PV Gap

Bob Said:

What are some things that are made of Solar cells?

We Answered:

Silicon wafer based solar cells
Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cell
Polymer processing
Nanoparticle processing
Transparent conductors
Silicon wafer based solar cells
Infrared solar cells
UV Solar cells
3-D solar cells
Antireflective and all-angle coating
Metamaterials
Photovoltaic thermal hybrid
Dye-sensitized solar cell

Willie Said:

how could i power my house lights with solar cells?

We Answered:

The above answer is correct.

However, if all you want is lights, you can use a 12 volt system and skip the inverter. I don't know what is available for 12 volt lights, but I suspect there is quite a variety, used for autos and campers.

This means you can do the wiring as 12 volts is low voltage. You will need some sort of special wall mounted connectors, such as the cigarette lighter connecters used in autos, and matching plugs.

Note that higher currents will require heavy wire. A 100 watt 12 volt bulb will require 8 amps.

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Also consider emergency lighting systems or UPSs. These have internal batteries that charge from the AC line. When the AC power dies, they automatically turn on lights. These are a lot cheaper than solar panels, only a few hundred dollars.