PV Gap

Russell Said:

Would it be possible to run portable microwave oven on solar panels?

We Answered:

The micro wave demands a peak value of current for the short period that it is on. Batteries can easily supply a large amount of current to allow the operation of a micro wave. So if you wanted to power your micro wave directly using solar cells you would need a very large array that could supply the current demand. This is not very efficient as a micro wave is only operated briefly.

Instead you would use a smaller solar cell array that would charge up a 12 VDC battery for hours during the day. You then use the charged battery to power the microwave for the minutes it will ocassionally be used.

Since you would be using 12VDC devices (Micro wave & battery) you would not need much in the way of electronics to control the charging of the battery or the usage of power from it. (An inverter isn't necessary to make 110VAC)

All you would need at a minimum is a diode between the Solar Panel and battery to prevent battery discharge when the Solar panel isn't putting out enough power. The Solar Panel / Diode is connected directly to the battery to charge it.
The 12V micro wave would also connect directly to the battery and it will only draw power when turned on. Unless it has a clock built into it that requires a small amount of power. In this case you would connect and disconnect the micro wave as required to conserve power in the battery and use the micro wave only to heat food.

Brenda Said:

Where can I buy a small portable solar panel?

We Answered:

You can buy a small portable solar panel online for cheap from
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&…
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search?ie=UTF…

Patricia Said:

QUestion about portable Solar Panels.. Mine is 12v?

We Answered:

How many watts is the panel, and how many watts is the device you are powering and how long is it on a day? Let's say it's a 40W stereo that's on 3 hours a day. 40Wx3hours = 120Watt hours.

Now let's figure how much power the solar panel makes. If it is a 30W panel and gets 4 sun hours a day (not hours of sun, this is how long it gets the equivalent of a standard test condition), it probably gets closer to 2.5 or 3 sun hours in the winter, depending on where you are. 30W x 4 sun hours = 120Watt hours. Perfect, except there are losses in the system, so you need to figure around 30% loss overall, which brings you to 84wh. That's too small for your load.

A 12V sealed AGM battery can be used to store the power. You'd also need to calculate the size needed for that.

There is a calculator available to do a lot of this math for you. You need to figure out your load first, then enter the wh in this calculator. It will tell you what size panel and battery you need. http://www.altestore.com/store/calculato…

Natalie Said:

Ever thought of buying a portable solar panel for your laptop?

We Answered:

I have thought about it, one of the big problems that I have is the Internet connection.
however I do have a power inverter that i hook up to my car battery when the power goes off.
but where I live, there are not that many hot spots for Internet connection.
and i hear that hooking up to a satellite is expensive.

Karl Said:

how do i build a portable solar panels & batteries power supply for a travel trailer?

We Answered:

Site 1 - Solarex's "Lite" modules are a lightweight yet rugged range of photovoltaic panels designed to be slimline so that they are simple to install on flat surfaces and are semi-flexible to allow for a gentle curvature of a coach roof as on caravans and boats.

Claude Said:

Can a Enelop Sanyo portable solar panel generate enough energy to charge a netbook?

We Answered:

it would take severak hours