We frequently get the question about our solar panels –
“Are they 12v or 24v?“
This post answers that question and dispels old myths that haunt the solar industry.
The fact is that most people who are wondering if a panel is 12 volts or 24 volts have been told that solar panels must match the battery voltage. This is ONLY true if you are using a PWM charge controller.
With an MPPT charge controller, the voltage does not matter as the charge controller switches the power down to the right voltage for your batteries.
MPPT stands for Maximum Power Point Tracking. MPPT is a technology that allows the charge controller to observe and regulate the energy going from solar panel to the batteries. Solar panels show changeable outputs according to weather conditions. MPPT charge control devices can match the solar panel voltage with battery voltage to maximize the charge efficiency. In these systems, the full power of solar panels can be used by balancing between voltage and current according to the P = V x A equation. For example, the amount of current drawn from the panels reduced to protect the voltage when the weather is cloudy. When the weather is sunny, it is allowed to draw more current.
The primary difference between PWM and MPPT charge controllers is that the MPPT devices are more efficient. MPPT charge controllers are 30 % more efficient in charge efficiency compared to their PWM cousins. Panel voltage and battery voltage should be matched in PWM systems. In MPPT systems, the panel series are allowed to have higher voltage than batteries. This means more flexibility for system growth.
MPPT charge controllers are a little more expensive compared to PWM, but their efficiency greatly outweighs this small extra cost. With this extra efficiency, you get extra features that make life with solar easier, such as wifi, large LCD screens (sometimes color), better heat dissipation, and battery temp monitoring. Also, MPPT charge controllers are usually a lot safer due to having better build quality.
Another issue facing PWM charge controllers is that they are usually cheap in both price and build quality. We have seen many examples of cheap PWM charge controllers that have had a catastrophic internal short causing the unit to literally melt down. A charge controller the size of the thermostat in your Kitchen is not going to be reliable. Here are some examples:
In summary, there’s no need to worry about the voltage of your solar panels if you choose a modern and efficient MPPT charge controller for your solar system.
Many beginners start their research into solar power with the goal to power their homes with solar panels. While this is a fantastic end goal for most consumers, it sometimes leads solar users to overlook useful small-scale implementations of solar power.
The following projects can give a new solar power user important experiences before they make the leap to powering their entire home with solar energy. We’ll be sharing a few of these common clever uses for solar power that you can implement with relatively minimal experience and oversight.
All of the pictures in this article were sent to us by customers, so these are real projects that you can really do!
Solar Panel Kits
We’ll be powering each of the projects below with a solar panel kit like the one linked below:
Before we begin, we’ll be giving a brief description of the important pieces of this kit.
The Solar Panel is the central piece of this kit. The panel is what we set out in the sun to gather solar energy needed to power your solar appliances. It’s understandable for newbies to want to simply connect your panel to your appliance or a 12V battery. After all, solar panels give energy, right? However, most applications need a specific voltage or they’ll be damaged or non-functional.
If we want to store solar energy in batteries, we have to be extra careful. Lead-acid batteries are designed to only accept a certain size of charge, shouldn’t be overcharged, and shouldn’t be discharged to less than half-capacity. How do we ensure that all that happens? We do that with the second important part of the kit:
The Solar Charge Controller is placed between our solar panel and battery or appliance. The solar charge controller ensures that only the appropriate voltage is allowed to pass through from the solar panels. The solar charge controller can also ensure that batteries are not discharged below safe levels.
Depending on your application, you may need to purchase an additional Battery, not included in this kit. There are several types of batteries, from lead-deep cycle to 6-volt golf cart batteries, to expensive lithium batteries. To read more about batteries or the parts of your solar kit, you can read our articles here:
A relatively simple solar setup in a shed or garage can ensure that your power tools always have fully charged batteries, regardless of the electrical grid’s status. To charge your power tools, we’ll need to add one extra piece of equipment, an Inverter. Inverters take the direct-current(DC) energy from your battery and convert it into the alternating-current(AC) that most outlets use.
