All ToolsBuild TrackerElectrical PlannerWater Planner

Electrical Capacity Planner

Estimate your daily power needs and get a recommended solar, battery, and DC-DC charging system for your van build.

Daily Power Usage
0 Wh
Daily Power Balance
+1,305 Wh
Daily Power BalanceSurplus
Power Used — 0 Wh/day
No power usage selected
Power Generated — 1,305 Wh/day(+1305 surplus)
1,305 Wh
+1305 Wh

Power Used

Select your typical usage level for each category

Total Daily Usage0 Wh/day

Your Situation

Tell us about your lifestyle and environment

2h

Some days without driving — a good balance of solar and alternator

Effective sun: 3.4h/day(4.5h × 75% sun factor)
Avg driving: 1.0h/day(2h × 50% of days)

Your System

Adjust the sliders to explore how changes affect your system

Solar

400W
Meets recommended minimum
400W
100W1,200W
~945 Wh/day
Solar panel guide →

Battery

280 Ah
Meets comfort recommendation
1
No consumption configured
Battery guide →

DC-DC Charger

30A
Below recommended (60A)
~360 Wh/day avg
DC-DC charger guide →
Daily Generation
1,305 Wh
Daily Balance
+1305 Wh
Battery Only
∞
Solar Only
∞
Est. Cost
$780
These are estimates based on typical usage patterns. Actual consumption varies.
to sync your plan across devices

Ready to Build Your Electrical System?

Now that you know your power needs, dive into the component guides.

→Batteries — choose the right capacity→Solar panels — size your array→Inverters — power your AC devices→Charge controllers — regulate solar input→See a complete $10k build with full electrical system