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For less than 500 bucks! It is an unfortunate fact that many large companies make money off the ignorance of their customers. This is especially true when it comes to solar energy. When you first heard about solar energy, you were probably interested in it because it was clean and low in cost. But you were probably discouraged when you were told that placing solar panels on your home would cost well over $20,000. However, what these companies aren't telling you is that you can build your own solar energy generator for less then $500. As you can see, knowledge is both power and value.
 The parts for your solar energy generator can be purchased from regional stores. It is excellent for use in a power outage, and you can plug your computer, television, and other products into it. In addition to your home, it can be used while you travel. The first thing you will want to do is buy a solar panel. You should be able to get a solar panel which produces 12 to 16 volts of electricity for only $100. Solar panels can be found at RV stores. The next thing you will need to buy is a battery. It should be a 12 volt deep cycle battery, and it will need to be made from either gel, acid, or lead. A deep cyle battery can be used many times over. You should be able to get this for no more than $60.
The next thing you will need is a battery box. This will cover up the terminals, and is good if you are going to place it in your home or transportation. A battery box should cost no more than ten dollars. The third product you will want to buy is a DC meter which is 12 volts. It can be purchased from electronics stores for about $25. After this you will want to purchase what is called a DC input. They can be found at automobile parts stores, and should cost no more than $10. You will need it to power your DC products. For your AC products, you will need to buy an inverter.
The inverter can transform DC current from the battery into AC current. You will want to get an inverter which is 115 volts and 140 watts. It can be purchased at an automobile supply store for about $50. If you are looking for inverters which are even more powerful, they may need to be purchased online. Before you begin purchasing these products, you will need to know the number of watts your products use. For example, if your computer uses 20 watts and your microwave uses 40 watts, your solar power generator will need to be able to produce at least 60 watts. You will want it to give you as many watts as possible.
You will need to drill the meter and DC input to the top of the battery box. You will next want to attach the meter to the wingnut terminals of the batter with a insulated wire. The negative poles should be connected first. Connect only one wire at a time. You will then want to attach the DC inlet to the battery in the same manner. After this has been done, attach the solar panel to the batter using the same method. Now you will want to close the lid. Take the solar panel and put it in a place where the sunlight will strike it directly. It will take a maximum of 8 hours to charge a battery that is dead.
It can run fans and lights all night. You can also use larger panels, inverters and batteries to make it even more powerful. If you use larger panels, batteries, and inverters, you should be able to run televisions, computers, and video game consoles. Credit:
Story - silentwinds.com
Photos - lses.org, batterystuff.org, mpja.com Readers have left 2 comments. 1. Untitled
Terry Sims, Registered HOW DO I KNOW HOW MANY BATTERIES NEEDED FOR MY SYSTEM. I NEED AROUND 1400 WATTS AN HR FROM MY BATTERIES. IS IT AS SIMPLE AS YOU SAY IT IS OR AS SIMPLE AS YOU MAKE IT SOUND.HOW MANY SOLAR PANELS TO CHEAP IT CHARGED? OR DO I NEED A MORE SAFISTICATED SYSTEM WHICH WILL COST A LOT OF MONEY?
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2. Untitled
Bradley Kriss, Super Administrator Here is a little calculator that will estimate how many panels, batteries and what kind of load controller you would be looking at for your needs. Let me know if you have any other questions.
http://store.altenergystore.com/calculators/off_grid_calculator/#
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First Solar
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