Any gurus on solar panels for charging batteries?

[ehidle]

If you are knowledgeable, I have some questions for you. I have a large array on my garage roof and would like to get setup for a quick diversion of generated power to a battery bank of some sort in the event of a long term power outage. I am pretty sure that a full bank to power my house would be cost prohibitive and inefficient but I would like enough to keep my stuff charged and maybe run the TV and some LED lights, if possible. Is there an easy, cost effective way to do this?

Sure... there are devices that have both a solar charge controller for a battery bank, and an inverter for supplying AC current, all built in. You can also get a pretty inexpensive transfer switch that can supply power only to circuits in your house you select.

Is the array that is currently on your roof active and being used for anything? Do you know what the PV system voltage is?

Here are some examples of devices:

Solar inverter:
https://smile.amazon.com/Charger-Inv.../dp/B0969YRPKF

Transfer switch (this is the one I have in my house for running the fridge, internet, one of the split AC units, and my office on generator):
https://smile.amazon.com/Reliance-Co.../dp/B000BQN4T2

Good Lithium batteries are about $750-1000 per kWh these days, so how many of them you need just depends on what you have to run, how long you want to run it, and what your battery system voltage needs to be.

If this is in the "cost prohibitive" area, you can do something more simple like a standalone solar controller and inverter with household plugs and probably spend half as much. It just depends on what voltage your PV array is putting out.

[Walleye Hunter]

My system is active and produces close to 20 Meg a year. DC voltage looks like about 375 and AC looks like 250. If those aren't the numbers you are looking for, I can find others but a lot of this is mumbo jumbo to me.

[GunLawyer001]

Just an update: I bought a Jackery 500 battery and their 100w solar panel, nothing expensive, just enough that if we lost the grid for a year or two, I could charge the Jackery battery and use that to charge all my AAA and AA and D batteries, and cell phones (if the phone grid is still up). The panels are supposed to charge the battery in about 9 hours on a sunny day, less if it's not drained. We tried it out, I ran a nightlight (drawing 7-10 w) overnight and it went down from 100% charge (I plugged it into the wall to get to 100%) to around 90%, and then a couple hours outside in the sun it went back to 100%.

So for around $700 (I think it was), we should be able to run battery-powered flashlights and radios and such, indefinitely, until the rechargeable batteries die or The Machines scorch the sky and there's no sunlight. No way I can run anything with a serious power draw like a fridge or AC or even incandescent 60w light bulbs, but the cost of that is up a few orders of magnitude, and we just don't lose the grid here very often. And we can do a lot with AAA batteries. Mostly lighting, and a radio.

It would be cool to have an Alaska-style system where the grid could go down and we wouldn't even notice, but money is finite and desires are not.

[ehidle]

My system is active and produces close to 20 Meg a year. DC voltage looks like about 375 and AC looks like 250. If those aren't the numbers you are looking for, I can find others but a lot of this is mumbo jumbo to me.

So that's a big system with a very high PV voltage and you should probably not touch it at all for safety's sake.

If all you want to do is run some LED lights and charge phones, I'd get maybe a 200W panel off of Amazon and plug it into one of those power stations (like the aforementioned Jackery) and go that route. Leave that high voltage stuff right where it is.

[GOYABEAN]

💡

[SS//]

I know pretty much nothing about charging batteries when the grid goes down, which I expect will happen as the USA descends further into the plans of those who control Brandon.

So, to ease the pain, I'd like to be able to shove a solar panel out into the sunlight and at least charge up a few rechargeable AA batteries. Maybe charge up a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery if I feel ambitious.

Any hints, tips, resources, links to reliable panels?

I see some folding panels on eBay, and little wallet-sized panels, and beach blanket sized panels. I don't plan on bugging out if things turn to shit, so I'm open to a larger panel if it makes economic sense. Mostly, I want to be able to run a radio and some flashlights after a few months without a power grid.

I hav seen some solar panels on GOV PLANET.COM they are mobile and look pretty cool

[SS//]

I have seen solar panels for sale on GOV PLANET .COM anyone know about them?

[streaker69]

I have a solar panel question that I think I know the answer to, but wanted to bounce it around a bit.

How does a solar array, connected to an inverter to run 120VAC stuff handle inrush current for when something like a compressor starts? It would seem that solar panels have a fairly fixed amount of current and cannot just supply more instantly without more sunlight. The question does not apply to homes that are connected to the grid, but a self sustaining system. My thought is some sort of battery bank would need to be there to help with the current supply. Am I right?

[Walleye Hunter]

I have a solar panel question that I think I know the answer to, but wanted to bounce it around a bit.

How does a solar array, connected to an inverter to run 120VAC stuff handle inrush current for when something like a compressor starts? It would seem that solar panels have a fairly fixed amount of current and cannot just supply more instantly without more sunlight. The question does not apply to homes that are connected to the grid, but a self sustaining system. My thought is some sort of battery bank would need to be there to help with the current supply. Am I right?

Absolutely right. And you don*t run off the solar, you run off the batteries.