PV Gap

Julian Said:

any one know about electricity "solar panels"?

We Answered:

The charger will accept whatever current is necessary from the solar panel up to 7A. It's not like the solar panel will "force" 12amps into the charger/battery -- the charger will control the current going to the battery.

I question whether or not the 12V panel will actually charge the battery, though, because in order to charge a standard lead-acid 12V battery you need to have about 14.5 volts applied to the terminals. Perhaps the charger has a boost circuit -- I don't know without looking at it or knowing the brand/model number, etc.


The timer must be 12VDC, but, if you only have a timer that is rated for 120VAC, you can buy a small inverter that will take 12V and supply the necessary 120VAC. An inverter rated for 20 to 50 Watts should be sufficient. These usually cost under US$25.

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Nancy Said:

How much of the US's electricity currently comes from Solar Panels?

We Answered:

Determine your incentive level. The California Solar Initiative provides for incentives on the state level in California. The incentive levels vary depending on if you're a residential, commercial nonprofit or governmental entity. Other states such as New York and New Jersey also have excellent rebate incentives, more information which can be found at Dsireusa.org by clicking on your state.
The Federal government provides a 30 percent federal tax credit. Consult your accountant to see if you're eligible for the tax credit. More information can be found at Dsireusa.org.
In many cases both the rebate and tax credit can offset roughly 40 to 70 percent of the cost of the system installed--more if you do the installation yourself. Additionally commercial systems are eligible for MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System), or more simply known as accelerated depreciation.
Utility rates vary by location, so there's no generic answer to the much asked "payback" question. For residential customers, it's usually between eight and 15 years if if installed by a contractor, financed monthly and compared only to your actual electric bill. Commercial customers may see paybacks as quick as three to six years.