Solar Power Stuffs - Questions and Answers

[Ascholten]

Good Morning Everyone:

In some of the other threads I visit, there are many questions concerning solar power. Panels, Batteries, Voltage, Inverters, etc and so on.

Whether you just want to be a bit more self sufficient, want some sort of emergency backup or just want to have fun and explore the world of solar.
(Like WE need another rabbit hole to go down right? ) Solar might be something you would be interested in.

Instead of clogging up threads with solar talk, which often can get repeated in other threads, I decided I would start a new thread that is dedicated ONLY
to questions about Alternative Energy Stuff.,

Only one real rule for this channel.

DO NOT Turn it into a Political Fight.

This channel is for Education, Information, and Scientific Stuffz. NOT political rantings. If you must bring it up, be civil.

A bit about me: I have been doing solar since about 1986, hopped into it bigtime about 2000. I do not proclaim to be an expert at anything but do have a little experience with this stuff.

If you got questions, post !

Thank you
Aaron

 

[Cannot Crow]

Good Morning Everyone:

In some of the other threads I visit, there are many questions concerning solar power. Panels, Batteries, Voltage, Inverters, etc and so on.

Whether you just want to be a bit more self sufficient, want some sort of emergency backup or just want to have fun and explore the world of solar.
(Like WE need another rabbit hole to go down right? ) Solar might be something you would be interested in.

Instead of clogging up threads with solar talk, which often can get repeated in other threads, I decided I would start a new thread that is dedicated ONLY
to questions about Alternative Energy Stuff.,

Only one real rule for this channel.

DO NOT Turn it into a Political Fight.

This channel is for Education, Information, and Scientific Stuffz. NOT political rantings. If you must bring it up, be civil.

A bit about me: I have been doing solar since about 1986, hopped into it bigtime about 2000. I do not proclaim to be an expert at anything but do have a little experience with this stuff.

If you got questions, post !

Thank you
Aaron

so, thank you for your preamble. this is not a place to rant about politics. question, have you any pearls you could pass on about solar generators. thank you in advance

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Following. Might do solar for my newest build, haven't found anything strong enough though yet

 

[Ascholten]

Solar Generators? Are you talking about these portable power packs they sell for powering your radio and the likes?

Aaron

 

[Cannot Crow]

Good Morning Everyone:

In some of the other threads I visit, there are many questions concerning solar power. Panels, Batteries, Voltage, Inverters, etc and so on.

Whether you just want to be a bit more self sufficient, want some sort of emergency backup or just want to have fun and explore the world of solar.
(Like WE need another rabbit hole to go down right? ) Solar might be something you would be interested in.

Instead of clogging up threads with solar talk, which often can get repeated in other threads, I decided I would start a new thread that is dedicated ONLY
to questions about Alternative Energy Stuff.,

Only one real rule for this channel.

DO NOT Turn it into a Political Fight.

This channel is for Education, Information, and Scientific Stuffz. NOT political rantings. If you must bring it up, be civil.

A bit about me: I have been doing solar since about 1986, hopped into it bigtime about 2000. I do not proclaim to be an expert at anything but do have a little experience with this stuff.

If you got questions, post !

Thank you
Aaron

thank you for your preamble. so, question have you any info on solar generators?

 

[Ascholten]

Following. Might do solar for my newest build, haven't found anything strong enough though yet

Strong Enough? You can add panels, inverters, batteries. As long as you have the room to put them really, solar is expandable fairly easily most the time.

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

thank you for your preamble. so, question have you any info on solar generators?

What exactly do you mean by solar generator? The portable power packs where you throw up a few panels and make electricity?

Aaron

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Strong Enough? You can add panels, inverters, batteries. As long as you have the room to put them really, solar is expandable fairly easily most the time.

Aaron

I meant the actual lights. The ones we have now are good for just if you need enough light to not trip over anything, but my phone flashlight is stronger than they are

 

[Ascholten]

I meant the actual lights. The ones we have now are good for just if you need enough light to not trip over anything, but my phone flashlight is stronger than they are

Oh those, yah, they will never really be super strong. The panels are way too small, and cheap too, to put out any real power, so they just barely light up an LED to say, hey look, it's a light, and that is about it. If you are needing general area lighting, it'd be better to get a big panel, a battery, plop it down somewhere and then run it out to your lights like you'd run a cable for any other lighting layout.

I helped a friend do a project like this one day. Ran a 100 watt panel which was tucked on the corner of the garage facing south. It tied into a 100 aH battery he had in the corner of the garage and ran it to his existing garden lights on the same cables the normal 'lighting timer system' used. He had a broken light that had a photo sensor on it which would turn the lights on and off with the light of the day. We put that on the corner of his driveway and used it as a switch. When it turned on, instead of lighting up the broken light, we had it run to all the lights and turn them all on, so no need for a timer and all that stuff.

It was neat, it was nerdy and worked for several years until he ran it over one night with the car

Aaron

Edit: Now that I am thinking back on this project, it was oh god like 20 years ago !!
About 2 months into it, we changed out the light sensor with a motion sensor, so the lights would stay out until someone came out of the house / up the drive etc, then it would sense them and turn all lights on, lighting up the walkway to the house, side garage door, etc etc.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Thanks for starting the thread...

I'll come back shortly to reboot our earlier conversation