Posts Tagged ‘solar charge controller’
Solar Micro Inverters
December 3rd, 2009 | 
Author: A solar power system for your home is a great option if you want to cut or even eliminate your monthly electricity bill. The latest solar power systems are very affordable, extremely efficient, and easy to install. Recently, a device called a micro inverter has been added to solar panels, and this may prove to be one of the most useful improvements of all.There are various types of solar power inverters. You can check out Solar Power Inverter to learn more about solar power inverters.
In most cases, solar systems share the same basic setup. The solar panels are placed in the spot where they’ll be exposed to as much sunlight as possible, which is usually the roof of the home. Solar panels produce DC electricity when exposed to sunlight.
Once it’s been generated, the DC electricity goes to an inverter, which is usually located near the home’s electrical panel. One of the inverter’s functions is to convert that DC electricity to AC electricity, which can then be used in the home.
One of the inconvenient points up until now with solar power systems has been the loss of power that is suffered while the power is being transferred from the panels to the inverter. Power loss is particularly prevalent with low voltage DC electricity. Before, systems would be made with more power capacity in order to make up for the loss.
The answer to the problem of power loss is now here, in the form of solar micro inverters. Built into the solar panels themselves, micro inverters convert DC to AC electricity with minimal loss. This way, the solar panel can act as a complete solution for your energy needs. AC electricity can travel a longer distance while suffering less loss than DC electricity. This also removes the stress of having to upgrade your inverter, as the micro inverters take the stress away from the regular inverter, or even eliminate it completely, which means that you can expand your system however and whenever you wish. The initial price of these advanced solar panels is a little higher, but they’re actually less costly in the long run, as they’re so much more efficient.
Solar charge controllers are required by most solar power systems that involve the use of batteries. The solar charge controller works to control the power moving from the solar panels to the batteries. If you need information about solar charge controllers, visit Solar Charge Controller.
For the greatest guide to building your own homemade wind turbine, including detailed diagrams and videos, visit Earth4Enegry Review.
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Posted in Renewable Energy | 
Tags: earth4energy review, solar charge controller, solar micro inverter, Solar Power Inverter | 
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Solar Charge Controllers
Virtually any solar power system that uses batteries needs a solar charge controller. The solar charge controller functions to control the power as it moves from the solar panels to the batteries. A proper charge controller will prevent the batteries from being overcharged. You can read solar power battery if you need to learn more about solar power batteries.
The simplest type of charge controller functions to monitor the battery voltage and opens the circuit to stop the charging process when the battery is fully recharged. Previously, charge controllers often had mechanical relays to open and close the circuit.
Eventually, pulse width modulation (PWM) became the norm for the charge controlling mechanism. This is a technique by which the amount of power supplied to a battery is reduced gradually as the battery reaches maximum charge. In addition to decreasing the stress on the batteries caused by the charging process, PWM ensures that they’re more fully charged, making them more efficient from the user’s perspective. It’s also possible to use a PWM charge controller to keep batteries “floating,” or in a completely charged state, for as long as you like. PWM also has the extra advantage of not having any breakable mechanical connections.
Maximum power point tracking, or MPPT, is the most recent evolution in solar charge controller technology. MPPT controllers convert excess voltage into amperage. This feature has a couple of major benefits.
The majority of solar power systems make use of 12 volt batteries, not unlike the ones found in cars, but these features work regardless of voltage. Solar panels usually provide much more voltage than the batteries require. Converting the excess voltage into amps reduces the time it takes to charge the battery, while the charge voltage stays at an optimal level. A solar power system with this kind of charge controller will provide power more efficiently.
Power loss is also largely eliminated with MPPT charge controllers. As low-voltage electricity moves along wires, it can experience high levels of loss, dragging down the efficiency of the system. A PWM charge controller used in a system with 12v batteries, for example, would use electricity of around 18v. An MPPT controller will use the highest voltage of any type of charge controller currently available. MPPT controllers experience less power loss because of this improvement.
MPPT charge controllers cost a bit more, but they represent a significant improvement. For this reason, they’re highly recommended. Finally, it’s also possible to prevent reverse-current flow with some modern charge controllers. During the periods when solar panels have stopped generating electricity, such as in overcast conditions, electricity can sometimes begin to flow away from the batteries to the solar panels. This sort of power loss can also make a serious dent in the overall efficiency of a solar power system. At these times, a charge controller will open the circuit, preventing any power from being transferred back to the solar panels.
Rising oil prices and the increasing tolls of pollution are motivating a significant number of people to switch to solar battery chargers. Go to 12 volt solar charger for more in solar interesting info about solar chargers.
Can you build a solar panel for under 0? You can get more information by reading this guide Homemade Energy Review. In this guide, you will get specific instructions on what is best to build based on the size of your house and your location. You will also get step-by-step diagrams on how to build your own solar power system.
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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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