With this setup, you can install your solar panel to the roof of your shed, then pass wires inside the structure to your solar charge controller. From there, you can pass the wires through to your battery and inverter. Not all inverters are created equal, so be sure to buy one that can handle the power load that your battery charging station will draw.
Freeing Your RV From Campsites/RV Boondocking
One of the most common and useful applications for solar power is installation into RVs. Most RVs typically contain two kinds of batteries. 12-volt car batteries, used for the engine and headlights, and 12-volt lead deep-cycle batteries for everything else. Car batteries are designed to deliver huge amounts of power all at once (like for turning over the engine.) Lead deep cycle batteries are used to power all of the appliances inside an RV.
The capacity of an RV’s deep-cycle battery is typically the limiting factor for “boondocking” away from campsites in an RV. While an RV’s water tanks can provide water for up to two weeks, it’s not uncommon for an onboard deep-cycle battery to only power appliances for two to three days. Solar panels can greatly extend the amount of time your RV can stay away from hookups.
RVs have a few advantages over other solar setups in that they already contain several important pieces of equipment. Because your RV’s battery runs on 12 volts of direct current, most RV’s will include an onboard inverter to provide 120V of alternating current to your microwave, TV, or outlets.
This inverter typically is connected to a set of circuit breakers to increase safety. It’s possible to tap into these electrical lines with your solar setup to provide free recharging with solar power.
The first step to incorporating solar power into your RV is to install the panels. Most people choose to install the panels on top of the roof, occasionally incorporating frames that can tilt to better catch sunlight.
After the panels are installed into the roof of the RV, the wires should go to the solar charge controller. This should be placed somewhere easily accessible so you can check the battery level and the current flowing from your panels to the RV.
After you’ve connected your panels to the solar charge controller, you should wire them to your battery bank. There are various ways to accomplish this that vary depending on the location and setup of your specific model of RV. Check the schematics for the best places to make contact with either your battery bank or wires connected to your battery bank.
Be sure to incorporate extra breaks for safety. You’d rather go through the headache of switching a fuse than the headache of an electrical short and potential fire!
Solar Pool Pumps
Another common use for solar power is to use it to power pool pumps. A pool pump that doesn’t draw any extra power from the grid will save you money in the long term. If you have a modern pool pump, especially one that was designed to work with solar power, switching to solar power will save you on your monthly electric bill.
Many solar pumps run on direct current (DC), so no inverter is needed to connect them to your solar panels. You should be sure to use a solar charge controller to limit the incoming voltage, however. Solar panels can give off variable energy when it’s cloudy or raining, so it’s important to check that your pump won’t break or wear out when supplied with variable energy.
Obviously, your pool pumps won’t work at night. However, most pools will stay clean with pumps that work over the course of a sunny day. You’ll also find that your pool pumps will work for more hours during the longer summer days, which is convenient as your pool will see greater use during the hot summer.
Solar Powered Golf Carts
If you’ve ever been on a college campus or a large ranch, you know how convenient a golf cart can be for quickly getting around. Golf carts are used for the transportation of people and materials in a wide variety of locations and settings around the country. They’re used by security patrols, farmers, and camp counselors.
Adding a solar panel or two to the roof of your golf cart can greatly extend the battery life between charges. While a fully-charged golf cart typically has a range of 30-45 miles before needing a recharge, a golf cart with a solar panel setup has theoretically infinite range (provided you let it sit in the sun between uses!)
Golf carts are great candidates for solar systems because they run on a direct current (DC) system. As before, we’ll need our panel, a solar charge controller, and connections to the golf cart’s battery bank.
Our solar charge controller will regulate our charging voltage depending on your golf cart’s rating. Some carts operate at 36 volts, and some at 48 volts. You’ll want to make sure your charge controller is rated for the appropriate voltage.
After installing your solar panel(s) onto the roof of the golf cart, run the wires down to the battery bank. Connect them to your charge controller, then onto the battery bank’s positive and negative leads.
