How to Set Up a Solar Powered Generator
How you set up your solar generator system is very dependent on which solar generator you intend to use, and for what purpose. Some solar generators require little or no installation for use when camping, driving, and back up battery use. Meanwhile, if you’re intent on running all of the electrical equipment in your luxury RV solely on solar energy, you will have a more in-depth installation process.
The installation process can include installing the solar panels on the roof, wiring your panels to your generator, installing the regulator, placing your deep cycle auxiliary battery or batteries and installing your inverter. Inverters are necessary if you want to use AC (household) appliances; they’re what converts DC energy into AC energy. Whether you’re building your system for your home (on-grid), or your mobile vehicle (off-grid), there are some things you’ll need to know.
Requirements and Setup of an Off-Grid Solar Generator System
An excellent off-grid setup will allow you to live without a public electric utility, whether you’re traveling cross-country in your RV, camping, or just want an emergency backup power source (running a home without using the public electric utility is against the law in most US states). Once you’ve decided how much power you will need, having a bank of four deep-cycle batteries and two or three solar panels, you should have no problem meeting your power needs. You also have the option of installing a huge solar generator system, one able to power an average house, complete with full-sized appliances. But that requires a pretty big budget.
There are Four Primary Things You’ll Need to Start Your Off-Grid Solar System
Solar Panels
You will need enough solar panels to efficiently charge and maintain your batteries. So choosing the right ones is essential. Monocrystalline panels are the most efficient (although the most expensive) choice. Polycrystalline panels are a little less efficient, a little less costly and a minuscule amount better at handling high temperatures.
Pro tip: Aluminum frame solar panels last longer, are more versatile, and carry a more extended warranty than flexible solar panels.
Warning: Check the warranty carefully when installing solar panels on an RV or other mobile vehicle, as this use is often not covered by warranty.
Charge Controller
A charge controller is a voltage regulator; it’s designed to keep batteries from overcharging. They usually a necessary component of nearly all power systems that charge batteries. Most charge controllers will work with many high voltage solar panels, providing the maximum total input of voltage doesn’t exceed capacity.
However, using a charge controller will cause a loss of power — from 20% to 60% of what your solar panels are rated at. A solar panel is only capable of putting out a limited amount of amps, so although the voltage is diminished, the amperage from the panel cannot rise above the rated amps.
Therefore, a 175W solar panel, rated at 23 volts or 7.6 amps, will only be able to put 7.6 amps at about 12 volts into the battery.
Pro-tip: Use Ohms Law (watts is volts x amps), to find out how many watts your battery is getting.
Battery
A high amp-hour, deep-cycle battery is the best choice for off-grid or strictly solar recharge use. A deep-cycle battery is designed to be able to be deeply discharged often; meaning using most of its capacity. High power usage appliances mean a shorter life per charge, so if you want to use your solar system without worrying about every light being on or off, you will need a high amp-hour battery.
Inverter
An inverter is a great thing to have in a mobile solar system because you won’t have to worry about finding a 12V charger or device while traveling. A 2000W inverter is an excellent choice; it will run almost anything (except an air conditioner).
An On-Grid System Will Lower Your Electric Bill
An on-grid setup is straightforward, you just install a solar panel(s) on your roof or in your yard, then connect them to a grid inverter. Then join the inverter to your existing electrical network.
Another great option would be to install as many solar panels as you can within your budget, then merely wire the panels into a micro inverter and plug the inverter into any standard 3-pin plug in your home.
Power will always take the shortest route; therefore your appliances will use the available solar power before any power from the grid. This is a great way to reduce your electric bill, as well as go green using renewable energy.
How to Install Solar Panels on a House
Installing solar panels on a house can be a little tricky because you will want to generate as much power as you can during the daylight hours. When positioning your solar panels, be sure to place them facing south (if possible), and angle them at about 30 degrees. This will give you optimum efficiency throughout the year. If you live in a house that only has East and West facing rooftops, you can install solar panels on both, allowing you to get maximum coverage throughout the day.
With a little time and effort, you can be on your way to greener living in no time — and using these tips will save you a ton of time.
