This solar how to article will go through each part of a solar power system, talk about what it does and how it fits into the system as a whole. You don't need every part in every solar project, but every component handles a particular job. A standard solar power system generates electricity, stores it in batteries for later use and then converts the DC electricity from the batteries to the same kind of AC electricity that comes out of the wall sockets in your house.
Solar Panels
The first part of a solar power system is the solar panels, which generate electricity using energy from the sun. The panel has a layer of silicon. When photons from sunlight strike the silicon, they knock loose electrons. The electrons are sent through wires and turn into electricity. Many solar cells, each of which generates about 1/2 volt are put together to make a single solar panel. By putting together the right number of solar cells, any voltage you need can be generated. Building a solar panel and generating your own free electricity is actually relatively cheap and easy.
Charge Controller
The electricity is used by the charge controller to charge the batteries. The charge controller makes sure that the voltage going to the batteries is in the right range. It also gradually lowers the power sent to the batteries as they get closer to fully charged to make sure the batteries don't overcharge. The charge controller will also "top off" the batteries every once in a while after they are fully charged to make sure they stay fully charged.
Batteries
Standard 12 volt batteries like you find in your car are used in most solar systems. The most common type are sealed lead acid. This type of battery is easy to find, rugged and cheap. Weight is the only potential downside, but since you aren't going to be moving the batteries around, it isn't really much of a problem. You often can find batteries from surplus computer UPS systems for cheap or even free.
Power Inverter
A power inverter transforms the 12v Direct Current (DC) electricity from the batteries into 120v Alternating Current (AC) power like what comes out of your wall sockets. There are two types of power inverter: Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW). MSW is not as good as TSW because TSW exactly matches the electricity that comes out of the the wall sockets in your house. It is preferable to use TSW over MSW becuase TSW more closely matches the electricy that comes from the grid. TSW inverters cost more than MSW, but it is generally worth it in the long run to pay more for a TSW inverter.
Complete Solar Power System
Now let's put all the pieces together into a complete solar system. The roof is where the solar panels are generally mounted. Wires are used to connect the solar panels together and then deliver the electricity to the charge controller. The charge controller charges the batteries using the power coming from the solar panels. The batteries are charged all day while sunlight is striking the solar panels. All day, while sunlight is striking the solar panels, the batteries store the power generated by the panels. The DC electricity from the batteries is converted into the standard 120v AC electricity that your appliances are used to by the power inverter. This type of system can be big enough to power your whole house or small enough to power just a single appliance.
If you're interested in how much it would cost for enough solar panels to power your entire house, take a look at this guide to Solar Panel Cost.
For a simple guide to building you own diy solar panel, check out DIY Solar Panel.
There are many more articles about home solar power at Home Solar Info.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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