Solar Powered Air Conditioning
While solar-powered air conditioning technology has massively advanced in recent years, it’s still a relatively new technology. The main issue is that air conditioning units require a lot of energy to function. That means that, unless you’ve invested in a significant battery bank, you’ll likely only be able to power your air conditioning units during the day. In some climates where nights are cool, this may not be a terrible idea.
Luckily for the rest of us, there are hybrid air conditioning units. During the day when energy is most expensive, hybrid air conditioning units draw their power from solar panels. When night falls alongside energy costs, these hybrid units draw their power from the electrical grid to continue cooling your rooms.
These hybrid units are still a relatively new and expensive technology. If you’re planning on investing in these units, it may be in your best interest to look into powering your entire home with solar power. You can read more about powering your home on-grid by reading our article here:
For many beginners, planning out a small project like the ones listed above is a great way to dip your toes into solar energy. Installing a few panels onto your shed will allow you to power your power tools alongside some LED lights, and will teach you how the different pieces of equipment interact. Connecting a solar panel to your pool pump or golf cart will lower your energy costs and, in the case of the golf cart, extend the time between recharges.
Once you’ve learned a few things about solar power, a larger project would be to install panels onto the roof of your RV. This will allow you to dry camp and leave the civilized world behind without worrying about your microwave or TV running out of juice.
Before starting any of these projects, we highly recommend searching for a video tutorial or reading one of our guides. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s better to spend a few hours learning rather than getting shocked. We like to say measure twice, cut once.
Here Are The Top 5 Companies Making the Switch to Solar
Thinking about the benefits of solar energy? So are a lot of the world’s largest companies. Whether the goal is to reduce carbon emissions, qualify for tax benefits, or reduce electricity bills, both companies and you benefit from renewable energy.
Anheuser-Busch
The world’s largest brewing company, Anheuser-Busch, is making the change to sustainable energy. The company already uses wind power to make its beers, and just announced plans to work with a solar developer to build a 2,000 acre solar farm en Pecos County, Texas.
Anheuser-Busch originally planned to have all American-made beers brewed exclusively with renewable energy by 2025, but with the solar farm’s completion in 2021, they’ll be four years ahead of schedule.
“Sustainability is our business, because we rely on crops and water in order to have our final product,” said Michel Doukeris, CEO. Other brewing companies are also working to be eco friendly – MillerCoors installed their own solar panels in 2015, which will reduce carbon emissions and water consumption by almost 700 million gallons in the next 30 years.
Walt Disney World
The most magical place in the world is also becoming greener! Walt Disney World announced a second solar plant in April, and with 270 acres, it’s twice the size of Magic Kingdom Park. The 500,000 panel and 50 megawatt farm will generate enough energy to provide up to 25% of Walt Disney World’s electricity. That’s the equivalent of “removing 10,000 cars off the road”, according to Angie Renner, Environmental Integration Director of Disney Parks
The plant will follow a smaller 22-acre solar installation built in 2016 near EPCOT shaped like Mickey Mouse. “It’s been a lot easier [for companies] to be cost effective as well as to meet the goals of renewable energy,” said John Giddens, director of Reedy Creek, the Walt Disney World Resort district.
“I hope everyone is as excited as we are to harness the power of the sun and about this new renewable facility that’s helping bring magic and clean energy to the Disney Resort”, added Renner.
Google
Google has also added more solar plants to support their data centers. Construction in Alabama and Tennessee began in January to build two enormous plants that will generate up to 413 megawatts, enough to supply almost 80,000 houses!
The solar parks will have 1.6 million panels total and are the largest plants ever built for Google.
“We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it. After years of hard work we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone,” said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. “We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.”
Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, California, became the largest office to be certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in the U.S. last year. The rooftop solar installation provides 17 megawatts that go to the public grid during low-use times. Now that’s a good neighbor!
Walmart
Walmart’s been working to put their slogan of “Save Money. Live Better.” in practice for twelve years through solar energy – they’re constantly adding solar panels and plants to supply their stores throughout the states and Puerto Rico. In the last year, Walmart announced new solar energy projects in California, South Carolina, Illinois, Alabama, and other states, inching them closer to their 2025 goal of half their energy being supplied through renewable energy source.
