I just got a solar operated battery charger! Very excited! What do you guys use solar for? Does anyone heat a greenhouse with them?
That's the best answer haha love it!Drying laundry. Growing hay.
Almost none are found here because 4 out of 5 days here are complete overcast.I dont use it.
Almost none are found here because 4 out of 5 days here are complete overcast.
You can drive around for a week and not see a single panel on a roof here.
But I will soon make an article about some lights that I have been brutally testing, that appear to do the impossible: charging completely, again and again on totally overcast days .
No full sun? = no problem .
"Just" is a four letter word!Its just a matter of scale...
Of course 'just' is relative.
And this is the issue that makes for a short coming in some of the solar kits sold, those panels only produce just a few volts over what the batteries require for recharging. This is why I did all the research before we built our solar backup system and it has paid off big time, our solar array puts out an average daily voltage of 80+ volts for well over 6 hours and even on a rainy cloudy days the voltage can be in the mid to high 70 volt range, couple that to an MPPT solar controller and our battery bank stays at a maximum charge. It would be nice to have installed more 195 watt panels to the array, but the eight 195 watt panels we have are doing a good job for now, considering that our electrical needs are minimal.Its just a matter of scale. On a cloudy day, your panels may only make 1/10th the power they do on a rare sunny day....just means you need 10x more panels than there watt rating.
Of course 'just' is relative.
Amps matter. Anybody want to post how many amps their panels make in the middle of the night?And this is the issue that makes for a short coming in some of the solar kits sold, those panels only produce just a few volts over what the batteries require for recharging. This is why I did all the research before we built our solar backup system and it has paid off big time, our solar array puts out an average daily voltage of 80+ volts for well over 6 hours and even on a rainy cloudy days the voltage can be in the mid to high 70 volt range, couple that to an MPPT solar controller and our battery bank stays at a maximum charge. It would be nice to have installed more 195 watt panels to the array, but the eight 195 watt panels we have are doing a good job for now, considering that our electrical needs are minimal.
Amps matter. Anybody want to post how many amps their panels make in the middle of the night?
None, but that is why I have 1,260 Amp Hours of battery storage, I have a hard time seeing why anyone would buy into the power company selling a solar system just to reduce their power bills without having an Inverter/battery system to go with it. We ran our backup system for 6 years using the grid to charge the batteries before installing the solar array and believe me, grid charging really spins the watt hour meter.Amps matter. Anybody want to post how many amps their panels make in the middle of the night?
I built a great battery-backup system when we were in Bama:None, but that is why I have 1,260 Amp Hours of battery storage, I have a hard time seeing why anyone would buy into the power company selling a solar system just to reduce their power bills without having an Inverter/battery system to go with it. We ran our backup system for 6 years using the grid to charge the batteries before installing the solar array and believe me, grid charging really spins the watt hour meter.
Yes, I did play with solar, but didn't fall in love with it.
That's the way I feel about solar, our thought is that it will get us enough power to run the freezers and refrigerators until they are empty, then it's candles and kerosene.I built a great battery-backup system when we were in Bama:
https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/solar-energy.47/post-255595
How close does the 510AH @ 24v come to yours?
Yes, I did play with solar, but didn't fall in love with it.
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