Solar How To

In this article, I am going to go through what each part of a solar power system does, and what role the part plays in the system.   You don’t have to include every piece in every solar system , but each part does a specific job .  A standard solar power system generates electricity, stores the electricity using batteries to be used later and then converts the Direct Current electricity from the batteries to the same kind of Alternating Current electricity that comes out of the wall sockets in your house .

Solar Panels

Solar panels generate electricity using energy from the sun.   Electrons are knocked loose from a layer of silicon after being hit by photons from sunlight.   The electrons are sent through wires and become electricity.   A solar panel is composed of many solar cells, each of which generates about half a volt.   It is possible to generate any voltage by putting together the proper number of solar cells.   You can relatively cheaply and easily build your own solar panel and produce your own free electricity .   For a great guide to building your own solar panel, see DIY Solar Panel.

Charge Controller

The electricity is used by the charge controller to charge the batteries. The power going to the batteries is regulated by the charge controller. It also gradually lowers the power sent to the batteries as they get closer to fully charged to make sure the batteries don’t overcharge. Every once in a while after the batteries are fully charge, it will also “top off” the batteries to make sure they batteries stay fully charged. If you’re interested in more detailed information about charge controllers, check out Solar Charge Controller .

Batteries

Standard 12 volt batteries like you find in your car are used in most solar systems.   Sealed lead acid are the most common type.   These batteries are easy to find, rugged and cheap.   The only potential downside is weight, but it isn’t really much of a problem since you aren’t going to be moving the batteries around.   You often can obtain batteries from surplus computer UPS systems for cheap or even free.

Power Inverter

A power inverter converts the 12v Direct Current (DC) electricity from the batteries into 120v Alternating Current (AC) electricity like what comes out of your wall sockets.   There are two different kinds of power inverter called Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW).  There are two kinds: Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW).   Of the two, TSW is the better one because it perfectly matches the electricity that comes from the sockets in your home .   A TSW inverter will cost more than an MSW inverter, but it is generally a better choice in the long run.

Complete Solar Power System

Now let’s put all the pieces together into a complete solar system.   The roof is where the solar panels are generally mounted.   Wires are used to connect the solar panels together and then send the electricity to the charge controller.   The charge controller charges the batteries using the power coming from the solar panels.   The power from the charge controller is stored in the batteries all day while sunlight is striking the solar panels.   When an appliance like a TV, or lights or a computer needs electricity, the power inverter converts the power from the batteries in to standard 120v AC electricity  and that power is delivered to the appliance.   A system like this can be small enough to power only a single appliance, or big enough to supply power to your whole house.

To see how much it would cost for enough solar panels to provide electricity to your whole house, take a look at this guide to Solar Panel Cost .