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Solar panels and products are now widely available, and a solar upgrade
to your home or cabin is heavily subsized in the more enlightened
states (see DSIRE's list of programs for state-by-state information).
Subsidized solar power seems a no-brainer, but for many people no
subsidy is available, and the cost-benefits of solar become
questionable. Note: Due to the caching technique of the provider whose links appear in the sidebar, 'random' products might appear rather than the solar selections that should. If you see this, refresh the page once or twice and the proper items will appear. Cost Consideration New solar panels at best will deliver a watt for around four dollars (at the time this was written) and should deliver near their stated output for around twenty years. Full use of solar will require high-end batteries, inverters, and a probably grid-tie to connect to the local electric company. Given the cost of electricity, these expenses might not be viable. But we should all consider what energy costs are likely to be over the lifetime of the panels. Current trends suggest energy will cost more as time passes, and the solar investment is almost totally up-front. (calculator) Solar Products Those who cannot consider full-scale solar might look into a partial approach. Low-end solar panels and solar lighting are available on Ebay (see sidebar listings) and via solar suppliers. These can be used to charge household batteries (see the solar-compatible 115/12 volt chargers in the sidebar and NiMH rechargeables), or 12-volt car/generator/tractor batteries. In fact, a properly-sized solar panel can pump water, run a fan, or support low-wattage (fhuoresent/LED) lighting. For such uses, one should avoid the tempting low-amperage panels and kits (unless you plan to wait serveral weeks for your generator to recharge). Practically speaking, a panel that produces less than 6-7 watts is fairly useless. However, highly portable "briefcase" panels can be found on Ebay (see sidebar) often for a reasonable price. These pump out 13 watts of eletricity in full sun -- enough to run a 12-volt fan or lighting, and can be daisy-chained to up the voltage. For a larger investment, a table of best prices on solar panels can be found on the web here. Panels currently available from Ebay vendors are shown in the sidebar. Inverters and Charge Controllers For most applications, you will need a charge controller to match panel voltage and current to your battery(ies) and prevent overcharging. The charge controller wattage must accomodate the maximum wattage of your solar panel/array. There are cases where you will need an inverter to convert the 12-volt output to 115-volt house current, but if at all possible, you should think 12-volt for solar lighting and equipment, since it is more efficient. Luckily, many products are made for this market, since most vehicles are 12-volt. Look for pumps, fans, lighting, and other equipment that draw the lowest amperage. Solar vendors offer 12-volt, high-efficiency refrigerators, freezers, and other products. |
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