example, two 18V solar panels will produce 36V. And three 18V solar panels produce 48V when wired in series. Once you wire solar panels in series you can run them to the charge controller to regulate the flow in order to charge the batteries.
How to Install a Solar Panel on a Golf Cart
It’s relatively straightforward to hook up a solar panel to a golf cart and you can do it yourself. Let’s go through a step-by-step overview of how to go about the installation.
Golf Car Solar Panel Diagram
What You’ll Need:
- Solar Panel
- MC4 Adaptor Cables
- Boost Charge Controller
- Battery Cables
- Corner Mounts
- Sikaflex 221 Adhesive
Step 1. Connect Charge Controller to Batteries
Start by mounting the solar charge controller near your batteries. Golf carts are small so anywhere dry will work well like on the dash, under a seat, or around the battery compartments.
Once in position use battery cables to connect the controller to the battery. You should do this by wiring the positive controller output to the positive battery input terminal. Then repeat this wiring with the negative side.
Always connect the controller to the battery before the solar panel. That’s why I prefer to do this task first.
Step 2. Attach Corner Mounts to Solar Panel
Next we can start working with the solar panels. We’re going to use corner mounts as you can bond them to the roof using adhesive. Don’t worry they won’t fall off, you see them used in vehicles like RVs and boats so it will work well with golf carts!
Is easiest to attach the mounts to the solar panel first. Often the aluminum frame will have predrilled holes which match up to the mount. You can simply screw them on.
If there’s no predrilled holes then carefully drill them yourself.
N.B skip this step with flexible solar panels.
Step 3. Mount Solar Panel to Cart Roof
With the mounts attached we can stick the solar panel to the roof. This avoids any need for drilling which could lead to leaks.
- Clean the roof surface thoroughly. Use Isopropyl mixed with water or alcohol wipes to remove any grease.
- Place solar panel on the roof to check it fits correctly where you want.
- Apply Sikaflex adhesive to each mount and place on the roof with a little downward pressure. Try to work quickly in a warm dry environment.
- Apply a sealing of adhesive around the edge of each mount.
- Leave to dry and cure according to adhesive instructions (at least 30 mins)
With flexible solar panels, you can use adhesive or VHB tape to securely stick it to your roof.
Step 4. Attach MC$ Adaptor Cables
With your solar panel securely in place you can now start wiring it up.
Start by connecting MC4 adaptor cables. This is very easy with the positive adaptor cable to the positive solar cable. Repeat with the negative. MC4 connections make this impossible to get wrong! They will click into place.
Step 5. Wire Solar Panel to Charge Controller
The final step is to hook up your solar panel to your charge controller.
The MC4 adaptor cables will have stripped ends for you to wire up. Wire the positive cable to the positive input on the charge controller. Repeat this with the negative side.
That’s it. You will now be charging your golf cart batteries with a solar panel. For best performance ensure the solar panels are in direct sunlight without any shading. Power output can drop by 70% or more in the shade or overcast conditions.
FAQ
Golf cart batteries can work well with solar power. As long as you match a solar panel’s voltage to a golf cart’s voltage you will be able to charge. You will be able to extend the range of your cart. Plus it helps to increase the lifespan of the batteries as they become discharged less often.
No you can’t directly charge a 48V battery with a 12v solar panel. To make this work you will need a boost solar charge controller to increase voltage. Or you must wire four 12v batteries in series to produce 48v.
The best way to mount a solar panel of a golf cart with a curved roof is with a flexible solar panel. They are thin, lightweight, and bendable to fit on uneven surfaces. You can flex it to the shape of the roof and fix it in place with VHB tape.
It will take days for a solar panel to fully charge golf cart batteries from empty. This is because golf carts have high capacity batteries and solar panels don’t produce the same charge speeds as a mains hook up. This means it’s best to use solar panels to top up and extend range rather than rely on it for all your charging needs.
Golf Cart Solar Panel Summary
I hope you enjoyed this guide on golf cart solar panels.
As you discovered, solar panels for golf carts can help to extend your range to avoid running out of power on the back nine. Plus it will help to give the batteries a longer lifespan by avoiding complete discharge.
The main concern when hooking up the two is the voltage. You need to ensure the solar panel is high enough to match the golf cart so you should consider a booster or multiple panels wired in series.
