This is the first fully useful, most informative and explanatory short vid on home solar planning I have ever seen anywhere & I've been searching for a very long time. The best 3 minutes and 30 seconds ever posted on youtube. Nicely done!
It really depends what you're using them for. Also, you didn't mention what batteries you had, so I don't know their capacity. I'll assume you're using 2 golf-cart batteries in your bank of around 200ah (amp-hours); wired in series to give you 12 volts. So you have 200ah x 12v, or 2400 watt-hours. Now, as the man in the video correctly mentioned, you can only really use about half that capacity unless you want to risk damaging your batteries. So, your usable capacity is actually closer to 1200 watt-hours. Should you add more BATTERIES, or more SOLAR PANELS first? Well, it really depends: If you simply need to have A LOT of power occasionally, then adding two more batteries makes sense. If you actually are using your usable capacity each day, then probably not, and I'll explain why below. Your System's Power Generation Capacity: 1000 Watt-Hours per Day (200 watts peak, so we'll say an average of maybe 160 watts for about 6 hours per day, and maybe a little more if you're lucky. So let's call it 1000 Watt-Hours per day. In an average day I get ~1500 Watt-Hours per day from my 300 watt array, so I'd say the 1000 Watt-Hours per day is probably reasonable to count on.) Your System's Usable Storage Capacity: 1200 Watt-Hours Already we see that if you drained your whole battery bank of usable capacity, you might not be able to recharge it all the way even the following day, even with perfect conditions. (Assuming 0 usage during the charge time.) So if you're going to be using the whole capacity every day, as with a 'full-time' use system, then no, first add more panels. If your installation is only in use part-time, like at an off-grid cabin that you only use on the weekends (so almost 0 usage (and I do mean 0!) during the weekdays), but you need to be able to, regardless of clouds or such, use your system while you're there for the whole weekend, you might consider adding more batteries before more panels. This way, your batteries will charge over the week while you're not there, and you can store all that energy for when you are there over the weekend. 5 days x 1000 Watt-Hours/Day = 5000 Watt-Hours, plus the two days you're there (the panels will still be working of course!), for a total of 7000 Watt-Hours of power! So you could double or even triple your storage before you would risk not being able to charge back up before the next usage cycle. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask me for more information or clarification, I realize a RUclips comment is hardly a good substitute for a textbook.
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
The school I went to says that two 6V batteries wired in parallel (Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg) = 6V out, and if they are identical batteries they will double current output capabilities. If you have two 6V batteries wired in series (Neg. to Pos.) this will give you your 12V output. But the maximum output current will be whatever the ratting is for just one of the batteries. So two batteries connected in parallel = double the current, and two batteries connected in Series = double the voltage. Both circuits will double the output power. Ohms law says where P = Power or Watts, I = Current, and E = Volts or Electromotive Force. Then P=IE so if we double our I or double our E we double our P.
Thank you. As a woman alone on a farm in the mountains of a backward country ,I have struggled to understand the capacity of my system. All explanations I found or heard were far too technical and complicated. Your explanation has solved my problem. Quite simple and logical really. Experts like to feel important with their jargon.
I enjoyed this post. It has some important information. There is some things he forgot. He didn't mention an inverter. This is a must if you want to run household appliances. Every appliance should have it's wattage rating on it. Simple addition will tell you how many appliances you can run at one time. One Advantage of the solar is that you can run many things just no all at once. In my house you can't run anything when the water pump is on. When it is off you can run the waffle iron or anything. The total wattage of the inverter will tell you how much you can run. Just total up the appliances you want to run, write down the wattages of things you want to run at once and you know what size the inverter needs to buy. A 100 watt panel is a little on the small side but will get you started. He mentioned a 225 A. H. battery bank. This is a hourly rating. This is a rating to tell you the battery size and is calculated by discharging a battery at a 20 amp rate. The time it takes to discharge tells you the size. I have been on solar for 15 years. WWW.backwoodssolar.com is a very handy web site. Good luck.
good video. This is how I started.. Then I added a second renogy 100w panel... now I plan on adding 2 more 6v golf cart batteries and I just upgraded to an mppt controller which will squeeze an additional 20% or so out of my panels.. this is in a popup camper... I bought my batties as "blems" for $50 a piece because they sat on the store shelves too long..
Thanks for the heads up on the output of the panels !! I have a 150W Photonics universe (uk company). They really helped me get my head around the power usages without too much maths. And you should do more!
Awesome video. Simple and to the point. No one else has a video like this. Most videos go into ranting or someone trying to prove they are/is smarter than us normal people LOL Thanks again, the video is awesome, and it is very informative.
John Ivy this guy is the beginning of a low cost revolution that means the end of big oil and too big to fail power producers! What does your budget look like without a power bill or gas tank?! A three day work week!
Bought the Renology 100 watt kit from Amazon for $300 delivered . Looked again and the price had doubled. It is a nice well built set up but look at other options at the higher price.
Thank you. Thank you for doing the work to answer a simple question that I can ask a thousand times and get no clear answer. Thank you for a clear and reasonable answer. Homework is hard but the benefit is knowledge. The bonus are wisdom and skill!
but he wasnt right and he didnt use the correct terms. he was very close though. energy power over time is measured in "watt hours" 10 watts for 1 hour is 10wh, 10 watts for 10 hrs is 100wh
As I understand, in parallel keeps the voltage the same but doubles the amp hours, so two 12 volt 100 amp hours batteries connecting positive to positive and neg to neg would provide 12 volts and 200 amp hours.
@Matt Miller that is correct. I run my water well with an off grid system. I have 4 batteries. At first I had 2 pair in parallel then these hooked in series for 24 volts at 200 amp hrs. I wasn't getting the pressure i needed so the technician at the pump company had me run all 4 batteries in series for 48 volts and problem solved.
Great video! I wouldn't go with Renogy anymore because they're way too expensive. Renogy sells their panels for $1.40/watt, and MYAH.com sells theirs for $.79/watt. It's the exact same solar panel, too. Same supplier, etc. It's an INCREDIBLE deal.
If you wire two 6v batteries in parallel, you have a larger capacity 6v battery. If you wire them in series you get 12v at the capacity of the smallest battery.
Nice!!! Loved the video. Good info. So... I am trying to power a window AC. I just bought the 400 watt eco solar kit with the 1500 watt inverter. It has not gotten here yet, and I am still unsure of what batteries to get. Maybe two 200ah deep cycle? My goal is to add two 100 watt panels (system is automatically expandable to eight 100 watt panels) in the next few weeks and eventualy get to 600ah of batteries as well. By fall, maybe I'll get to 800 a piece. Thanks again for your video and your help!
Explained well what took me months of trial and error to learn. Sam's club golf cart batteries are a good buy IMO. They also go on sale a couple of times per year.
