Solar Panels..Anybody use them?

billwill

billwill

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Not the whole house but a small one. Need some advice. Looking to figure out a little solar panel setup to charge cellphone, batteries and not sure what else. I have seen those little Coleman ones but was thinking maybe a small panel rather than something that folds up.

I was sick the day they taught basic electricity..amps..wattage etc...makes me go to sleep. Anybody here got experience?
 
billwill said:
Not the whole house but a small one. Need some advice. Looking to figure out a little solar panel setup to charge cellphone, batteries and not sure what else. I have seen those little Coleman ones but was thinking maybe a small panel rather than something that folds up.

I was sick the day they taught basic electricity..amps..wattage etc...makes me go to sleep. Anybody here got experience?
Click to expand...

Depends on what you want to charge. There are a number of backpacking type solar modules that work quite well. Each cell in the module puts out about .5V (with very low amperage) depending on how they're connected together (either series or parallel) determines the output. Any commercially available ones have all the necessary information printed on the literature that comes with it. 12V is a commonly used voltage, but I've seen various small modules that are designed for specific charging voltages (IE 8.1V for a digital camera). I would avoid the Harbor Freight ones (just my opinion).
 
Never used one myself, but I do know a guy who backpacked most of the Appalachian Trail. He used a portable solar charger (don't know the make) to keep his phone / camera / flashlight battys charged. Worked well for him.

Larry
 
I'm definitely the wrong guy to ask. When I bought this place, they had a solar-charged electric fence. With the winters the way they are out here, the blamed thing hardly ever worked. And when it did, it sure wasn't anything worth writin' home about. The animals hardly noticed it.

The first year, I replaced it with a good ol' DC fence charger and have never looked back. Now, when one of the horses or mules touches the electric fence, it shoots blue sparks out their eyeballs. I'll never go back to the solar charger...if for no other reason than entertainment value.:D
 
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If you want a "portable" solar panel, avoid any that use crystalline solar cells. While they may be more "efficient" (And everybody seems to define efficiency differently...), they aren't really rugged enough for anything but fixed locations except for very small units, and tend to be heavier.

There are a number of "thin film" solar panel manufacturers with truly portable solutions. I used to work in product development for one in 2003, and I was coming up with designs for solar backpacks, computer cases, phone chargers, and other products, in addition to our main focus on large rooftop systems. Unfortunately, after a major cutback and change in management, they decided to put all their eggs in one basket, and concentrate only on large flat-roof installations, such as on factory roofs. That, and a few other "classic" business mistakes later, and they went bankrupt. :eek: It was still a very good product, but not suitable for every situation, and one of the best looking for home installations at the time. :cool:
 
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Solar panels are typically rated in watts, ie. amperes (amps) x potential (volts). A large panel will generate anywhere from 100 to 300 watts. Compare that to normal power usage rated in 1000 watts * hours or kilowatts * hours. A typical household will use about 1000 Kwh to 1500 Kwh per month. Comparing the two:

solar panel rating: 100 watt = 100 joule/second.

vs.

household usage rating: 1000 * 1 joule/second * 3600 seconds/hour = 3.6x10^6 joules/second or 3.6 million joules/second.

That will give you some estimate of the amount of power solar panels generate. It is okay for charging small devices but a bit weak for normal everyday household use.
 
Apparently there is some kind of government give away for solar panels down here. I passed a house (shack really) that on it's best day would be worth $20,000 with what looked like around $20k in solar panels covering the roof :rolleyes: Yessireebob-I guess I just ain't the right demographic........
 
I put together an outfit for camping, then found that it was handy to have around the house when the power goes out for a few hours.

120-AH 12-V deep cycle battery, 1000-W power inverter 12VDC to 120VAC, 40-W 12V solar panel with 12V charge controller. Everything mounts on a simple hand truck (dolly), weighs about 100 lb. Powers my laptop, charges the cell phone, runs several LED and flourescent lights for the camp, and takes care of the Mr. Coffee machine in the morning. Fully capable of running a small TV if you want to, or even a mini-refrigerator. About 4 to 6 hours of sunshine returns the battery to full charge. It is also capable of jumping a car or truck battery if needed. Total peace and quiet for my campsite, no generator running, etc.

During a power outage at home this is capable of running a couple of lights, furnace fan, radio, and the refrigerator for 10 minutes per hour to prevent frozen items from thawing. During a power outage during a Super Bowl game I took this to my club to power the flat screen TV so everyone got to see the game, and I didn't have to pay for a single drink all afternoon.

Total cost for everything was about $200 a couple of years ago. Solar panels and associated needs are better than ever and cheaper than ever.

Recently purchased a 21-ft. travel trailer for camping and I'll be integrating this equipment with the on-board deep cycle batteries (2) and inverter, so I will now have about 300 amp hours of storage. I'll probably be adding another solar panel or two, which is dead easy to do on a travel trailer, and the panels will provide a float charge to keep all of the batteries fully charged all the time. Then if needed at the house all it takes is an extension cord from trailer to kitchen.

Plenty of DIY websites available to explain wiring details, function of charge controllers, power inverters, battery requirements for different uses, and the importance of having a fused link between battery and power inverter to prevent nasty things like electrical fires. I had no experience at all, but found it easy to build a small functional solar set-up at minimal cost, and it's easy to use.
 
