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The basics of using solar power to produce electricity are not the same as using solar power to produce heat. It is said that the power of a system varies, depending on the intended geographical location. People in the northeastern U.S. will need more solar panels in their system to produce the same overall power as those living in Arizona. We can advise you on this if you have any doubts about your area.
Solar power works well for most items. It can be used to operate a gas clothes dryer (Maytag, etc) because the electrical requirement is limited to the drum-motor and/or ignite-lighter, but not a heat element for drying the clothes.
Components used to provide solar power
The four primary components for producing electricity using solar power, which provides common 120 volt AC power for daily use are: solar panels, charge controllers, batteries and inverters.
Solar Panels
The output of a solar panel is usually stated in watts and the wattage is determined by multiplying the rated voltage by the rated amperage. The formula for wattage is Volts times Amps which equals Watts. So for example, a 12 volt 60 watt solar panel measuring about 20 X 44 inches has a rated voltage of 17.1 and rated 3.5amperage.
V x A = W
17.1 volts times 3.5 amps equals 60 watts
Solar panels can be wired in series or in parallels to increase voltage or amperage respectively and they can be wired both in series and in parallel to increase both volts and amps.
Charge Controllers
A charge controller monitors the battery's state-of-charge to insure that when the battery needs a charge-current, it gets it. It also insures the battery isn't over-charged. Connecting a solar panel to a battery without a regulator seriously risks damaging the battery and potentially causing a safety concern.
Charge controllers (or often called charge regulator) are rated based on the amount of amperage they can process from a solar array. Many charge controllers also offer Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) and Battery Temperature Compensation (BTC) as an optional feature.
Batteries
The Deep Cycle batteries used are designed to be discharged and then re-charged hundreds or thousands of times. These batteries are rated in Amp Hours (ah) - usually at 20 hours and 100 hours. The battery should have sufficient amp hour capacity to supply needed power during the longest expected period, "no sun" or extremely cloudy conditions. The size of the battery bank required will depend on the storage capacity required, the maximum discharge rate, the maximum charge rate and the minimum temperature at which the batteries will be used. During planning, all of these factors are looked at and the one requiring the largest capacity will dictate the battery size.
Lead-acid batteries are the most common in PV systems because their initial cost is lower and because they are readily available nearly everywhere in the world. There are many different sizes and designs of lead-acid batteries, but the most important designation is that they are deep cycle batteries. Lead-acid batteries are available in both wet-cell (requires maintenance) and sealed no-maintenance versions. AGM and Gel-cell deep-cycle batteries are also popular because they are maintenance free and they last a lot longer.
Inverters
An inverter is a device, which changes DC power stored in a battery to standard 120/240 V, AC electricity (also referred to as 110/220). Most solar power systems generate DC current, which is stored in batteries. Nearly all lighting, appliances, motors, etc., are designed to use AC power, so it takes an inverter to make the switch from battery-stored DC to standard power (120 V AC, 60 Hz).
In an inverter, direct current (DC) is switched back and forth to produce alternating current (AC). Then it is transformed, filtered, stepped, etc. to get it to an acceptable output waveform. The more processing, the cleaner and quieter the output, but the lower the efficiency of the conversion. The goal becomes to produce a waveform that is acceptable to all loads without sacrificing too much power into the conversion process.
Efficiency Losses
In all systems there are losses due to such things as voltage losses as the electricity is carried across the wires, batteries and inverters not being 100 percent efficient and other factors. These efficiency losses vary from component to component and from system to system and can be as high as 25 percent. That is why it is a good idea to speak to someone who has extensive design experience like us to properly configure the right equipment for you!
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Capability: |
As per the buyer's specifications
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Place of origin: |
India
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