Great job. To the point, basic, and most important realistic. Capability of reliable replenishment of the battery in varying weather conditions (all year), if you want a longer-term solar/battery kit is really the most important. It has to be sized correct for your actual application. A real world reality check is something every solar diy-er needs to do several few times to really grasp the limitations of solar and how you can adjust to handle your power load wants. You explained this quite well. Panels are rated under perfect lab conditions. It's like saying my car can accelerate to 140 mph. Maybe so, but you'd need perfect conditions, like an open, clean, road, no cops, straight, etc. The truth is panels perform about 1/3 less more often even in pretty good conditions. You get that perfect sunny, 12 noon, 77F, angled sun perfect to the panel, clean panel, condition day very, very infrequently.
Thank you so much for taking time to make this video. You physics is however very off at multiple levels, and getting a handle on that will greatly improve the quality of this video. I see that many people have already pointed out that you mean to say series and not parallel. There is also nothing like "100watt an hour". That misconception also plays into why you think you have 2500watt of power to play with. You can run even a 5000W device on a 225Ah battery, but it will just drain your battery down faster than if you ran say a 300W device. Also you don't get power by multiplying Ah by volts. Your video is very helpful in a practical sense because many people don't even know how these things connect together, but if you will talking numbers and those type of details, it's a great idea to understand the concepts well enough. Keep up the good job mate.
Actually he is correct here, when it comes to solar panels and battery banks using Watt hours is of great significance and simplifies the calculations for how much power you have to play with... My four battery battery bank with 100Ah Lithium batteries is for example is 4800 watt hours (meaning it can run 4800w for 1 hour or 100w for 48 hours and on lithium that is pretty much correct, but on AGM or normal lead acid the calculations is different when you empty the battery fast compared to slow) . Also adding the volts with Ah (Ampere Hours) is how you calculate watt hours...
Two 6v batts wired in parallel yields a 6 volt batt with more current sourcing capability. Sounds like you wired them in series = 12v. Series increases voltage Parallel increases current Thx for the video
Panels: 100 watts/hour * 5 hours of sun = 500 watt hours *.8(efficiency loss) = 400 watt hours daily. Battery: 225 Ah * 12v = 2700/2(50% discharge)=1350 watt hours Verdict: it will take you ~3.375 complete days of ZERO usage to charge your battery back up from 50% discharge. My advice: size your battery based on what you can replenish in a day: -A 100 watt panel will make ~33.3Ah daily. So I'd advise a 60-70Ah Flooded/Sealed/AGM, **or WAY better and cheaper, a 50Ah LiFePO battery.** Then get a 300 watt pure sine wave inverter, that has a low voltage cut off built in(almost all do now). That way, when your inverter stops, you know, you have used all the energy you made that day.
That's what I was thinking. A pair of GC2s, will be slightly overkill for 100w, but about perfect for 200w. Costco/sam's or whatever is a hour drive from me but I will probably be headed that direction anyways next week... Time to start scraping cash together. A small starting battery does not cut it, I can only charge my laptop while the sun is out.
thanks for helping me decide between starting out with 100w or 200w system. your relatable explanation helped me realize that 100w will probably serve my needs pretty well to start. i now get to save some time and money for my initial install with the potential to expand later.
You went with the 100w will that keep a freezer running? I want something for a small freezer, lamp and possibly a crockpot. I will continue to get a solar panel each month or two until I have what I feel is a good for us. Thanks
@@heartofdixieprepping4797 it depends on your inverter capacity. As the 100w solar panel basically is just to charge your battery. For example to continuously run a freezer that is 400w then you would need at least 800w of solar panels. 100w panel would give out in a couple hours because it's not enough to juice the battery quick enough
Good vid mate...great for us newbies....We run our back deck of the house on solar....I set it up not so much to save money...but just to see if we could do it as we spend most of our time on the deck.....160 watt folding panels in the back yard....about 8 hrs of sun each day...130ah 12 V deep cycle battery...a cheap 10 amp charge controller..and a 300 watt pure sine inverter.....runs our LED lights....laptop....and charges our phones...all free from the sun....cost me about $1000 to set up...and will probably takes us 10 yrs to recoup the savings...but it's fun.....and makes u feel good to know that you are generating at least some power for yourself.....well done...looking forward to watching some more of your vids.....
Golf cart batts are 6 volt so they would be series.. making them a BIG 12v. If Using deep cycle 12v batts (like for trolling motors) one would wire them parallel.
Why are you yelling mr expert. Use as many as you want. You act like somebody spit on you. Let him get his feet wet, why do you care. About 8 amps per hour 6 or 7 hours = 48 amps. 48 amps back into batteries will help. Keep gen from running so long. Keep fridge lighted, even compensate for heater blower to some degree. Let you use computer or tv .. power wifi booster etc. I agree 2 panels really make a difference and 3 are outstanding. Another big deal for a non-full timer is that 1 panel will keep your batteries up while in storage and preserve those expensive batts. I have 2 on my 5th wheel toy hauler. Mainly so the rig is ready to go out of storage with 100% batts. But they really make a diff on the heater. I also switched to 100% leds and this darn trailer has a ton of lights. Cut my light energy more than 1/2 since they also are so much brighter I don't need as many on. I use a 50 watt panel on my off-road jeep since it sits for long periods of time. Solar is amazing.. try some positive reinforcement, maybe you have some info to help people with. Peace out.
Hey thanks.. A quick tip.. At 0.30 you say you wired in parallel.. I think you mean you wired in series.. Running the wires parallel will not double the voltage..
+Whistling K9 Lol my first video was little nervous. Yea there ran in series it doubles the voltage so my two 6 volt batteries become one 12 volt battery. Ran in parallel add's the amperage together but voltage remains same.
Simple Homestead For a first video, you provided more useful information to the "general population" than anyone else in regards to understanding the basics of solar power in an extremely short yet concise manner. So thank you!
A SERIES circuit of batteries will not reduce internal resistance of the cell. Therefore it cannot increase maximum available current. To explain: Two PARALLEL wired 12V cells with a maximum current of 10 Amperes each will result in a 12volt output with a maximum current of 20 Amperes. Two SERIES 12V cells with a maximum current of 10 Amperes each, will result in a 24 volt output with a maximum current of 10 Amperes. You maybe thinking of the increased current through a set load as voltage across that load increases.. A 3 Ohm resistive load will draw 4 amperes from a 12 volt 5 Amp source If the voltage is doubled... 24 volt ( such as above when cells are wired in SERIES) The 3 Ohm load will attempt to draw 8 amperes due to increased voltage across the load. However, the battery will fail to provide this as the voltage across the battery will drop, as the load has exceeded the internal resistance (current capacity) of the battery. Voltage drop will occur across both the load and the battery and only 5 maximum amperes will be drawn. It can be also said that if you have 12V 5A cell or battery, the internal resistance is 2.4 Ohms. If you have a 24 Volt 5 amp battery its internal resistance is is the series resistance total of 4.8 Ohms. As you can see the 3 Ohm load is greater and the voltage must balance. All of these concepts work from the equation R= E/I
lol wired in series not parallel 2 x 6v batts = 12v.... Technically they r Trojen T105 batts ur using. And subbed so I can correct u electrically, everything else I think u have everything down pat so far :) I hope u build ur prepps as quick as possible too.