“Our work in renewable energy is an ongoing process, one that we are fully committed to because the future of the environment depends on it—and our customers deserve it”, wrote David Ozment, Walmart’s Energy Director.
Commercial and Residential Benefits
Whatever your interest in solar panels, with Rocket City Solar you can get the same benefits with our solar panels that companies get with large solar installations. Visit our page to get more information, contact us, or buy panels that will save the environment and your wallet.
Looking Into Solar but Afraid of the Upkeep? Let’s Talk Panel Maintenance!
So you’re looking at solar panels and you’re wondering about the upkeep – do you need to clean them? How often? Which products should you use?
Well, first of all – good news! You probably don’t need to clean them at all! Sure, your panels might be dusty or dirty and have some very slight productivity loss (about $20/year at most for an average home system if you don’t clean them), but the occasional rain will take care of it for you.
If your panels look a little dusty but they’re still performing the same, it’s probably better to just leave them alone – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
“…you can clean your panel like a window…”
It’s worth checking with your solar providers to find out if they have any specific recommendations, or if any maintenance services come included with the initial purchase or installation price tag.
Of course, there are a number of situations that can get your panel dirty to the point you need actual maintenance. Let’s take a look at problems and solutions.
(Disclaimer: please keep in mind that if you have a rooftop solar installation, you may need to hire professionals for safety’s sake. Also, we don’t recommend doing this in the afternoon when it’s hot and sunny – the panels can burn your hands and dry too fast to clean well. Whatever you choose to do, please be safe!)
My panels are dusty and I live somewhere that doesn’t get a lot of rain.
This one’s easy – just hose off your panels. (Don’t power-wash them, you can damage the panels.)
My panels are still dirty after getting rained on/hosed off.
There might be lots of dirt, bird poop, or other debris on your panel. In that case, you can clean your panel like it’s a window. Mix warm water and mild soap (like dish soap – don’t use laundry detergent!), and wash the panels gently with a soft cloth or sponge. You may not even need soap – water typically works just fine. The most important thing here is not to scratch the panel. You don’t need to clean the cables.
My panels are covered in snow.
Since panels are typically slanted and facing the sun, the snow should melt off on its own and you’ll be good to go. If your panels are laid flat or if the snow’s not melting, consider getting a solar panel snow rake to softly slide snow off. Don’t use a normal broom or snow shovel to try to knock snow off, you might scratch your panels!
My panels are covered in leaves/debris that won’t blow off.
Like snow, you can get a roof brush (find one that’s recommended for solar panels) and just slide the leaves off.
“…there are self-cleaning solar systems you can buy…”
I want to wash my panels, but my water is hard water.
If your water is mineral-heavy, you made need to squeegee your panel hard to keep deposits or streaks from being left on the panel.
I can’t/don’t want to clean my panels.
There are self-cleaning solar systems you can buy for a bit more. Also, check with your solar providers or installers to find out if any periodic maintenance is included with your panels.
Ok. Anything else I should know?
If you do choose to clean your panels, check the productivity before and after. You may notice a difference, or you may not – something worth keeping in mind. It might not be worth all the trouble of regularly setting up a ladder, climbing up to the roof, and washing large panels under a hot sun for a barely noticeable increase in savings.
I can’t/don’t want to clean my panels.
There are self-cleaning solar systems you can buy for a bit more. Also, check with your solar providers or installers to find out if any periodic maintenance is included with your panels.
Wrapping Up
How much maintenance you put into your panels is up to you, but generally you don’t need to clean them at all. Install your panels, then sit back and enjoy producing your own clean, sustainable energy.
Recently there has been an increasing buzz about solar panels as more and more individuals and companies decide to adopt solar panels as their primary source of energy. Google Search Trends show an impressive increase of solar panel interest in the last five years. Between Apple installing them on their new headquarters and recent news of Walmart suing Tesla over potential negligent installation, the news has a new solar story every day!
But what are solar panels and how do they work?
Let’s start at the beginning.
What is a solar panel?
Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic cells, are tools used to capture heat from the sun and convert it into electricity.
