Many homeowners choose to pair a photovoltaic solar panel and a deep cycle battery as their initial introduction to the technology. Smaller systems with this configuration are excellent sources of remote or limited application alternative energy. The concept easily scales upward to larger solar battery systems in homes that operate off grid (completely disconnected from the local power utility.)

The two primary equipment decisions are the size of the solar panel or panels to be used and the capacity of the battery or battery bank.

Let’s consider an “off the shelf” commercial package as an example of energy potential and uses.

Xantrex markets a portable power pack, the XPower 1500 for $400 – $450. It’s essentially a 12v battery paired to an inverter with two standard AC outlets and one 12v DC socket. (Solar panels produce DC power, which must be converted to AC for use by appliances and devices.)

The battery can store 60 amp hours. Match this power pack with a typical 40-watt solar panel and the total system cost will be about $800. Given the battery’s capacity, the user would gain enough energy to run the following devices:

- 150-watt, 18-cubic foot refrigerator for four hours
- compact fluorescent light bulb (8 watts) for 75 hours
- 30-watt portable cooler for 14 hours
- 200-watt computer for 2 hours

Both solar panels and batteries are wired in series to increase the total voltage and amp hour capacity of the system.

The size of any battery bank is determined by:

- The storage capacity required according to intended use.
- The maximum discharge rate of the batteries.
- The maximum charge rate.
- The minimum temperature at which the batteries will be used.

The most common batteries matched with photovoltaic panels are lead acid units with the “deep cycle” designation. This means they can be drained down to 20% of their full charge over and over again.

Any battery or battery bank paired with a solar system should have a sufficient number of amp hours to provide power during the longest period in which the location will have no sun or when cloudy conditions will prevail.

Generally high energy applications are completed during periods of peak sun or with the use of a back-up generator while battery banks are used for minimal draw tasks at night.

This is why it’s important to know exactly what you hope to accomplish with your solar panels and deep cycle batteries so your system can be sized appropriately.

The configuration of the system is simple:

1) Photovoltaic solar panel connected to a charge controller – The charge controller is designed to keep the batteries charged at full capacity without over-charging and will contain a blocking diode to prevent a reverse current from draining the batteries at night.

The charge controller may also include a meter to help track the degree of power being generated.

2) Charge controller connected to deep cycle battery or batteries

3) Batteries connected to an inverter where DC power is converted to AC

Beginners should be aware that there’s never any perfect math in these configurations. Output ratings for panels and batteries rarely equate to actual power generated.

The combination and “tweaks” are endless. This is why starting with a simple solar panel paired to a deep cycle battery with limited intended applications is an excellent introduction to the basics of residential solar energy. You will gain both a functioning alternative energy system and a foundation to attempt more complicated and powerful installations in the future.

Energy Conservation Tips – Easy to implement techniques to reduce your power consumption and lower your electric bill.

Convert Your Own Electric Car

Want to know how to convert a conventional automobile into a plug in electric car? If you do, download the 20 DIY Electric Car Conversion Videos e-book.

The e-book will show you videos of homemade electric cars and the different components needed for the conversion project. Click on the link below to download the free e-book now!

==> Click here to download free e-book!

Is it possible to charge the batteries of a Do It Yourself (DIY) electric car with solar cells?

As it turns out, you can.

However, you can’t mouth the solar cells on the car because there is simply not enough surface area. Well, unless you want to cover the entire car with Photovoltaic (PV) cells, that will be cool though, but still not enough.

The only way to utilize solar power on an EV is through a stationary solar array…preferably at your home.

If you are planning to charge to batteries with solar energy, look at your battery charger first.

How much current does it need?

A typical solar panel with 36 pieces of 3” x 6” solar cells is capable of generating 18 volts at approximately 75 watts of electricity. Is it compatible with the battery charger?

The solar array can easily be scaled up meaning you can add more solar panel to increase the current output from the solar cells.

There is a clear benefit of using solar energy to power a pure electric car…you have literally zero cost for driving the EV.

When you are using an EV, you’ve already saved a ton of money on gasoline. Your vehicle running cost is the electricity needed to charge the deep cycle batteries. And when you are using free energy from the sun, your electric car is literally off the power grid. A pure green vehicle!

Would it be difficult to build a DIY solar power system at home?

If a person can convert a gas guzzler to run on purely electricity, building a residential solar energy system is a piece of cake. The system is much simpler compared to an electric car conversion project. You have less components to worry about also.

How much does a home solar power system cost? I did some reading on this subject. The actual cost of the entire system is not very expensive.

A DIY solar panel can be built with a budget of less than $200. You can save a lot of money by sourcing for cheap or recycled solar cells. All you need to know is where to find them.

Convert Your Own Electric Car

Want to know how to convert a conventional automobile into a plug in electric car? If you do, download the 20 DIY Electric Car Conversion Videos e-book.

The e-book will show you videos of homemade electric cars and the different components needed for the conversion project. Click on the link below to download the free e-book now!

==> Click here to download free e-book!

Related web pages:

1) Build DIY Solar Panel For Less Than $100

2) Reviewing the $98 DIY Solar Panel Guide

One of the e-book that I received as a bonus when I bought Convert 2 EV was on the subject solar power for homes. It was a very interesting read. The book basically show you the benefits of living off the nation power grid.

There is one chapter that focuses on charging your electric vehicle batteries with solar energy. Electric car has been proven to be cheaper to run compared to a conventional gasoline driven car.

The operating cost of an EV is basically the electric bill you have to pay when you charge the batteries overnight. If we can charge the batteries using free energy from the sun, wouldn’t that lower the cost of running an electric vehicle even further? I guess it would.

My next question is how much does it cost to setup a solar power for homes system?

The book mentioned that you can build your own solar array at home with as little as US300. I honestly don’t think the investment cost is that low. I don’t think it is impossible to achieve that figure, but I understand it will take a lot of preliminary preparation to do that.

Just like a DIY electric car conversion, you can reduce your cost by spending the time to source for cheap, reconditioned of used parts and components.

I believe anyone who has the skill and dedication to do their own electric car retrofitting will be able to build their own solar power system to charge the batteries. You have all the tools and the know how to use the tools. Building an electric car is much harder than setting up a residential solar array.