Good brand but you're under-solar powered. Your best for your dollars, to purchase single 300 watts solar panel to get around, on average 1.8KW. per day, then your heavy-duty marine deep cycle battery will read more than 12.5 volt to 12.7 volt with small load to without load plus your battery will last even longer. If you able rotate 300 watt solar panel to point it toward sun, you'll able to make more than 2KW. to 2.5KW. per on average sunny days isn't bad at all with fully running fridge.
Two 6 volt batteries wired in parall (+ to +, neg to neg), will double amperage, but still have 6 volts. Series pos to neg would give 12 volts but same amperage as one battery...
Thank the Lord! Someone I finally understand. Exactly what I needed to know. I have one 100 Watt Renogy solar panel, one 40 Amp Charge Controller, and one MT 5 Tracer Meter, and they have been sitting for 2 years trying to learn how to use them. I will be buying batteries and eventually more panels soon too. My questions are these: I have a Primo water cooler, that does hot and cold water. It's 115 volts, 60Hz 6A. Can I use my one panel to run this cooler? and how long will I be able to run it? The other information on the back is, High 1.3 Mpa (190Psig) Low 0.62 Mpa (90 Psig) R134a(1.23 oz) Last, do you still use the Gulf cart batteries, and are they still working? Thank you a million for the FANTASTIC video. Bless, Sheila
Sheila6325 That would use 690 watts. Obviously not all the time, and it would depend on whether you were heating or cooling. Heating water, food, or anything with electricity uses a ton of power. I would recommend a minimum of 2 panels and a couple of 135+ Ah batteries to run that, if you plan on leaving it on. For occasional use, 1 panel might do it.
Larry Shinn Thank you. I guess I should have mentioned that I will eventually be installing a much larger system, or adding on to the one I've started, and I just wanted to be able to run this cooler on a separate system. It makes very cold, and very hot water. Since this post I have purchased another 100 watt panel, so I think that will do it as far as the cooler goes. I won't have it on all the time either. I had to wait on what to purchase until I got all the figures to be able to run what I need for the larger system. If all goes well, I will have to cooler up in a couple weeks, and then I can start on the other system. Thank you very much for the information, especially about the batteries. Bless, Sheila
"Two 6 volt batteries wired in parallel for 12 volt..." No. This is wrong. You have them wired in series if you are getting 12 volts. He also needs to be saying 'watt-hours' when he says watts, half the time. T_T Also, wtf kind of phone is uses 50 watt-hours for a full charge? That's insane. Most laptop batteries aren't that big these days even.
Thing is, he may not know all the exact terminologies, but he's not spouting numbers that people without electrtonics/electrical knowledge don't basically understand. He's actually getting the average person up to speed in less than 4 minutes that might take 8hrs attempting to understand researching all the technical jargon. His video is useful. I'm sure your knowledge level is such that it's important for you to degrade his work/info, but for the average person so clearly under your I.Q. level, he is really giving some general info many are looking for and can't seem to decipher...thanks for your clearly stated opinion shared in such a mature manner.
@@blessedwithchallenges9917 Giving incorrect info to especially a person not up to speed WILL result in financial loss or serious injury. If you going to go out and "educate" anyone make sure your information is ACCURATE.
@@blessedwithchallenges9917 He's giving misinformation that could cause others to have a problem in their solar setup. Anytime that happens it needs to be corrected and is not a symptom of "greater I.Q. level" but of trying to set the record straight and help others avoid a potential costly mistake.
excellent work 👌🏼 The TV with 100W is great deal only be careful of the satellite dish receiver it's a power hog and could get up to 200W if you want to go more efficient and have flat wall get LED projector+Bluetooth headphones sound system"Xbox". for the kitchen use radiant heat cooker and good stainless steel pots and small microwave no more than 1000W
@ Greg Simpson. There's no particular advantage in using two 6 Volt batteries instead of one 12 Volt battery. Price and capacity (ampere-hours, Ahr) need to be considered.
@ Greg The life of a battery depends how you treat it; how fast you discharge it, how much you discharge it, how fast you recharge it, how hot it gets, how cold it gets, how much shaking and impacts it gets, and so on. Treat it kindly- both physically and electrically, and it'll last much longer than if you treat it harshly.
thanks for putting this in plain English as to what I can expect. It seems everyone else on youtube wants to give a math tutorial of electricity. I am interested in how you heat up food when boondocking. I cannot run microwave on my battery, dont want to fire up grill to heat up every meal. Advice??
I have ran a small, 1 quart crockpot, with a bit of extra insulation (towel) on 80W. It worked great!!!, tons and tons of LED lights and a small fan, laptop computer, several devices there were being charged and several books. :)
The power demand of the fridge is very dependent on the weather, the temperature setting, how much food is in there, and how often you open the door (and for Americans, how long you leave the door open!).
Fridge starts first with 1000w and its 40watt per hour on standby use. Oppening the door for few seconds will add 5w more consumption. He will turn on cooling for 2 min
In a nutshell to use solar you need 1. solar panel 2. charge controller 3. a battery 4. an inverter. The solar panel creates the electricity from the sun, the charge controller acts like alternator in your car, it keeps the battery charged. The battery is your power source. The inverter converts the 12volt battery power from 212v to 110volt. so you have a 110 volt outlet on your inverter just like you do in your house. The bigger the solar panel (the more watts) the faster you can recharge your battery. The bigger or more batteries determines how long can you use the power to operate a frill, fan, lights or whatever normally would plug into your 110v outlet in your house. The inverter come in different sizes 80watts, 200 watts, 1000watts, 2000watts and so on. I have a box fan that uses lets say 100watts, if my solar panel is only 50 watts that means I will adventually run down by battery because my 50watt solar panel cannot charge the battery power faster than I'm using it. If my inverter is only 400watts I cannot plug a 1500 watt coffee maker into it. Inverters are base on what you think will be your max use. Some motorhomes have a Air-conditioning that requires 13amps and several thousand of watts to run, that's why most motorhomes have generators. MH run out of space for solar panels on their roofs. It all sets with the device that needs power what is its total power consumption that will determine your solar panel, battery, charger and inverter.
@@sojourneroftheland can the inverter plug into the TT shore power cord which is easy peasy solar kit can come with battery which can take inverter and go that shore power?
excellent video, I think the point some are missing is that you system is easily expandable. I use 70 watt panel and Marine deep cycle battery .. a 300 watt inverter. I get 5 to 6 hours of light, TV and laptop after the sunsets
Go to a place that sells Electric Wheelchairs. They always have a surplus of Batteries taken out of a chair or scooter and replaced with new ones. I was given a couple of them for free, and they work great! Next, take some ordinary table lamps, and replace the bulbs with 12 volt LED lights, then replace the regular AC 110volt plug with some Alligator Clips. Great for taking to a Beach, putting on a Picnic Table, and attaching the clips to a Charged up Battery.