Ok that seems pretty simple, but how does it work?
The simple explanation is that the panels are made up of smaller components called cells. These cells are made of silicon, and placed in rows on the panels. These cells are semiconductors that collect and convert solar energy (sunlight) into electricity.
The absorption of this solar energy knocks electrons out of place, allowing them to flow freely in a current. This current is directed to metal inside the panels, which can then be directed out of the panel and into another appliance.
This current is now electrical energy flowing in a Direct Current or DC. In your house you use AC or Alternating Current, so the DC energy needs to change to AC energy for you to be able to use it in your house. To convert DC to AC you’ll use an inverter. The inverter will change the energy, and then you can use it to power your home!
In conclusion: silicon cells absorb sun light, which is channeled and converted into usable AC energy through an inverter, then sent to your appliances or to a storage device like a battery for later use.
If you want to see a more in depth explanation check out this pdf from how stuff works! This is one of the documents we recommend to those new to solar! http://igs.nigc.ir/STANDS/ARTIC/SL-01.PDF
When you’re constantly out on the open road and enjoying nature, have you ever thought about going solar on your travels?
Make The Change To Solar
If you are frequently camping or RVing, are you always connecting to the grid? Isn’t it expensive and exhausting? If you’re out road tripping, you shouldn’t feel constrained to campgrounds or RV parks while making your journey. Luckily, switching to solar can change all of that. Go wherever your heart desires, be free and independent, and travel anywhere and everywhere. Going solar can change your life.
By switching to solar energy options, you can have access to the electricity you need no matter where you journey to. Traveling with solar provides you with a renewable energy source anywhere that has sunlight, without having to connect to any other sources. It’s easier than you think, eco-friendly, and it’s just what you need for your traveling necessities. Here’s how you can do it:
How to Travel with Solar
1.Calculating your Energy Needs
Know how much energy you need to power your appliances, so you know which system you’ll need to set up
There are a variety of ways to calculate your needs, but first you want to know how much power your appliances will be consuming. To calculate this consumption, find out how much wattage your appliances are using. ( e.g. A TV could be utilizing 80 watts- this could be found on the electrical label). Next, you take that number and multiply it by how many hours you’ll use it per day. So if you use the TV for 3 hours, you would be using 240W per day (3 hrs x 80 W). This process would be done for all your appliances. (If you have one 250W panel, that’ll produce 250 watts for every hour of direct sunlight, or more than three TVs worth of electricity every hour.)
Then, you need to know how much energy the panels are generating over time and how much energy your battery system will hold
You will have to decide where to put the panel: mounting it on the roof is common, but what if you want your panel to be mobile? Most of the time, people will store it in their camper or RV and take it out when necessary.
3. Setting It Up
Once you know where the placement of your panels is, you can begin the process of connecting all of the equipment necessary for your system. The system you use will determine the best way to set it up. Most systems use the same equipment (as seen in the picture below) such as a battery bank, an inverter or even a charge controller, depending on your voltage.
3. Enjoying Your Solar Life
Once everything is all set up and connected to everything you want/need, enjoy your sun-powered renewable energy!
Worth The Cost
We all know that going solar can be an expensive investment, however, in the long run the benefits of solar will prove to be worth the cost. It’s a well calculated risk that’s absolutely worth it, because with solar you’ll have the freedom to travel anywhere life takes you while still having the electricity to operate your appliances. Camping, hiking, RVing, or anything your imagination brings will become your freedom once you harness the power of the sun.
Exactly how much do solar panels wear out over time?
While solar panels degrade a little every year from exposure, they’ll last you decades and they’re an excellent investment, new or used.
Efficiency vs. Lifespan
If you’re shopping around for the best solar panels to buy, then you know that efficiency and lifespan are factors you should keep in mind.
First off, it’s important to know the distinction between efficiency and performance. Efficiency refers to how well the panel converts sunlight into energy – most of it is lost. Even with all the technological advances made in the last few decades, most panels range in efficiency from about 15-24%, depending on the manufacturer and kind of panel. Performance, on the other hand, refers to how much of the panel’s maximum power output you’re getting. New panels start out at almost 100% and after 20 years drop to around 80-90% performance, depending on the manufacturer and panel.
