This how-to will help you make a solar power generator for around $350 dollars or less depending on the materials that you buy.
What will this generator do, you ask? If the 20 watt solar panel received 5 hours per day of full sun, then you would have generated 100 watt-hours of energy.
If you are using something that draws 25 watts, then you could power it for about 4 hours with the energy that the solar panel collected that day.
Since this project involves a battery, you have the ability to store over 400 watts of energy. This solar power generator will be the coolest project that you do all year.
1. Pick up a solar panel rated at 12V. You should be able to find a good, durable solar panel for about $175.
2. Next, get a SunGuard 4 amp charge controller. You can find them on the web by doing a search on Google. These should run about $25.
3. Next get a 32 amp-hour sealed battery. They run about $60 or so.
4. You'll need a DC to AC power inverter. I would recommend a 175W power inverter. You are looking for a power inverter such as this. $30 or so will land you this simple, yet effective inverter.
5. Grab a inexpensive voltage meter to monitor the load on your generator.
Now, this is the part where you need some creativity. Where would you plan on using your solar power generator? What would you house the pieces apart from the solar panel in? It is always good to have a plan, right?
6. I would recommend either a wooden box or preferably a plastic cooler simply because of the waterproofing that it would provide. Grab a drill, some insulated wiring (THHN / THWN Jacketed, UV Resistant Two-conductor Installation Wire) , and your wits and drill out a spot on the box or cooler. These instructions will sound difficult, but they are a lot easier when you have the items in front of you.
7. Place the voltage meter in this spot and connect the insulated wiring from the meter to the wing nut terminals on the battery. Remember, always connect the positive (+) pole first, then the negative (-) pole.
solar charge controller8. Ensure that the solar panel is properly wired to match the nominal operating voltage of the solar charge controller and battery system. Proper wiring diagrams for PV module/array can be obtained from the manufacturer or system designer. Identify the positive and negative leads of the PV array prior to connecting the charge regulator. The charge controller will automatically prevent the battery from overcharging.
9. Connect the battery leads to the terminal blocks on the charge controller labeled "Battery", also ensuring that the polarity of the battery leads are matched to the polarity of the terminal blocks.
10. Due to the controller's very high efficiency, it will be destroyed if hooked up improperly. Connect the PV array input leads to the terminal blocks on the controller labeled "PV Array", ensuring that the polarity of the input leads are matched to the polarity of the terminal blocks.
(positive to positive, negative to negative)
11. Connect the negative and positive leads of the load to the terminal block labeled "Load", ensuring that the polarity of the load leads are matched to the polarity of the terminal blocks.
(positive to positive, negative to negative)
Note: the regulators are protected if the battery connections are removed and the PV array remains connected. (It will rapidly turn on and off without overheating)
12. Okay, now take a break. That wasn't so hard was it? Now connect the power inverter to the battery, and get ready to mount your solar panel. Mount your solar panel in an area where the most sunlight is throughout the day. If you take this generator camping with you, be sure to secure the solar panel to avoid it falling or shifting in the wind.
This solar power generator will be capable of running a laptop, a fan, a small TV, etc...Small appliances will run easily off this system if the battery receives a decent charge. Remember that the battery holds over 400 watt hours of energy. The sunlight will be trapped, stored, and turned back into energy.
While this may work for us, it may not work for you. Consider buying a solar power generator kit and following more detailed instructions from the manufacturer.
but if you all went out and spent $350.00 and built a Meyer's system, you would not have much need to build some in-efficient solar system such as this for your electrical need's...
Check my most recent torrent for an idea on building a system to collect an electrical charge off the hydrogen produced with meyer's system.
The doc. was motivational but still made me uncomfortable with the narrow mindedness we have when it comes to alternative energies.
Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:04 pm
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madthumbs
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 8249 Location: Fingerlakes - NY usa
We have catfish, and the guys at nzb-chat / bt-chat who've been experimenting with free energy from water type devices and no one we have some trust in has come back with a personal first hand testimony about them.
The breakthrough has led theorists to predict that plastic solar cells could one day become five times more efficient than current solar cell technology.
With hybrid cars, they already have the batteries to store the solar energy that could be harnessed by most of the top of a car including the dashboard.
Sat Apr 26, 2008 6:00 am
JazzRoc
Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 37 Location: El Medano, Tenerife, Spain
This QuasiTurbine will run a Stirling cycle easily. Focussing sunlight directly onto the motor, and coupling that to a generator should generate electricity more efficiently than contemporary high-efficiency solid-state solar panels.