For a solar system, deep cycle batteries are used and needed. Marine batteries are not true deep cycle batteries in most cases and will not last as long as a true deep cycle batteries. Golf cart batteries are deep cycle batteries and make good batteries for beginners and are cheap to buy at sams club for about $90. They make 6 volt and 12 volt deep cycle batteries for the golf carts. Car batteries are the worst choice for solar systems, unless of course if they are free, they do not last long at all. Why 6 volt batteries? The more lead you have in your battery, the more capacity you can pack into them. So look at the weight. Two 6 volt batteries weigh more than one 6 volt battery with the same phisical size. They make 2 volt batteries that weigh 160 lbs. each. A fork lift battery can weigh about 4000 lbs. They make 2 volt batteries, 4 volt, 6 volt , 8 volt etc etc., Those can be hooked up in series to make the voltage needed.....or in parallel to increase the amp-hour of an battery pack. Remember the more lead/weight the more capacity. Also the weight could be an indicator how long a battery may last.
So golf cart batteries are better than deep Marine/RV batteries because they are made to withstand the constant drainage and recharging that one would normally put on these things???? I'm guessing that if I take ( 4 ) deep cycle 12volt batteries and connect them together as one and run (2) of the 100 watt solar kits that Harbor Freight sells would allow me to run small appliances like box fan,cell phone charger,coffee pot,and a couple of LED lights on it with no problem??? I'm looking at moving to a trailer in the country soon and I'm new to the Solar power thing and I'm having a hard time understanding how it all works
I am sure someone else is already corrected you in the comments but wiring batteries in parallel does not double voltage, you want it wired in series double voltage. Good video though short to the point and covers which are able to do with what you have I like it
Golf cart batteries are good but I would suggest getting the 250 W panel if your going to get serious. 250 W panels are the way to go. If you can't afford them, then don't even go the solar route.
That's not a fact - it very much depends on the size of mirror, the angle of incidence onto the solar panel from the mirror, and the temperature of the solar panels.
Michael Anderson I’m asking since I have no clue, but aren’t solar panels designed to be in full sun? So I’m not getting how they would fade with more sun if they were designed to be in the sun. Do you perhaps mean that they fade no matter what over time but will fade faster with more sun? One more question...why would you sell one once it’s useless, is there a market for faded solar panels?
Good point but that makes too much sense for iwannayoutothinkiamagenius RUclips video egoists...nearly evrything I see about DIY or live on nuttinhoney can be found in U.S. Army field manuals.
let's say the 10 thumbs down are just ignoramuses who have there hedz in the sand hole and expect to be provided the power they need to experience the comfort they take for granted daily forever all for a price of course
![NoCap - Maliboo [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FUV7E0QyniU/mqdefault.jpg)
This is the first fully useful, most informative and explanatory short vid on home solar planning I have ever seen anywhere & I've been searching for a very long time. The best 3 minutes and 30 seconds ever posted on youtube. Nicely done!
AMEN!!!!
Perfect for helping someone who has no understanding of watts and how many hours you can run things!
I have two 100 watt panels, four 6 volt wired to 12 volts. Will the two 100 watt panels be enough to support two more batteries?
It really depends what you're using them for. Also, you didn't mention what batteries you had, so I don't know their capacity.
I'll assume you're using 2 golf-cart batteries in your bank of around 200ah (amp-hours); wired in series to give you 12 volts. So you have 200ah x 12v, or 2400 watt-hours. Now, as the man in the video correctly mentioned, you can only really use about half that capacity unless you want to risk damaging your batteries.
So, your usable capacity is actually closer to 1200 watt-hours.
Should you add more BATTERIES, or more SOLAR PANELS first? Well, it really depends:
If you simply need to have A LOT of power occasionally, then adding two more batteries makes sense.
If you actually are using your usable capacity each day, then probably not, and I'll explain why below.
Your System's Power Generation Capacity:
1000 Watt-Hours per Day (200 watts peak, so we'll say an average of maybe 160 watts for about 6 hours per day, and maybe a little more if you're lucky. So let's call it 1000 Watt-Hours per day. In an average day I get ~1500 Watt-Hours per day from my 300 watt array, so I'd say the 1000 Watt-Hours per day is probably reasonable to count on.)
Your System's Usable Storage Capacity:
1200 Watt-Hours
Already we see that if you drained your whole battery bank of usable capacity, you might not be able to recharge it all the way even the following day, even with perfect conditions. (Assuming 0 usage during the charge time.) So if you're going to be using the whole capacity every day, as with a 'full-time' use system, then no, first add more panels.
If your installation is only in use part-time, like at an off-grid cabin that you only use on the weekends (so almost 0 usage (and I do mean 0!) during the weekdays), but you need to be able to, regardless of clouds or such, use your system while you're there for the whole weekend, you might consider adding more batteries before more panels.
This way, your batteries will charge over the week while you're not there, and you can store all that energy for when you are there over the weekend.
5 days x 1000 Watt-Hours/Day = 5000 Watt-Hours, plus the two days you're there (the panels will still be working of course!), for a total of 7000 Watt-Hours of power!
So you could double or even triple your storage before you would risk not being able to charge back up before the next usage cycle.
I hope that helps. Feel free to ask me for more information or clarification, I realize a RUclips comment is hardly a good substitute for a textbook.
venus in scorpio?
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
*The solar panel is compact and **Generater.Systems** very portable. Excellent for any camping adventure.*
The school I went to says that two 6V batteries wired in parallel (Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg) = 6V out, and if they are identical batteries they will double current output capabilities. If you have two 6V batteries wired in series (Neg. to Pos.) this will give you your 12V output. But the maximum output current will be whatever the ratting is for just one of the batteries. So two batteries connected in parallel = double the current, and two batteries connected in Series = double the voltage. Both circuits will double the output power. Ohms law says where P = Power or Watts, I = Current, and E = Volts or Electromotive Force. Then P=IE so if we double our I or double our E we double our P.
Correct he probably meant to say series
Thank you. As a woman alone on a farm in the mountains of a backward country ,I have struggled to understand the capacity of my system. All explanations I found or heard were far too technical and complicated. Your explanation has solved my problem. Quite simple and logical really. Experts like to feel important with their jargon.
Literally after days of research this one video answered the most important remaining questions I had left. Thank you SIR!
Totally agree, after turning off loads of "look at me" vids this guy was a breath of fresh air.
He threw in the Xbox! Thanks brother. A guy needs certain things if going off grid!
Jeff Banfield honestly that’s what I was trying to find out about
HAHHAAHHAHÀ priorities !!
