How to Buy Solar Power

Solar panel array

Buying solar power can decrease or entirely eliminate your need for "grid" power, and is the cleanest form of power generation available. It should also last you for years if you buy a system that is made from quality components and designed to handle peak drain times. The average solar shopper can build a system in a few hours.

Instructions

Buying solar power

1. Analyze the power requirements of your building. Add up the wattage required by each device or appliance to calculate your maximum peak usage. Logging the use of these items, and how often they are used, can give you an accurate wattage chart. The solar system should be designed to produce 25 percent more power than is required during peak usage.

2. Determine how many batteries you will need to generate the amount of power needed. Batteries are rated by amp-hours, and connecting them in parallel can increase this total while keeping the voltage constant. Ten deep-cycle marine batteries can generate about 100 amp hours, which is enough for a modest home. Buy these batteries at a battery dealer, as opposed to an auto parts store. Battery dealers usually have "fresher" batteries, filled with sulfuric acid only days before they are sold or at the time of sale.

3. Buy enough solar panels to fully charge the battery banks in one day of full sunlight. Expect that over time the battery bank's charge will diminish. Connecting the panels in series will increase their total output. There are many different types of panels on the market, but they all have a output rating listed in watts. This amount should be more than the average constant usage, to provide a charge to the battery bank. With current technology, it is possible to place four or five large (more than three-feet-long) panels on the roof of a house and have it charge a bank of ten 12-volt batteries.

4. Install an inverter. The inverter should convert 12-volt DC current into 110-volt AC current, and be rated to produce 25 percent more wattage than the total peak usage of the building. Connect it to the positive and negative terminals on the battery bank, and use the standardized socket on the inverter to power the outside fuse box of the building with an extension cord or suitable wiring. The quality of the inverter is crucial, and ishould be a "true sine wave" type. This will give cleaner power than cheaper models found at retail box stores.

Tips & Warnings

• Mount the panels in an array that is clear of obstructions.

• Use safety precautions when working with electricity.

References

• Solar Electricity Basics

Resources

• Solar power
• SOLAR PANELS
• Solar Inverters