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Types of 12 Volt Solar Chargers
November 2nd, 2009 | 
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Many people know that solar chargers are a good alternative to non-renewable sources of energy, but not everyone has found out how simple they are to build. The purpose of this article is to explain important information about different types of solar battery chargers, including how to put together your own.
Generally speaking, a battery charger is a power supply that sends electricity of a certain voltage to a battery. The battery is connected to the charger, and disconnected after it’s fully charged. If you want to charge a 12 volt battery, you can plug it into a 15-18 volt power supply. However, this type of system poses the risk of overcharging.
When overcharged, a battery’s life is likely to decrease. A badly overcharged 12 volt battery may even lose its ability to hold a charge. Fortunately, you can use a charge controller to ensure that the correct voltage is used to charge the battery and that the battery isn’t overcharged. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, you’ll probably want to be able to leave it connected throughout the day while the sun is shining, and thus a charge controller is a necessity.
For 12 volt batteries, the most common type of charge controller is the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) type. In simple terms, this type of charge controller functions by turning a switch on and off rapidly. Initially, the switch stays “on” more. The switch gradually spends less time in an activated state as power is transferred to the battery, and when it’s fully charged, the switch remains off. In this kind of charge controller, a microprocessor chip usually handles the task of monitoring and controlling the charging process. There is no risk of overcharging with a PWM charge controller, even if you leave it connected to a battery indefinitely. Topping up a battery in this way is called “trickle charging,” and it will allow you to make sure that a battery is completely charged for whenever you happen to need it. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, it’s useful to have a feature like this. 12 volt batteries for boats and RVs are often charged in this way, for example.
A 12 volt solar charger is no more complicated than that. The source of the electricity is the only thing that differentiates a 12 volt solar charger from a standard 12 volt battery charger. As one would expect, a solar panel is the source of the power for a solar battery charger. If you want to save money, building a DIY solar panel to use in a 12 volt solar charger is a great way to go. To learn more, take a look at DIY Solar Panel.
Usually, solar panels used on houses contain 1/2 volt and 3-4 amp solar cells. If you’re using these types of cells, you’ll need to connect many of them to generate the 15-18 volts needed to charge a 12 volt battery. Currently, there are small solar panels of numerous different voltages on the market. Matching the voltage of the solar panel to your charge controller will allow you to create a working solar battery charger. On each charge controller, you’ll see a voltage rating, which tells you the correct voltage. A solar panel of 15-18 volts is usually a fairly safe bet if you’re unable to use a charge controller for whatever reason. If you are using a charge controller, the required voltage is precisely that – required. One great guide to building your own 12 volt solar charger is GreenDIYEnergy. To read my article about it, visit Green DIY Energy Review.
The method for wiring the solar panel to the charge controller depends on certain factors within the controller. Identify the type of connector used on your charge controller, and solder one onto the solar panel. If you can’t use a charge controller, you can use the same type of connector that’s on the battery. With respect to clamps, the spring loaded type are a good choice for larger 12 volt batteries. Even if you’ve never done soldering before, this procedure would actually be a good place to start, as it’s a very easy one. A soldering iron and solder, which you can find at places like Radio Shack, are all you’ll need to do this. Just twist the wires together, use the soldering iron on the wires, and touch the solder to the wires until it melts. As long as you’re careful not to burn yourself, and remember to heat the wires and not the solder itself with the soldering iron, it’ll be a simple process. Another great guide to building a DIY 12 volt solar charger is Homemade Energy. For more information, visit Homemade Energy Review.
It’s really that simple! Building a 12 volt solar charger is fairly simple as well. First, you’ll have to get a 12 volt battery. Making sure to get one with the appropriate voltage, you’ll also need a charge controller. Next, you’ll require a solar panel that also outputs the appropriate voltage for the charge controller – you can build one yourself or buy one. Then, just connect the solar panel to the charge controller, then connect the charge controller to the battery as outlined. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have permanent, free power! By using solar energy instead of oil to charge your battery, you’re helping cut pollution and dependence on foreign oil, and saving yourself a lot of money in the long run.
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Residential Solar Systems
The main component of any residential solar power system is the solar panels. They are at the heart of any solar power system and actually convert the sunlight to electricity. Many of these residential solar panels look alike, but there are a lot of differences and there are many things that need to be considered before you choose which panel to use for your home. A great set of plans for building your own solar panel is Green DIY Energy Review.
All modern solar panels are much better than older panels in both construction and efficiency. Because of these advances, any homeowner will be better off with newer panels than they would have been even a few years ago. While it is true that all of the newer panels are much better than in the past, there are a lot of differences between different models of solar panels so selecting a panel should be done based on both your budget and how much electricity you want to produce.
The voltage requirement of the system you are building is the first thing to consider. Residential solar panels have several standard voltage levels and you need to choose with one to use for your system. The decision about voltage will dictate which panels you select and also which power inverter you use. While more expensive, higher voltage panels have some advantages like less power loss in long wire runs. Residential solar panels usually have output voltages of 12, 24 or 48 volts and there are some that are even higher. It is usually best to select panels with the highest voltage level that your budget will allow.
Voltage will also dictate which solar charge controller you choose.
Another difference between different types of panels is efficiency. Even panels that look the same can have almost 10% higher or lower efficiency than similar models. This is a giant difference in the amount of electricity that will be generated with a given level of sunlight. The higher efficiency panels will produce a great deal more energy over the life of the panel. Because of this, you will need less space for panels and you will need to spend less money because you will need fewer panels. You should generally choose panels with the highest efficiency rating you can afford. If you spend a little more money now and get a better quality panel, you will get that difference back many, many times over the life of the solar panel.
Some of the newer specialty solar panels should also be considered. One type of newer panel combines both electric and thermal solar into a single panel. These can be used for both electricity and hot water. These panels will make the most efficient use of available space on your roof and provide double the benefit.
Solar panels that include a micro inverter are another newer development. A micro inverter is a power inverter that is build into the solar panel. It is sized to work with just the amount of electricity the panel outputs. A power inverter is the component that converts the Direct Current (DC) from the solar panels or batteries into the Alternating Current (AC) that comes out of the power outlets in your house. Typically a single, large power inverter is fed electricity from all of the panels or batteries and does the power conversion for the entire system. A micro inverter in individual solar panels means that you can build your system incrementally instead of having to buy a big power inverter right away. With a micro inverter you can get the benefits of AC power at each step as you build up the system. One final benefit of micro inverters is the electricity coming from the panels will be at a higher voltage and will be AC which will reduce power loss in the longer runs of wire. If you’re interested in micro inverters, there is an in-depth article at Solar Micro Inverter.
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