First ever simple explanation of how to use solar. Ty!!
that is the most elegant way of telling us how this works thank you
I enjoyed this post. It has some important information. There is some things he forgot. He didn't mention an inverter. This is a must if you want to run household appliances. Every appliance should have it's wattage rating on it. Simple addition will tell you how many appliances you can run at one time. One Advantage of the solar is that you can run many things just no all at once. In my house you can't run anything when the water pump is on. When it is off you can run the waffle iron or anything. The total wattage of the inverter will tell you how much you can run. Just total up the appliances you want to run, write down the wattages of things you want to run at once and you know what size the inverter needs to buy. A 100 watt panel is a little on the small side but will get you started. He mentioned a 225 A. H. battery bank. This is a hourly rating. This is a rating to tell you the battery size and is calculated by discharging a battery at a 20 amp rate. The time it takes to discharge tells you the size. I have been on solar for 15 years. WWW.backwoodssolar.com is a very handy web site. Good luck.
Real-world advice! Sometimes when I watch videos on solar power I think "that's nice but what did I just watch?" Here, I remember.
Thanks.
hey man you taught me more in 30mins then 3 days
of literature. thanks for the video man.
Glad I could help
@@Manchew great quick explanation with examples of appliances
good video. This is how I started.. Then I added a second renogy 100w panel... now I plan on adding 2 more 6v golf cart batteries and I just upgraded to an mppt controller which will squeeze an additional 20% or so out of my panels.. this is in a popup camper... I bought my batties as "blems" for $50 a piece because they sat on the store shelves too long..
Thanks for the heads up on the output of the panels !! I have a 150W Photonics universe (uk company). They really helped me get my head around the power usages without too much maths. And you should do more!
Awesome video. Simple and to the point. No one else has a video like this. Most videos go into ranting or someone trying to prove they are/is smarter than us normal people LOL Thanks again, the video is awesome, and it is very informative.
John Ivy this guy is the beginning of a low cost revolution that means the end of big oil and too big to fail power producers! What does your budget look like without a power bill or gas tank?! A three day work week!
This was really helpful. Great video bro!
This is the best beginner video out there no bulshit and technical stuff just facts
Bought the Renology 100 watt kit from Amazon for $300 delivered . Looked again and the price had doubled. It is a nice well built set up but look at other options at the higher price.
First video on the subject I've seen with usable information...practical advice...good job...
Thank you. Thank you for doing the work to answer a simple question that I can ask a thousand times and get no clear answer.
Thank you for a clear and reasonable answer. Homework is hard but the benefit is knowledge.
The bonus are wisdom and skill!
Finally! I unerstood someone on watts and amps! Thanks! Awesome 3 and a half minutes!
but he wasnt right and he didnt use the correct terms. he was very close though. energy power over time is measured in "watt hours" 10 watts for 1 hour is 10wh, 10 watts for 10 hrs is 100wh
I just bought my first solar panel and I'm going to do the golf cart battery thing too,
thanks alot!
Thank you for the exact info so many want to know!
Thanks for sharing... I needed to hear that....your explanation was simple and to the point 😊👍
Love this, it's very well explained except for the small series mistake up front.
I'm so loving your video. it really helped me BC I'm like so new to trying to live off grid. well God bless you and thank you so much
Finally someone that tells you what you can do with 100 watts and a few batteries it gives us all a little idea of what can be done!
2x6 volt batteries connected in series to give 12 volts
I caught that right away. Series... not parallel.
As I understand, in parallel keeps the voltage the same but doubles the amp hours, so two 12 volt 100 amp hours batteries connecting positive to positive and neg to neg would provide 12 volts and 200 amp hours.
@Matt Miller that is correct. I run my water well with an off grid system. I have 4 batteries. At first I had 2 pair in parallel then these hooked in series for 24 volts at 200 amp hrs. I wasn't getting the pressure i needed so the technician at the pump company had me run all 4 batteries in series for 48 volts and problem solved.
Straight to the point and easy to understand. I wish more videos were like this. Thanks, very helpful!
Nice thanks for the info. Keep us posted as you scale up the system
Very good video sir. Good information in a short amount of time. Thank you for posting this!
dude, this is badass. trying to figure this shit out myself lol, thank you!
Great video! I wouldn't go with Renogy anymore because they're way too expensive. Renogy sells their panels for $1.40/watt, and MYAH.com sells theirs for $.79/watt. It's the exact same solar panel, too. Same supplier, etc. It's an INCREDIBLE deal.
This guy got straight to the point!!!! Great video!!!
Thank you for making it easier for me to understand
If you wire two 6v batteries in parallel, you have a larger capacity 6v battery. If you wire them in series you get 12v at the capacity of the smallest battery.
Thank god im not the only one that noticed lol
Lol yep. They make videos
@@countycalling Good example of why one should regard internet based tutorials with a degree of scepticism.
Nice!!! Loved the video. Good info. So... I am trying to power a window AC. I just bought the 400 watt eco solar kit with the 1500 watt inverter. It has not gotten here yet, and I am still unsure of what batteries to get. Maybe two 200ah deep cycle? My goal is to add two 100 watt panels (system is automatically expandable to eight 100 watt panels) in the next few weeks and eventualy get to 600ah of batteries as well. By fall, maybe I'll get to 800 a piece. Thanks again for your video and your help!
Explained well what took me months of trial and error to learn. Sam's club golf cart batteries are a good buy IMO. They also go on sale a couple of times per year.
I can tell you're a pretty nice guy to be around with. Very easy to understand explanation also.
Great job. To the point, basic, and most important realistic. Capability of reliable replenishment of the battery in varying weather conditions (all year), if you want a longer-term solar/battery kit is really the most important. It has to be sized correct for your actual application. A real world reality check is something every solar diy-er needs to do several few times to really grasp the limitations of solar and how you can adjust to handle your power load wants. You explained this quite well. Panels are rated under perfect lab conditions. It's like saying my car can accelerate to 140 mph. Maybe so, but you'd need perfect conditions, like an open, clean, road, no cops, straight, etc. The truth is panels perform about 1/3 less more often even in pretty good conditions. You get that perfect sunny, 12 noon, 77F, angled sun perfect to the panel, clean panel, condition day very, very infrequently.
honest and to the point, thank you
Thank you, helps a lot. You have great eyes too.
I like the idea of how you charge each component!!
thank you God bless you
Thank you so much for taking time to make this video. You physics is however very off at multiple levels, and getting a handle on that will greatly improve the quality of this video. I see that many people have already pointed out that you mean to say series and not parallel. There is also nothing like "100watt an hour". That misconception also plays into why you think you have 2500watt of power to play with. You can run even a 5000W device on a 225Ah battery, but it will just drain your battery down faster than if you ran say a 300W device. Also you don't get power by multiplying Ah by volts. Your video is very helpful in a practical sense because many people don't even know how these things connect together, but if you will talking numbers and those type of details, it's a great idea to understand the concepts well enough. Keep up the good job mate.
Actually he is correct here, when it comes to solar panels and battery banks using Watt hours is of great significance and simplifies the calculations for how much power you have to play with... My four battery battery bank with 100Ah Lithium batteries is for example is 4800 watt hours (meaning it can run 4800w for 1 hour or 100w for 48 hours and on lithium that is pretty much correct, but on AGM or normal lead acid the calculations is different when you empty the battery fast compared to slow) . Also adding the volts with Ah (Ampere Hours) is how you calculate watt hours...
