i just have a few questions concearning my "unplugging" from the capitalist society that is the united states..... i just want to know....do solar pannels or solar power really work as well as people say they do.....i mean iv heard people putting them on their house and saying they produce so much electricity that the electric company should pay them 5.75 at the end of the month and stuff like that.... how well do solar panels actually work?.....if they are on a rv or mobile home or trailor with the same quality as house solar panels....would they be able to power a small refridgerator (all the time)...a computer, television, cd player, heater and warm water (one at a time) after a sunny day of 100 degrees (im not trying to run my own power plant....im just generalising everything right now....) any constructive comments would be apreciated
You must run things like TV and stuff that runs directly on 12 volt . Lots big batteries to store the current from the solar panel "this are not cheap for good size one" <-----the biggest con of getting into solar panels. on the pro side a good brand solar pannel can last over 20 years or more "satellites runs for many years" and a inverter to turn 12 volts into 110 volt AC for things that u use in a short period " can opener, a blender etc but you must get the right size inverter for your needs . anything over 600 watts "inverter" starts to stress your batteries quick.
Large solar panels are expensive "dont ask me why the hell they are" solar panels have been around for at least 40 + years. if not more.
The thing about solar panels is this, they are advancing some quickly, that the price hasn't gone done due to the fact that new panels are much better each year. Depending on what you are trying to do, I think that 1-4 people could comfortabley live off of about 4 50watt panels. This should provide over 1.5Kw per day, enough to run several lights, and a few small draw electronics. The big thing is going to be sure to runn everything off of 12volt DC, and restructuring your own lifestyle to remove things that aren't needed. That might include going to a small DC fridge, or perhaps no fridge at all. Look into alternatives, wood/gas/pellet stoves. Solar fridges (not solar electric, but something like a solar ammonia) and the like.
The smallest desktop computer need at least 250 watts to run . The fridge can also run on propane or kersone . "anything that burns well run a amonia fridge"
You need at least 1000/1200 watts of solar panels to have a fair or minimum quality life . and a emergency small generator for those super cloudy days. http://www.partsonsale.com/
You can build 2 KW (that's Kilowatts, or 2000 watts) in wind and solar from parts on eBay for less than $1500.00. It's not that hard, try googling wind power and solar power. More than enough information out there. Also, with the right switching equipment, Marine batteries and voltage inverters you can get 120VAC for computers. Everything else you can get in 12VDC at any RV store.
laptops pull about 40 to 60 watts....far less than a home puter Ive had several solar setups and you can find so so much on google. My thing is match your system to your needs and learn all you can about the types of batts your going to use and what is best for the, good battery balance is the key after the intial cost.....ive had sets last two years and have burnt the same brand,size in four months due to my lack of attention
We have solar panels on our travel trailer camper. We dry camp (which means no hook ups) on the beach and rely solely on the battery for lights etc. The refrigerator and hot water runs on propane. We have two solar panels on the TT that recharge the double battery set up each day. We recently just had 24 solar panels put on our 'stick' house just after the holidays. We are still connected to the grid as we felt the battery back up wasn't sufficient (or cost effective) As the days get longer, the more power these panels will generate. On a clear day, our electric meter spins backwards about 9-11 hours generating approximately 18 - 20 kilowatts per day.