I've got a rig from Harbor Freight. It's a 45 watt system, which
is three 15 watt panels, and a controller which will output many
voltages, and has a digi volt meter. It even has 5 volt USB connectors
for the puter stuff. Also came with two 12v curly bulbs which are pretty
handy. They are about like the ones used for home, except they have a
protective clear dome over the curly bulb.
I used it a lot when the power was out 12 days from Ike. I would use
batteries for lights, and to watch TV, etc.. Would solar charge the
batteries in the day, along with car charging. But I later picked up a gas
generator and went with it, as I could also run a small window unit.

One thing I like about having three panels is you don't have to use all
of them. Each 15 watt panel is good for about 1 amp charge with good
sun. You get about 3 amps from all three.. So if you were charging small
stuff, you could get away with just one panel. It also came with a stand.
It holds the three panels side by side at an angle, which you then point
at the sun.
I use the controller a lot at my dirt patch even if I don't use the panels.
I run my ham radio, laptop, etc off my car battery, and I use the meter
on the controller to know when I need to crank the car to charge the
battery. I can also hang the bulbs for light if needed, but all my normal
camp lighting is from the Coleman lanterns, so don't use em much
there.
 
I use a panel on my off-grid cabin. I use it to charge a 12 volt type D big RV battery and all it does is the LED lights. You will need a charge controller as mentioned in a post above. Not sure what you are trying to do this for, but the cost on this stuff is a little high just to charge what you are talking about. The best thing about solar panels is that they don't deplete or consume. I think they might loose a quarter of a volt after about 25 years use. Not much out there these days that will last that long. Those little panels you are referring to are "maintainers" meant to keep a battery topped off when not in use...they are really not for bringing up a depleted battery. They eventually will do it but it will take longer than you want to wait.
 
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Those little panels you are referring to are "maintainers" meant to keep a battery topped off when not in use...they are really not for bringing up a depleted battery. They eventually will do it but it will take longer than you want to wait.
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We just purchased a new 2014 RV that had a panel on the roof stock from the factory. It can't be much bigger than 12"x12" and it keeps the batteries topped off. We are looking at several more larger ones to keep us going when we don't have a power hook up. We aren't sure how much storage or output we need yet so we are going to start small and get bigger if we need to.

This is an interesting discussion and I see I need to learn a few things about solar panels.
 
A newscaster mentioned a pretty good idea the other day when the young baby died being left in the car; using solar panels to keep the car cool. I may even try it on a 91 Cherokee. Mount a panel on the roof rack, run the wires through the roof to a small compressor. In the winter, change out the a/c for a small heater; just enough to keep the windows from freezing up and keep the inside dry.
 
quneur said:
A newscaster mentioned a pretty good idea the other day when the young baby died being left in the car; using solar panels to keep the car cool. I may even try it on a 91 Cherokee. Mount a panel on the roof rack, run the wires through the roof to a small compressor. In the winter, change out the a/c for a small heater; just enough to keep the windows from freezing up and keep the inside dry.
Click to expand...

I doubt that will work because of start up draw for the compressor is very high and the same for anything producing heat. Those are the two hardest things for a solar system to handle.
 
I have a very active sump pump in my house and have a battery backup one if the main one fails or I have a power outage. I run a generator when power is out but have concerns if I'm gone and the outage is a long one and the sump battery is depleted.
I've given thought to putting in a solar panel for such a situation but how big a one do I need for such a situation? It would have to maintain the battery with it starting out in a fully charged state.
I looked at the one mentioned above at Harbor Freight but figured it might be a little too small for my needs. How would you size one for such an application?
 
All I can say is... The bigger/ more, the better when it comes to panels. The more panel(s) you have, the faster it will charge your battery. You could also add another battery to the system which will give you more run time.
 
Jessie, I've been thinking about adding another battery. My buddy just did that after the fact. He was vacationing in Florida and wrecked his car and was delayed getting back. Meanwhile he had a long power outage and his battery went dead and came home to two foot of water in his basement. He lost a lot of ammo sitting on the floor and his mechanical equipment down there. They just finished replacing his drywall and still recovering.
I went through the same last year with flooding and spent $5000 for basement waterproofing. I just came back from Home Depot with more paint to finish painting my new drywall and don't want to go through that again.
I wonder should I get a solar power company out here to see what they suggest. I'd hate to just guess what my needs would be and be wrong about it. My wife and I plan some travel in the future and the house would be on it's own in our absence. I'd hate to come home to what my buddy did.
 
I am in no way, shape, or form an expert, I use a 60 watt system (4 15 watt panels) connected to a couple of deep cycle marine batteries which are connected to a 600 watt pure sine way inverter. The panels are set up on the south side of my house. The batteries and inverter are in a corner of the garage. I have used this system for about 5 years now. I initially bought one big battery and later bought another for more capacity. This set up has charged my two laptops, cordless drills, numerous rechargeable batteries, and also a light source when working late in the garage.
I have upgraded to Goal zero products which I will say are pricey but they are easy to connect, easy to use, and best of all very portable. I have found their products to be very dependable and the customer service is just great. The power hubs, Yeti 150, 400, are excellent construction. They are just what I was looking for in a portable solar power system. Take a look on their website Goal Zero.com .
 
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