Good information for those getting started in solar.
Great video. I'm about to build a solar power system for reserve energy for my apartment. Can't wait..
Two 6v batts wired in parallel yields a 6 volt batt with more current sourcing capability. Sounds like you wired them in series = 12v.
Series increases voltage
Parallel increases current
Thx for the video
Panels: 100 watts/hour * 5 hours of sun = 500 watt hours *.8(efficiency loss) = 400 watt hours daily.
Battery: 225 Ah * 12v = 2700/2(50% discharge)=1350 watt hours
Verdict: it will take you ~3.375 complete days of ZERO usage to charge your battery back up from 50% discharge.
My advice: size your battery based on what you can replenish in a day:
-A 100 watt panel will make ~33.3Ah daily. So I'd advise a 60-70Ah Flooded/Sealed/AGM, **or WAY better and cheaper, a 50Ah LiFePO battery.**
Then get a 300 watt pure sine wave inverter, that has a low voltage cut off built in(almost all do now). That way, when your inverter stops, you know, you have used all the energy you made that day.
OMG thank you!
@@kimberlyaguirre6899 you're welcome
THANK YOU for making this issue clear.
Tv 6 hours with x box..thanknyou I now have an idea what i can run lol ppl always getting tech on me you answerd it simply for me
That's what I was thinking. A pair of GC2s, will be slightly overkill for 100w, but about perfect for 200w.
Costco/sam's or whatever is a hour drive from me but I will probably be headed that direction anyways next week... Time to start scraping cash together. A small starting battery does not cut it, I can only charge my laptop while the sun is out.
You mean their wired in Series mate.
parallel as you said still gives you 6v 👍
@Jin Phachit well more precisely they're or more correctly ' they are' ..😃
thanks for helping me decide between starting out with 100w or 200w system. your relatable explanation helped me realize that 100w will probably serve my needs pretty well to start. i now get to save some time and money for my initial install with the potential to expand later.
You went with the 100w will that keep a freezer running? I want something for a small freezer, lamp and possibly a crockpot. I will continue to get a solar panel each month or two until I have what I feel is a good for us. Thanks
@@heartofdixieprepping4797 it depends on your inverter capacity. As the 100w solar panel basically is just to charge your battery. For example to continuously run a freezer that is 400w then you would need at least 800w of solar panels. 100w panel would give out in a couple hours because it's not enough to juice the battery quick enough
@@Ruffbone85 I see. Thank you.
I may have to start with the 100w and add to. I need to at least have a light/lamp and charge devices.
@@heartofdixieprepping4797 yea the 100w harbor freight kit is good for those things
@@Ruffbone85 Than you
Good vid mate...great for us newbies....We run our back deck of the house on solar....I set it up not so much to save money...but just to see if we could do it as we spend most of our time on the deck.....160 watt folding panels in the back yard....about 8 hrs of sun each day...130ah 12 V deep cycle battery...a cheap 10 amp charge controller..and a 300 watt pure sine inverter.....runs our LED lights....laptop....and charges our phones...all free from the sun....cost me about $1000 to set up...and will probably takes us 10 yrs to recoup the savings...but it's fun.....and makes u feel good to know that you are generating at least some power for yourself.....well done...looking forward to watching some more of your vids.....
Great video. I think you mean you wired the batteries in series, not parallel.
Great video and great correction Christine!!!!
Golf cart batts are 6 volt so they would be series.. making them a BIG 12v. If Using deep cycle 12v batts (like for trolling motors) one would wire them parallel.
Why are you yelling mr expert. Use as many as you want. You act like somebody spit on you. Let him get his feet wet, why do you care. About 8 amps per hour 6 or 7 hours = 48 amps. 48 amps back into batteries will help. Keep gen from running so long. Keep fridge lighted, even compensate for heater blower to some degree. Let you use computer or tv .. power wifi booster etc.
I agree 2 panels really make a difference and 3 are outstanding.
Another big deal for a non-full timer is that 1 panel will keep your batteries up while in storage and preserve those expensive batts.
I have 2 on my 5th wheel toy hauler. Mainly so the rig is ready to go out of storage with 100% batts. But they really make a diff on the heater. I also switched to 100% leds and this darn trailer has a ton of lights. Cut my light energy more than 1/2 since they also are so much brighter I don't need as many on.
I use a 50 watt panel on my off-road jeep since it sits for long periods of time.
Solar is amazing.. try some positive reinforcement, maybe you have some info to help people with.
Peace out.
steve b So maybe they will learn, but you... incurable
My dad's golf cart uses 6 12v batteries so not all golf cart batteries are 6 volts.
Hey thanks.. A quick tip.. At 0.30 you say you wired in parallel.. I think you mean you wired in series.. Running the wires parallel will not double the voltage..
+Whistling K9 Lol my first video was little nervous. Yea there ran in series it doubles the voltage so my two 6 volt batteries become one 12 volt battery. Ran in parallel add's the amperage together but voltage remains same.
Simple Homestead For a first video, you provided more useful information to the "general population" than anyone else in regards to understanding the basics of solar power in an extremely short yet concise manner. So thank you!
best info i got on how much you can run on 100 watts (easy to understand and helpful) ... ty
Best video I ever heard thank you Mister,GodBless
Wired in series will sum voltage. Wired in parallel will sum current.
Whats sum?
It is a mathematical term. it means addition of two or more values.
Ok gottca that makes sense now :)
A SERIES circuit of batteries will not reduce internal resistance of the
cell. Therefore it cannot increase maximum available current.
To explain:
Two PARALLEL wired 12V cells with a maximum current of 10 Amperes each will result in a 12volt output with a maximum
current of 20 Amperes.
Two SERIES 12V cells with a maximum current of 10 Amperes each, will result in a 24 volt output with a maximum current of 10 Amperes.
You maybe thinking of the increased current through a set load as
voltage across that load increases..
A 3 Ohm resistive load will draw 4 amperes from a 12 volt 5 Amp source
If the voltage is doubled... 24 volt ( such as above when cells are wired in SERIES) The 3 Ohm load will attempt to draw 8 amperes due to increased voltage across the load. However, the battery will fail to provide this as the voltage across the battery will drop, as the load has exceeded the internal resistance (current capacity) of the battery. Voltage drop will occur across both the load and the battery and only 5 maximum amperes will be drawn.
It can be also said that if you have 12V 5A cell or battery, the internal resistance is 2.4 Ohms. If you have a 24 Volt 5 amp battery its internal resistance is is the series resistance total of 4.8 Ohms. As you can see the 3 Ohm load is greater and the voltage must balance.
All of these concepts work from the equation R= E/I
he doesn't seem to realize this...maybe he should go to the library and read a primer on electricity...
lol wired in series not parallel 2 x 6v batts = 12v.... Technically they r Trojen T105 batts ur using. And subbed so I can correct u electrically, everything else I think u have everything down pat so far :) I hope u build ur prepps as quick as possible too.