To sum it up: efficiency is about how good the solar cells are at converting light to electricity and that’s a low percentage, and performance is about how well a panel continues to generate power as it ages, and that’s a high percentage.
Keep in mind, efficiency ratings may sound impressive, but record-setting panels typically achieve those rates in specific laboratory situations. If you need a 250W panel, any well-made 250W panel will get you that power. Typically, efficiency matters when you want fewer, more powerful panels to fit on your limited roof space.
Degradation
Ok, now that you understand the difference between efficiency and performance and what those terms mean, let’s talk about degradation. Panels are built to withstand high and low temperatures, snow, hail, and other hazards, but they’ll still break down a little over time. Gradual decreases in your panel’s performance can be caused by UV exposure, bad weather, scratches, or other causes. A pretty standard rule of thumb is to expect a 3% decrease in the panel’s first year, and then about a 0.5% drop every year after that. This can vary depending on location – panels in a moderate climate might only have a 0.2% drop every year. Other conditions might worsen up that decrease – such as cracks in the glass or moisture in the cells.
Degradation
So now you might want to know what kind of output you can expect from your panels 25 years from now. We don’t quite know either – technology has improved rapidly enough that it’s tricky to predict how well panels made now will function in 20 or 30 years. Solar panels can be surprisingly durable – the world’s first modern solar panel still works, a panel made in 1979 actually outperformed its original factory specifications, and many other older panels still function well even after their warranty expired.
Alright, so panels are a good long-term investment. Which panels are the best though? Well, that’s up to you to decide depending on which factors are most important to you – whether you want top of the line panels or less expensive but still dependable panels.
We have a number of used, overstocked, and refurbished solar panels. Given how well panels continue to perform after a few years, you could save a lot of money and still find the high-quality, high-efficiency panels you need. All our panels are checked and tested to make sure they’ll still work well for you, and come at a much lower price than new panels. Learn more about the benefits of used panels here, see which panels we have in stock here, or contact us here if you have more questions
Planning on switching to solar energy? Take advantage of tax breaks and rebates available in your state!
Wondering which government financial incentives you’ll qualify for if you decide to go solar? Take a look below to see which tax breaks and bonuses you’ll get from the federal and state governments.
Federal Solar Tax Credit/Investment Tax Credit:
In 2005, the Energy Policy Act was enacted, giving people a 30% tax credit from the installation of their solar systems.This means that for the total cost of your solar project, you’ll get 30% back as a credit towards your taxes. For example, say you paid $10,000 for the whole installation – you’ll have $3,000 taken off your federal taxes. This means that if you owe $5000 on your taxes, that $3000 will be taken out of that cost, and therefore you’ll only be paying $2000 instead. That’s a pretty sweet deal, right? (It’s one of the reasons we recommend buying instead of leasing, as the legal owner of the panels gets the tax credit.)
Want to take the government up on that offer? Unfortunately, the tax credit will only stay at 30% this year, because next year in 2020 it starts dropping off. If you want to take advantage of the credit, build fast. The credit will only be 26% in 2020, 22% in 2021, and 0% in 2022 (10% for commercial projects).
To claim the credit, just make sure it’s on your annual federal tax refund. The form you’ll need to complete is the IRS 5695. You’ll get the credit amount for the year you completed the construction, so panels that you bought in 2020 but installed on your house on 2021 will only get you a 22% tax credit.
State
Most states offer a mountain of incentives, benefits, and rebates if you choose renewable energy, and there’s too many to fit them all here. Instead, check out the link below for resources to find out which perks you qualify for in your state or county.
Our team at RocketCity Solar often receives various questions regarding anything solar related. We often get asked what you need to install solar panels, the amount of panels you need to start your solar journey, what the right panel is for your solar project, etc. Our teams does their best at answering these questions and below you’ll see the most frequent questions we receive. Take a look at the questions below and see if we answered your doubts.
What do I need to install solar panels on my RV, van, trailer, etc?
