This video discuses wiring solar panels for different voltages and currents. This is a simple explanation of “Series” and “Parallel” configurations for solar panels and DC batteries.
I supposed if we have to have parking meters they may as well be home solar powered. I remember when they were clockwork, the user would wind them up as they inserted a coin, but in recent years they have all switched to digital and use a 9v battery. Binghamton University in upstate New York have now installed home solar powered meters.
Binghamton University is one of eleven colleges in the USA to be listed in The Princeton Review’s first ever “green rating†of colleges.
Another excellent video from Green Power Science on using a solar panel to charge batteries and using a modified sine inverter to power mains appliances.
I’ve mostly talked about home solar power installations for the home up to now. There’s another area to consider and that is portable home solar power. Getting cheap electricity at home is easy. The utility company delivers it to the door, as much as you want instantly as long as you pay the bill. But what if you are back country camping or miles from land in a sailboat?
Luckily solar panel manufacturers have not been idle in this respect and there is a wide range of ready to use products to charge your cell phone or your GPS. There are even backpacks with built in solar panels. 12 volt panels are available for your boat or RV. Connect two clips to your battery, stick the panel in sunlight and you get free electricity.
Here are a few of the more popular products:
A 5W charger to maintain your car, RV or marine battery for less that $40 at the time of writing from Amazon
A backpack complete with solar panel and battery storage for camping trips. Currently a little over $200 at Amazon
A home solar powered laptop charger prices at an impressive $350. Ouch. I wonder if the backpack charger would work with laptops? Let me know if you find out.
These are obviously just a sample of the many products available. Prices are still a bit too high for the truly portable solutions but they are becoming more affordable each month and manufacturers scale up the production of solar cells.
Recent Comments