Thanks for this. Was looking for this info before deciding if I wanted to buy
Great video. I think what you have done is fantastic and you explained it simply.
Just tells me solar is a scam for the money.
Good brand but you're under-solar powered. Your best for your dollars, to purchase single 300 watts solar panel to get around, on average 1.8KW. per day, then your heavy-duty marine deep cycle battery will read more than 12.5 volt to 12.7 volt with small load to without load plus your battery will last even longer. If you able rotate 300 watt solar panel to point it toward sun, you'll able to make more than 2KW. to 2.5KW. per on average sunny days isn't bad at all with fully running fridge.
Agree with you there.
Stan McBeth where did u buy yours?
Stan McBeth share your brand and set up please
Stan McBeth what company is the bedt to buy 300 watt panel from?
Stan McBeth . . financial constraints limit some of us. We have to start slow. Choosing complete off grid and work up from there.
Two 6 volt batteries wired in parall (+ to +, neg to neg), will double amperage, but still have 6 volts. Series pos to neg would give 12 volts but same amperage as one battery...
Donald Badeaux yes thats ehat i was thinking. He must have done series to get double volts.
So i can have like 6 to 10 batteries and it would still be 12 volts? Just higher amperage?
thanks, really clear explanation. been researching lots of sites but still confused. now I can put my calculator back in the drawer.
Straight and cool. Keep the knowledge!
Thank the Lord! Someone I finally understand. Exactly what I needed to know. I have one 100 Watt Renogy solar panel, one 40 Amp Charge Controller, and one MT 5 Tracer Meter, and they have been sitting for 2 years trying to learn how to use them. I will be buying batteries and eventually more panels soon too. My questions are these: I have a Primo water cooler, that does hot and cold water. It's 115 volts, 60Hz 6A. Can I use my one panel to run this cooler? and how long will I be able to run it? The other information on the back is, High 1.3 Mpa (190Psig) Low 0.62 Mpa (90 Psig) R134a(1.23 oz) Last, do you still use the Gulf cart batteries, and are they still working? Thank you a million for the FANTASTIC video. Bless, Sheila
100watt panel will grap 200-300wh per day at my location, basicall i cal light a 100watts bulb for one to one and half hour per night.
Sheila6325 That would use 690 watts. Obviously not all the time, and it would depend on whether you were heating or cooling. Heating water, food, or anything with electricity uses a ton of power. I would recommend a minimum of 2 panels and a couple of 135+ Ah batteries to run that, if you plan on leaving it on. For occasional use, 1 panel might do it.
Larry Shinn Thank you. I guess I should have mentioned that I will eventually be installing a much larger system, or adding on to the one I've started, and I just wanted to be able to run this cooler on a separate system. It makes very cold, and very hot water. Since this post I have purchased another 100 watt panel, so I think that will do it as far as the cooler goes. I won't have it on all the time either. I had to wait on what to purchase until I got all the figures to be able to run what I need for the larger system. If all goes well, I will have to cooler up in a couple weeks, and then I can start on the other system. Thank you very much for the information, especially about the batteries. Bless, Sheila
also make sure the inverter you use is able to handle the current...
Wtf is current? Watts? Amps? Volts? All of it together? Yet another term crossing over to confuse more people.
"Two 6 volt batteries wired in parallel for 12 volt..."
No. This is wrong. You have them wired in series if you are getting 12 volts.
He also needs to be saying 'watt-hours' when he says watts, half the time.
T_T
Also, wtf kind of phone is uses 50 watt-hours for a full charge? That's insane. Most laptop batteries aren't that big these days even.
Thing is, he may not know all the exact terminologies, but he's not spouting numbers that people without electrtonics/electrical knowledge don't basically understand. He's actually getting the average person up to speed in less than 4 minutes that might take 8hrs attempting to understand researching all the technical jargon. His video is useful. I'm sure your knowledge level is such that it's important for you to degrade his work/info, but for the average person so clearly under your I.Q. level, he is really giving some general info many are looking for and can't seem to decipher...thanks for your clearly stated opinion shared in such a mature manner.
you are right he means series.
@@blessedwithchallenges9917 Giving incorrect info to especially a person not up to speed WILL result in financial loss or serious injury. If you going to go out and "educate" anyone make sure your information is ACCURATE.
Parallel would still be 6 v.
@@blessedwithchallenges9917 He's giving misinformation that could cause others to have a problem in their solar setup. Anytime that happens it needs to be corrected and is not a symptom of "greater I.Q. level" but of trying to set the record straight and help others avoid a potential costly mistake.
quick and to the point.. very well done.
excellent work 👌🏼
The TV with 100W is great deal only be careful of the satellite dish receiver it's a power hog and could get up to 200W if you want to go more efficient and have flat wall get LED projector+Bluetooth headphones sound system"Xbox".
for the kitchen use radiant heat cooker and good stainless steel pots and small microwave no more than 1000W
Wired series
Yes, 2 6v batteries in SERIES =12V (In parallel = 6v with double the current available)
Zato Gibson So your better off using two 6 volt batteries than one single deep charge marine battery correct? Because the batteries last longer?
@ Greg Simpson. There's no particular advantage in using two 6 Volt batteries instead of one 12 Volt battery. Price and capacity (ampere-hours, Ahr) need to be considered.
Hermit Oldguy Thanks! On other videos I've watched they claim the 6 volt batteries last longer. So appreciate any clarification.
@ Greg
The life of a battery depends how you treat it; how fast you discharge it, how much you discharge it, how fast you recharge it, how hot it gets, how cold it gets, how much shaking and impacts it gets, and so on. Treat it kindly- both physically and electrically, and it'll last much longer than if you treat it harshly.
thanks for putting this in plain English as to what I can expect. It seems everyone else on youtube wants to give a math tutorial of electricity. I am interested in how you heat up food when boondocking. I cannot run microwave on my battery, dont want to fire up grill to heat up every meal. Advice??
davel8n find someone else boondocking and mooch off of them
davel8n pizza order out
what aout a "george foreman drill" kind of device?
you could prob use a small electric burner or heat plate. single electric burners at Dollar General for $12
use lpg in australia we have portable cookers with disposable bottles for about $20
I have ran a small, 1 quart crockpot, with a bit of extra insulation (towel) on 80W. It worked great!!!, tons and tons of LED lights and a small fan, laptop computer, several devices there were being charged and several books. :)
Hi from Mexico. Thanks for the info.
600-700 watts per day from 1 solar panel. Fridge 100 watts/hr.
The power demand of the fridge is very dependent on the weather, the temperature setting, how much food is in there, and how often you open the door (and for Americans, how long you leave the door open!).
Fridge starts first with 1000w and its 40watt per hour on standby use. Oppening the door for few seconds will add 5w more consumption. He will turn on cooling for 2 min
But a fridge doesn't run continuously.
