Posts Tagged ‘Solar Power Battery’

What is a Solar Charge Controller?

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Alomost any solar power system that uses batteries will require a solar charge controller. They work to control the power as it moves from the solar panels to the batteries. A proper charge controller will prevent the batteries from being overcharged. You can go to solar power battery if you are interested in learning more about solar batteries.

Although there are several different types of charge controllers, the basic function they have in common is to stop the charging process once the voltage in a battery has reached a certain level. Previously, most charge controllers had mechanical relays, which opened and closed the circuit.

More recent charge controllers use pulse width modulation (PWM) to gradually lower the amount of power provided to the batteries as they start to reach a fully charged state. In addition to decreasing the stress on the batteries caused by the charging process, PWM keeps them more fully charged, making them more efficient from the user’s perspective. It can also keep batteries in a completely charged state, or “floating,” indefinitely. PWM chargers are more complex, but they tend to last longer, as they don’t use any breakable mechanical connections.

Maximum power point tracking, or MPPT, is the latest development in solar charge controller technology. MPPT controllers convert excess voltage into amperage. This function has a couple of significant benefits.

Most solar power systems use 12 volt batteries, similar to the ones used in cars, but these benefits hold regardless of voltage. Charging the batteries generally requires less voltage than what the majority of solar panels actually produce. Converting the excess voltage into amps cuts the time necessary to charge the battery, while keeping the charge voltage at an optimal level. A solar power system with this type of charge controller will work more efficiently.

MPPT charge controllers also help with regard to power loss. All electricity in a home system travels from device to device along wires, and some of the power is lost whenever this occurs. Higher voltage electricity experiences less loss. The amount of voltage generally differs in accordance with particulars within the system. An MPPT controller will use the highest voltage of any type of charge controller currently available. MPPT controllers experience less power loss because of this improvement.

In comparison to PWM controllers, MPPT charge controllers are somewhat more expensive, but their performance is significantly better. For this reason, they’re highly recommended. Finally, it can also be possible to prevent reverse-current flow with some modern charge controllers. During the periods when solar panels have stopped generating electricity, such as at night, electricity can sometimes begin to flow backwards from the batteries to the solar panels. This is another pitfall in terms of the overall efficiency of a solar power system. A charge controller will open the circuit when power stops coming from the solar panels, preventing any reverse-current flow.

Many people are aware that solar chargers are a good alternative to non-renewable energy sources, but not everyone is familiar with how easy they are to build. You can read 12 volt solar charger if you want to know more about the 12 volt solar charger.

Is it possible to build a solar panel for under 0? You can get more information by reading this guide Homemade Energy Review. In this guide, you will get specific instructions on what is best to build based on the size of your house and your location. You will also get step-by-step diagrams on how to build your own solar power system.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

Solar Panels For Your Roof

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Before you make the jump to a solar power system, there are a few important things to consider.  The sheer variety of roof solar panels available today can be overwhelming. Roof solar panels can offer a number of different benefits, and it’s worth getting to know some of the different kinds that are available.

All roof solar panels have a transparent exterior which allows sunlight to pass through and strike the solar cells inside.  DC electricity is produced by these solar cells when they’re struck by sunlight.  It’s possible to generate any amount of voltage you’d like by wiring together the right number of solar cells.  The DC electricity is then sent to an inverter, which is in most cases located in the vicinity of the home’s electrical panel, where it is then turned into the AC electricity used by appliances in the home.  Power that isn’t needed can then be sent back to the grid.  When this happens, the electric meter is reversed, and the power company will provide a credit for the power provided.  For the times at which the roof solar panels aren’t generating electricity, such as in overcast conditions, the homeowner has a couple of options.  One solution is to have batteries, which are charged by the system during the day and then take over as the main power source when the sun goes down. To know what type of solar power battery is the best to use, visit Solar Power Battery.

 

Otherwise, it’s possible to use power from the grid whenever the solar power system isn’t generating enough.  The cost of installing a battery bank is almost always recouped before too long, as it provides significant savings. If you are interested to learn about the different types of power inverters, check out Solar Power Inverter.

It’s important to pick the right roof solar panels.  Some work more efficiently than others.  With the same amount of sunlight exposure, two different roof solar panels can produce vastly different amounts of power.  A system with efficient solar panels will be able to produce the same amount of power with fewer panels.

Durability is also important.  For one thing, the durability of the enclosure is crucial.  The solar cells inside the enclosures are very fragile and require protection from the elements.  If the enclosure isn’t well made, it won’t be able to guard the cells from all of the dangers it will likely be exposed to.  If cells are damaged repeatedly, the cost of replacing them can quickly snowball.  The reliability of the solar cells themselves is also something to consider.

Solar cells differ in how they’re built and, as a result, the benefits they offer.  The two main types of solar cells are monocrystalline cells and polycrystalline cells.  The superior of the two in terms of quality is the monocrystalline solar cell.  Their durability and performance are greater than those of polycrystalline cells.  Monocrystalline cells are worth the increased cost for these reasons.  If you want to learn about solar cell efficiency, check out Solar Cell Efficiency.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

What Is A Power Inverter?

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Solar power systems always rely on some form of inverter.

In most cases, home solar systems have solar panels charging batteries, with the batteries then supplying electricity to fixtures within the home.  Solar panels do not produce power at night, so this arrangement ensures that power is still available even when the sun isn’t out.  The electricity present in both solar panels and batteries is of the Direct Current (DC) variety.  Outlets in the home, meanwhile, use Alternating Current (AC) electricity.  Solar power inverters handle the task of converting the DC electricity to AC.

In terms of inverters, there are two basic types: Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW).  Of the two, MSW inverters are the more bare-bones type, as they only convert DC electricity into the most basic form of AC power.  Some appliances work problem-free with MSW inverters, but others don’t.  Some kinds of audio equipment, for example, often experience problems when used with MSW inverters.  TSW inverters, while more costly, are usually preferred, because they don’t suffer from these problems.

Maintaining an inverter is no problem provided you pay attention to the following.  While it’s good to make sure that the inverter is as close to the batteries as possible, don’t put it in the same box.  Make sure that the wire connecting the batteries to the inverter is large enough.  The correct size will probably be listed in the inverter manual.  It’s good to have a fuse on all wires to and from the inverter.  As is the case with any electrical appliance, the inverter can not be exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures.

In terms of common problems, there are just a couple which are particular to solar power inverters.  First, there’s RF interference.  Inverters produce radio noise while they work.  Any type of receiver should be kept as far away from the inverter as possible.  Using a battery powered radio will also negate this problem, and the batteries can then be recharged with the solar power system.

So-called “phantom loads” represent the other frequently cited issue.  A phantom load is the electricity used by a device while it’s turned off, which is a common issue among many recent TVs and other devices that have “standby” modes.  Not only do these devices waste electricity in this way, but they also keep your inverter from going to sleep.  The inverters themselves, then, are forced to use more power than they really ought to.  Usually, this problem can be addressed through the use of a power strip with an on/off switch.  This will keep the devices from drawing power from your system while the power strip is turned off.

If you would like more information about solar inverters, take a look at Solar Micro Inverter.

If you want to build your own solar panel, visit Build Your Own Solar Panel.

 

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off