How to Connect Batteries to a Solar Panel
A solar panel converts sunlight into energy, but using that energy can be slightly tricky. Using solar panels to generate electricity for your home makes it invaluable during a blackout. A solar power system can run all of your household appliances and is fairly portable if, for instance, you want to go camping and run an electric fan.
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Things You'll Need
- Solar panel (12 volt or better)
- 12-Volt Deep-cycle lead/acid battery
- Battery box
- 12-Volt DC power meter
- DC Power input
- Red and black insulated wire
- Wire cutters
Instructions
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1
Connect the power meter to the battery using insulated wire. Connect the positive battery terminal to the positive terminal on the meter using red wire. Connect the negative terminals using black wire. Keep the color / terminal match the same throughout the wiring process.
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Connect the DC input to the battery using insulated wire.
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3
Connect the solar panel to the battery using insulated wire.
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4
Connect additional batteries to the first battery if more power is desired.
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Put the solar panel in the sun so that it begins charging the battery. Once charged, the plug on the DC input can be plugged into various appliances to run them off the battery charge.
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Tips & Warnings
You may want to mount the power meter and the DC input to the top of the battery box, then drill holes in the box top to run the connections through. This makes it easier to use the DC input while keeping the wiring from getting tangled. You can add additional panels and batteries to this system as your power needs increase.
Resources
- Photo Credit Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Comments
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do you have any idea to charging lithium ion battery?
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Harley Ficke
Oct 27, 2010
The power meter you refer to should be a charge controller. This will properly charge the batteries and not let them discharge through the solar panel. I would also assume that the "DC input" you refer to is an inverter that takes the DC from the battery and converts it to 120VAC or 240VAC to run your appliances.