You don’t need much to get started on your solar journey and RocketCity Solar makes it easier for you with our Solar Panel Kits. We provide the essentials to get started and make your life a bit easier. What you essentially would need is solar panels, charge controllers, MC4 parallel pigtails, MC4 inline fuse, circuit breaker, Z brackets, PV wire, and MC4 connectors.
Charge controller
Charge controllers prevent battery overcharge. They regulate the current traveling from the solar panel to the battery.
MC4 parallel pigtails
MC4 parallel pigtails are perfect for connecting multiple panels together in a solar field, and are typically used in parallel applications. These come in 2 to 1, 3 to 1, and 4 to 1.
MC4 inline fuse
An inline fuse provides protection for electrical equipment and the MC4 inline fuse is used to provide protection to solar panels wired in parallel.
Circuit breaker
Circuit breakers are designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage which is caused by excess current from an overload.
Z brackets
Z brackets are used to mount panels to flat surfaces. They’re ideal for RV, Marine, Boat, Car, and Home applications.
MC4 Connectors
MC4 connectors are simply used to connect solar panels together easily.
I need to charge 12V batteries, do you sell 12V panels?
Unfortunately, we don’t sell 12V panels but our panels can still be used with 12V systems with the use of a MPPT charge controller. We have many solar panels ranging from 250W to more than 400W!
How many watts do I need for my RV, van, trailer, etc?
The amount of watts you may need for your RV, van, trailer, etc. depends on your energy needs. Whether that be powering your fridge, microwave, blender, TV, etc. To calculate how many watts a certain appliance uses you need to do some calculations.
How many panels do I need to charge my battery bank? (Panels are measured in watts, battery banks in amp hours)?
The amount of panels you may need to charge your battery bank depends on the wattage of your panels and the voltage of your battery bank. Our solar calculator can help answer this too.
How many panels do I need to run my house?
The amount of panels you may need to run your house depends on your energy needs. Whether that be powering your fridge, microwave, blender, TV, etc. Some factors to consider are your electricity usage, sunlight hours your house receives and your budget. You can calculate how much energy you use by looking at your electricity bill. On there it will show you how many kilowatt hours you used this last month.
You also have to consider how many hours of direct sunlight your house gets a month and how much you want to spend. We have a informative article that will help you answer those questions.
When you decide to use solar energy, it’s important to choice the correct system to satisfy your needs. You face the decision of staying connected to the electrical grid, disconnecting from it or sticking to a combination of both. We’re here to help you decide what works best for you and to finally answer … What is the difference?
On-Grid
If you decide to stay on the grid, that means that your system will be directly connected to the electrical grid that powers the community. This give source of energy to compensate for any power loss if your solar system stops working for any reason. For the public services of the local grid, this connection would allow for any solar energy that your system generates to combine with that grid and then the members of the local community could use it.
Being connected to the local grid and returning the energy could qualify you for credits in compensations for the electricity your system generates depending on where you live.
Although the the solar systems connected to the grid don’t work when there’s a power outage because it can be dangerous for the electricians who work bringing the electricity back from the outage.
Anyways, if you’re connected to the grid, check in with your company of local services about how to proceed.
Off-Grid
Choosing an off-grid system means completely disassociating your system from the local power grid, which then means that your panels are independently producing energy for your electricity. Most people who use off-grid systems are those who travel, specifically in an RV or camper, people who don’t have access to the grids, or simply those who want to rely completely on their own system for power.
Choosing an off-grid system means completely dissociating your system from the local power grid, which then means that your panels are independently producing energy for your electricity. Which also means that this requires extra equipment because you need to assure yourself that this generates enough energy for your needs in all climate circumstances.
On the other side, if something is wrong with your system, you would find yourself without access to a backup energy source and might have to buy an energy generator.
Hybrid
A good half-point is a hybrid system like an electric car, a hybrid system combines the best of both systems and allows the owner of the property to be self-sufficient and at the same time have a strong backup source of energy.
Whatever your decision is, we can help you design your ideal system and provide you with all of the solar panels you could need to start.
