YOUR ENERGY PROFILE.
This document contains the sizing of your future electrical installation, calculated based on your appliances.
Inventory:
Battery
To guarantee 0WH without damaging your bank (80% max discharge):
Solar
Minimum power required to recharge your consumption:
220V AC
Maximum power (with 25% safety margin).
12V Cable Sizing Guide
Use this professional reference table to select the correct gauge (mm²) for your cables. For 12V in a van, the maximum tolerated voltage drop is 3%. Always use multi-stranded flexible automotive wire.
| Current (A) | Round trip < 2m | Round trip 4m | Round trip 6m |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5A (LEDs, USB) | 1.5 mm² | 2.5 mm² | 4 mm² |
| 10A (Fridge, Pump) | 2.5 mm² | 4 mm² | 6 mm² |
| 20A (Heater) | 4 mm² | 10 mm² | 10 mm² |
| 50A (DC/DC Booster) | 10 mm² | 16 mm² | 25 mm² |
| 100A (Inverter) | 25 mm² | 35 mm² | 50 mm² |
Fuse Sizing
The fuse protects the wire, not the appliance. Always place it as close to the power source as possible (battery or busbar).
- Wire 1.5 mm² → Max fuse 10A
- Wire 2.5 mm² → Max fuse 20A
- Wire 4 mm² → Max fuse 30A
- Wire 6 mm² → Max fuse 40A
- Wire 10 mm² → Max fuse 60A
SCHÉMA ÉLECTRIQUE
PANNEAUX SOLAIRES
0W
REGULATEUR MPPT
BATTERIE AUXILIAIRE
0 Ah
Lithium LiFePO4
BOÎTE À FUSIBLES 12V
Pompe, Leds, Frigo...
CONVERTISSEUR 220V
NON REQUI
SHOPPING LIST
Where to find this equipment? Here is the community-approved selection.
12V 6-way Fuse Box
Mandatory protection
Digital Multimeter
Test your connections
Heavy Duty Crimping Tool
For perfect lugs
Heat Shrink Tubing
Insulation and safety
Comparison table
| Device | Power | Hours/day | Wh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink Mini | 25-30W | 8h | 200-240 |
| Laptop x2 (business) | 65W ea. | 8h | 1,040 |
| Monitor 24" | 25-35W | 6h | 150-210 |
| 4G Router | 5-10W | 24h | 120-240 |
| Phone charges x2 | 10-15W | 2h | 20-30 |
| TOTAL Nomad | — | — | 1,530-1,760 |
About this tool
Digital nomads living in campervans face a unique power challenge: their work equipment (laptop, monitors, hotspot, NAS) runs continuously during business hours while traditional van lifers might use their systems only part-time. The numbers are different, and the system needs to be sized accordingly.
Real power consumption for a full-time remote worker van build: Primary work laptop (60-80W × 8h = 560Wh), secondary monitor (18W × 6h = 108Wh), desk LED lamp (12W × 6h = 72Wh), Starlink Mini connection (45W × 8h active + 25W × 16h standby = 760Wh), phone + accessories charging (30Wh), 12V compressor fridge (380Wh/day), evening lighting (40Wh), water pump (15Wh). Total: 1965Wh/day.
That is nearly double what a typical weekend van lifer uses. Sizing for a 2000Wh/day base requires: 300Ah LiFePO4 minimum (3600Wh × 1 usable day before solar kicks in), 500W+ solar array, 60A+ MPPT controller, 30A DC-DC charger for driving days.
The working hours solar production alignment matters: in summer, solar peaks 9am-3pm (6 hours of high production). If you work 9-5, you're consuming heavily during peak production — your system is in equilibrium or even surplus during work. After 5pm you draw from battery. This is actually ideal: the workday's solar production offsets the workday's consumption in real-time.
Battery management strategy for digital nomads: Set a morning alarm calendar reminder for non-work days to run the engine 1 hour if battery drops below 40% SOC overnight — or automate it with a Victron Cerbo GX generator start relay connected to the DC-DC charger enable pin. This avoids the "stayed in a forest for 5 cloudy days and now I need to find a campsite with power" problem.
Critical infrastructure details: Ethernet over 12V PoE injector (avoid WiFi bottleneck), monitor powered via 12V-to-laptop PSU (not via inverter — saves 15% conversion loss), separate 12V USB-C PD charging ports for devices (avoid inverter standby waste of 10-15W). These three pragmatic choices save 80-100Wh/day without changing your work habits.
For video calls: a stable background matters as much as stable wifi. A Hiplok DX cable lock anchoring your van at your worksite prevents it from rocking during calls. A Joby GorillaPod + ring light (18W LED dimmable at 12V) costs €60 and makes video calls look professional regardless of your backdrop.