PV Gap

Frank Said:

Solar Charge Car Batteries - for Energy Use How Do I proceed?

We Answered:

Sorry ! But here is the sad truth. By the time you buy batteries, buy a solar panel, buy a battery charger, buy twelve volt bulbs, you are going to have a large investment.
It will take years before you realize a savings over buying electricity from the power company
However if the building is in a remote area ,where commercial power is not available, you can purchase solar battery chargers from your nearby farm supply store or from J.C. Whitney out of Chicago,Illinois. The wiring schematics will come with the charger. It is easy.Good luck with the project.

Wallace Said:

is there any way to charge rechargeable batteries from solar energy?

We Answered:

Sorry to tell you that you can not recharge them for free.
The sunlight needs to be converted into electricity.
Considering the cost of continually buying new batteries, a solar recharger is a good investment.

Dave Said:

what devices would i need to recharge 9 volt recharge batteries using solar energy?

We Answered:

You would need solar cells with sufficient voltage to create more than 9 volts, and a diode to prevent the battery from discharging back through the cells during periods of little sunlight.

You can probably manage this with the cells from a bunch of solar garden lights (7 connected in series should do) and a Schottky-barrier diode or silicon rectifier.  If you cannot get a Schottky-barrier diode and have to use a conventional silicon rectifier diode, you may need an extra solar cell to compensate for the higher voltage losses.

Connect the cells in series, and add the diode with the cathode connected to the positive terminal of the battery and the anode to the + side of the solar cells.  Voila, improvised solar battery charger.