PV Gap

Richard Said:

Please tell me can solar panel, used to heat water, be used for lighting purpose, if yes, how?

We Answered:

I just wrote a rather lengthy answer to another solar power question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…

The short answer is...solar panels capture light energy and send the power to an inverter that converts it to the kind of power electrical devices need. Excess power is stored in batteries. The capacity of the inverter and the amount of stored energy determines how much power you can use and for how long. A 120W inverter, for example, will only power rather small devices, while a 750 or 1200W inverter can handle more. At the same time, larger draw devices will drain the batteries quicker, requiring larger battery banks for longer use.

That's about the simplest I can explain it.

Many people heat water using solar (radiant) heat via water-filled tubes on the roof. (Most of the homes in my residential neighbourhood have this...except us. We have geothermal at home. My next door neighbour has both solar/radiant heat tubes on his roof AND a geothermal heating system. We're planning to move soon, but our next home will probably have it all: geothermal heating/cooling like we have now, but also radiant water heating tubes on the roof, as well as solar panels.)

Solar power can, of course, be used to power the home, and any appliances within (such as the water heater, fridge, television, computer, etc.). Probably our lowest-draw item at our solar powered cottage are the CFL lights. (We specifically chose lighting fixtures that could accommodate the CFL bulbs, since not all do.) Those bulbs barely use any power and, if that's all we used, I doubt we'd ever run out of power. We could probably run our lights 24/7 on just solar. They're that efficient.

Irene Said:

can you use a solar panel to recharge a Rechargeable energizer battery?

We Answered:

The voltage and amperage from a solar panel comes from the panel at certain levels. As long as these levels are within the requirements of the charger then it will work; otherwise, it won't. There is no information given to help determine these variables.