PV Gap

Derrick Said:

solar panel questions?

We Answered:

There are no financial benefits to buying solar panels. The cost is too prohibitive. That's why they are not common. If you want to do something, stop following the hype. The biggest bang for the buck is to conserve. Turn off your lights, live in a smaller house, turn down the heat and turn up the a/c. Walk more and drive less.

Tom Said:

Solar panel connected to battery ??

We Answered:

You really need a little more infomation about your battery. It should have a recommended range of charging current. You should not exceed that range. Your solar cells must be a higher voltage than the battery, but you should not connect the cells directly to the battery. First, you need a diode in the line to keep the battery from draining into the solar cells when there is no light. Second, you need a resistor to limit the charging current. You have a 3.6v battery. Let's say the charging current is 0.1A. Use a 5v solar cell and silicon diode. The diode will drop the cell voltage to 4.3v. The voltage across the resistor will be .7v for .1A current, you need a 7-ohm resistor.