Solar Power is when the Suns energy is used to create electricity energy.
A solar panel is made up of photovoltaic modules or solar cells. When these modules are exposed to the photons found within sunlight, electrons of the solar cells are knocked loose. These loose electrons create an electrical current which can be harnessed in batteries for electrical needs.
Solar panels can also be called Photovoltaic or PV. PV is made of Silicone, which is basically melted sand that has formed into chips that act as semiconductors.
Solar panel do not store energy, batteries are used to store energy created by solar panels.
You can recharge any rechargeable 12 volt battery; Lead-Acid, Deep cycle, gel-cel and heavy duty batteries.
Amorphous technology is normally called Thin Film, because it is created through a deposition process which forms a silicone layer directly on the glass. You may have notice amorphous solar used on calculators or garden lights. You can tell if a solar panel is amorphous by its dark brown to black metallic color. Amorphous technology works well in most lighting conditions, even cloudy and indirect lighting.
Monocrystalline solar cells work best in direct sunlight. Monocrystalline is dark blue in color and consists of thin wafers cut from silicon crystals. This type of solar has higher output ratings per square inch than amorphous and is much more durable to extreme weather making it the most efficient type of solar on the market. Monocrystalline solar is usually used on roof top applications and freeway signs.
Solar is universal and will work in any location as long as the panel is not covered or shaded. Obviously different parts of the world receive more sunlight than others, so they will have more charging hours throughout the day, meaning more electric energy can be created.
Solar is used for a variety of reason, like being environmentally friendly, security of not having to worry if you have a power outage, independence from the electric companies, or convenience of having reliable steady power for years. Solar power offers a clean and sustainable form of electricity, without the requirements of expensive smelly gasoline and hazardous waste.
Solar is used for a variety of reason, like being environmentally friendly, security of not having to worry if you have a power outage, independence from the electric companies, or convenience of having reliable steady power for years. Solar power offers a clean and sustainable form of electricity, without the requirements of expensive smelly gasoline and hazardous waste.
The type and size of inverter depends on your application. To determine this amount you must first calculate the maximum amount of loads that you want to be run on the inverter at one time.
There are 4 size ranges of inverters
• 1st is the small range, 50-300 Watts, these are small portable inverters, ideal for laptops, lights and other minimal drawl AC loads
• 2nd range is 300-800 Watt, these are somewhat portable and still have the outlets on the front of the inverter, these are good for small appliances like coffee makers
• 3rd range is 800-2000 watts, these usually have a battery charger built into them and are great for powering medium size loads, or running multiple loads at one time. These are typically permanently installed.
•4th range is 2,000-11,000 watts plus, these function like a generator, yet are silent in operation and are great for large loads like heaters and refrigerators.
If you decide to run sensitive electronic equipment with your inverter like laser printers, fax machines or stereo equipment you need a sine wave inverter. A sine wave inverter has a wave form that is similar to grid electricity. Other options included modified sine wave, which work fine for items that are not sensitive to "clean" power.
No, Solar Panels are designed to be permanently installed. However, make sure that the solar panels are secure in place as to not cause any damage to the panel or your personal belongings.
This question is a difficult one to answer as it depends on your situation. Your battery size, your solar panel wattage and your hours of sun light per day. Use a solar calculator to determine for your specific situation.
To capture the most sunlight in a day solar arrays should be facing 20 degrees South if you are in the Northern hemisphere and 20 degrees North if you are in the Southern hemisphere.
Yes, you can extend your wire. Refer to your manual or a DC wire sizing chart for specific gauge requirements to avoid power loss. It is typically advised to keep the wire within 15 feet from the battery.
For the best performance solar panels should be free from shade and debris. If dust or dirt accumulates on the module is may be rinsed off with water and a wet towel. No soap or solvents should be used as they can create a film on the module affecting the performance. It is advised to give your solar panel a complete visual inspection once a year, checking the connections to ensure all are tight and free from corrosion. A voltage meter may be used to test the output of the solar module; normal open circuit voltage should range between 12 – 26 volts, your amperage will vary depending on the solar panel rating.
The minimum depends on what you are trying to do. To maintain a standard car or motorcycle battery to offset its natural drain, the 2 watt solar battery maintainer would work for that. For larger batteries or two batteries a 6 watt trickle charger is ideal. If you are interested in charging batteries for a enough power to run appliances solar panels range from 18-130 watts. To keep up with daily usage a 60 watt is a good starter solar panel. The general rule, the larger the loads you will run the more solar power you will require. Start small and expand as needed. Solar panels are easily expandable and you can increase the amount of power for any reason at anytime.
Since RVs already have battery banks solar is the perfect solution for dry camping, a solar system can cut an end the battery worries allowing you the luxury and freedom of electricity anywhere. With solar power you can eliminate the loud noise, vibrations and use of lethal carbon monoxide fumes generated by expensive gas generators.
Solar power is typically limited by the amount of available solar wattage array to the charge controller, or available space for mounting.
A charge controller is a regulator that simply protects your battery from high wattage solar panels. It regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panel. Typically if there is not regulator batteries can be permanently damaged from high voltage surges and overcharging.
Yes, each solar charge controller has a blocking diode installed within the wiring to prevent reverse current. Charge controllers are designed to be permanently installed so you will not have to worry about disconnecting the system while you are using your battery.
It depending on which charge controller you have. The 8 Amp Solar Charge Controller has a maximum input of 130 watts of solar array, it is designed for 12 volt systems connected in parallel. The 28 Amp PWM Digital Charge Controller can handle up to 450 watts of solar array and can be used with 12 or 24 volt applications.
PWM stands for "Pulse Width Modulation" this is often used a one method of float charging. Instead of steady output from the controller, PWM sends out short series of charging pulses to the battery at rapid rates, consistently checking the state of the battery to determine how fast and long it will send pulses. PWM charge controllers also maintain a higher charging efficiency and maintain higher battery reserves than standard on-off controllers.
Open voltage reading on charge controllers can read anywhere between 16-24 volts.
Wind power works very similar to solar power by converting wind energy to electric energy, and the energy produced must be stored in a battery or batteries. When the blades turn on a wind turbine they create exchanges with magnetic contacts inside the turbine body which produce the electric energy.
Yes, solar power and wind power are often combined to capture the natural resources of all weather conditions. Nature Power Wind Generators are equipped with a MPPT wind charge controller and may be hooked up to the same battery banks as the solar array. Solar and wind charge controllers specify their incoming voltage ranges and cannot be interchanged with each other.