Solar at RV Parks

Discussions on limiting emissions suggest the industry must adopt sustainable energy sources, but the infrastructure for towing and driving electric RVs is still years away. It's hard to imagine an RV park pedestal supporting the charging of a 100+ kWh battery. Meanwhile, solar systems in the RV industry are primarily used on rooftops to enable boondocking without a generator.

Solar can have a big impact at RV resorts. Consider the electrical load of 100+ families using power, especially with energy-hungry air conditioners in summer. Since this usage happens during the day, solar farms can significantly offset demand. While RV roofs can only support a few panels, large land-based solar arrays offer much greater capacity. Some resorts, especially in the West, have installed solar farms to provide renewable energy. For example, the 3,500-panel system at Thousand Trails' Wilderness Lakes Campground in Menifee, CA, aims to support half of the park's 500 RVs. Similarly, Quilly’s Magnolia RV Park in Vicksburg, MS, recently received a grant to install a system to offset much of its energy usage. This article from CRRHospitality, owner of several of our favorite resorts, provides more detail for RV park owners considering adding solar to their infrastructure.

We found another interesting article from Harvest Host, the overnight stay alternative with no hookups, that promoted a small portable solar powered setup for hosts to enable more RVers without generators or solar to take advantage of their program. Everyone is trying to be part of the solution.

For those of us with larger solar arrays on our RVs (we’re not that large with 1800W by today’s standards), the appeal lies in being self-reliant and off-grid. However, when staying at parks and resorts, we often skip hooking up electricity and find our batteries at 100% by noon. Between March and October, we rarely need to connect to power. This made us think about net metering, a popular practice for homes where excess solar energy is sold back to the grid. While infrastructure is needed at both the park and RV, wouldn’t it be great if we could contribute even more while parked at an RV resort? Maybe a few sites could be designated for those with excess capacity.

What are your thoughts? Would you be more inclined to stay at an RV resort if they had solar? Would giving back to the grid be something you be interested in? At what cost? What if it was cost neutral? Leave a comment below.