I don't know solar power so I don't even know how you plug anything into solar power. Where do I go to see that?
I found your video on Ewans Energy Roadmap - there are lots useful videos there that should help out
In a nutshell to use solar you need 1. solar panel 2. charge controller 3. a battery 4. an inverter. The solar panel creates the electricity from the sun, the charge controller acts like alternator in your car, it keeps the battery charged. The battery is your power source. The inverter converts the 12volt battery power from 212v to 110volt. so you have a 110 volt outlet on your inverter just like you do in your house. The bigger the solar panel (the more watts) the faster you can recharge your battery. The bigger or more batteries determines how long can you use the power to operate a frill, fan, lights or whatever normally would plug into your 110v outlet in your house. The inverter come in different sizes 80watts, 200 watts, 1000watts, 2000watts and so on. I have a box fan that uses lets say 100watts, if my solar panel is only 50 watts that means I will adventually run down by battery because my 50watt solar panel cannot charge the battery power faster than I'm using it. If my inverter is only 400watts I cannot plug a 1500 watt coffee maker into it. Inverters are base on what you think will be your max use. Some motorhomes have a Air-conditioning that requires 13amps and several thousand of watts to run, that's why most motorhomes have generators. MH run out of space for solar panels on their roofs. It all sets with the device that needs power what is its total power consumption that will determine your solar panel, battery, charger and inverter.
@@sojourneroftheland can the inverter plug into the TT shore power cord which is easy peasy solar kit can come with battery which can take inverter and go that shore power?
@@EarlBalentine I guess we would have to add a gas generator for back up so we can charge the batteries
@@EarlBalentine Thank you so much for your detailed yet simple of how solar works!
great video! very informative and exactly what I was looking for.
excellent video, I think the point some are missing is that you system is easily expandable.
I use 70 watt panel and Marine deep cycle battery .. a 300 watt inverter. I get 5 to 6 hours of light, TV and laptop after the sunsets
Go to a place that sells Electric Wheelchairs. They always have a surplus of Batteries taken out of a chair or scooter and replaced with new ones. I was given a couple of them for free, and they work great! Next, take some ordinary table lamps, and replace the bulbs with 12 volt LED lights, then replace the regular AC 110volt plug with some Alligator Clips. Great for taking to a Beach, putting on a Picnic Table, and attaching the clips to a Charged up Battery.
huh thats a really good idea. Didnt know it was that simple to make a 12 volt lamp awesome stuff thank you for sharing
Moo.. 79th
Im new at this, so why not run two 12 volt batteries instead of 6 volt
the 6 volt batteries are for golf carts so there made to be discharged alot more and discharged at a pretty low voltage.
For a solar system, deep cycle batteries are used and needed. Marine batteries are not true deep cycle batteries in most cases and will not last as long as a true deep cycle batteries.
Golf cart batteries are deep cycle batteries and make good batteries for beginners and are cheap to buy at sams club for about $90. They make 6 volt and 12 volt deep cycle batteries for the golf carts.
Car batteries are the worst choice for solar systems, unless of course if they are free, they do not last long at all.
Why 6 volt batteries?
The more lead you have in your battery, the more capacity you can pack into them. So look at the weight. Two 6 volt batteries weigh more than one 6 volt battery with the same phisical size.
They make 2 volt batteries that weigh 160 lbs. each. A fork lift battery can weigh about 4000 lbs.
They make 2 volt batteries, 4 volt, 6 volt , 8 volt etc etc., Those can be hooked up in series to make the voltage needed.....or in parallel to increase the amp-hour of an battery pack.
Remember the more lead/weight the more capacity. Also the weight could be an indicator how long a battery may last.
So golf cart batteries are better than deep Marine/RV batteries because they are made to withstand the constant drainage and recharging that one would normally put on these things????
I'm guessing that if I take ( 4 ) deep cycle 12volt batteries and connect them together as one and run (2) of the 100 watt solar kits that Harbor Freight sells would allow me to run small appliances like box fan,cell phone charger,coffee pot,and a couple of LED lights on it with no problem???
I'm looking at moving to a trailer in the country soon and I'm new to the Solar power thing and I'm having a hard time understanding how it all works
Thanks this was really helpful and simple than other videos I have seen and that you can understand easley.
I am sure someone else is already corrected you in the comments but wiring batteries in parallel does not double voltage, you want it wired in series double voltage.
Good video though short to the point and covers which are able to do with what you have I like it
Golf cart batteries are good but I would suggest getting the 250 W panel if your going to get serious. 250 W panels are the way to go. If you can't afford them, then don't even go the solar route.
There's a practical advantage in having two or three 100W panels instead; if a panel dies, you have another/others - a fault tolerant system.
thank Christ ,that's all I wanted to know. Not amp hours divided by watts x voltage drawing power. Thanks Mate
A very informative video. Excellent information for a survivor of Hurricane Harvey. Byron Thomas.
this is the best video ever.. like how did you make it so simple...
Im using Avasva instructions to make it and I do it already :)
That is annoying ...
Really cool to me
Nothing....
Great intro. Gave me more questions to ask.....
I am thinking of going solar. And I must say this tape makes it that I understand thanks and make more tapes
Really enjoy it. Let's check avasva plans also.
If you want the best home solar energy system online then visit this website here: HootPower.xyz
Fun fact - you can get 70% more power if you use a mirror to direct more sunlight on you panel
heshmang no way ahahah
heshmang Couldn't that cause damage to the panel overtime? I've used mirrors to burn holes through things.
That's not a fact - it very much depends on the size of mirror, the angle of incidence onto the solar panel from the mirror, and the temperature of the solar panels.
@ Michael.
Lol. So true.
Michael Anderson I’m asking since I have no clue, but aren’t solar panels designed to be in full sun? So I’m not getting how they would fade with more sun if they were designed to be in the sun. Do you perhaps mean that they fade no matter what over time but will fade faster with more sun? One more question...why would you sell one once it’s useless, is there a market for faded solar panels?
Short simple and to the point love it thank you 🙏🏻
I enjoyed that, would like to see a visual on a white board with Power Law and such and to see your setup
Umm dude can u actually show video of things running off the solar panel instead of just telling us? Plz i want to see what can run.
realflow100 he mentioned a refrigerator do you have one of those? You could watch it run.
realflow100 Umm dude, you are a true dumbass, he TOLD you quite clearly, I'm sorry,...I thought u had a brain, my bad
Mike Simonsen I think his point seeing is believing,anyone can talk the talk.
Mike Simonsen nice joke (sarcasm)
Good point but that makes too much sense for iwannayoutothinkiamagenius RUclips video egoists...nearly evrything I see about DIY or live on nuttinhoney can be found in U.S. Army field manuals.
let's say the 10 thumbs down are just ignoramuses who have there hedz in the sand hole and expect to be provided the power they need to experience the comfort they take for granted daily forever all for a price of course
Kenneth Wynne HEDZ
Thank you . you were very clear in what i need.
Helpful video thank you simple and to the point