PV Gap

Darrell Said:

What size inverter do I need to take power from a 12v car battery to 110v?

We Answered:

For the chargers the smallest ones are fine. For the tools, look at the amp rating on them and multiply by 100 to get the volt-amps they need. To be exact, you should multiply by 120 but the precision of the tool rating doesn't warrant being that finicky. For example, if you are running a drill that is rated at 7.5 A it will take a 750 VA inverter to power it, and that will draw about 75A from the DC connection. However, the drill only draws that at full load so if you are not bogging it down it is likely to stay under 3A.

Inverters are not terribly efficient at low load, so stay with the smallest you can get away with. That may mean getting a small one, like 100 or 150 VA, for charging and a larger one just to power tools. Otherwise the solar panel will be hard pressed to keep up.

Billie Said:

How come being eco effecient cost a fortune?

We Answered:

Right now these eco-friendly products are fairly new, or in higher demand then they've ever been, and that's why the prices are high, but they are bound to go down. There are many eco efficient measures you can take though that don't cost much money at all. Also consider how much you will save by installing some of the eco-friendly features or driving a hybrid car - in some cases the amount you will save makes up for the higher price you pay, AND you're saving the environment at the same time! One more point: It is almost always much cheaper to build a green home then a traditional one, if research is done, the project is planned out, and all involved know what they are doing. The extra expense comes in when trying to turn a traditional building into an eco friendly one, but this is the price we have to pay if we want a more healthy and sustainable environment.

Pauline Said:

What if there was no gov't intervention in alternative energy.....?

We Answered:

Actually Solar and wind power would be more expensive then they currently are and other sources of energy would be cheaper as long as the environmentalists would stop using dirty tactics to stop any type of energy source.