PV Gap

Lauren Said:

can i charge a duracell 600 battery through direct current from a solar panel?

We Answered:

You would attach the solar panel to the DC input socket on the Duracell 600. The specs are 2.5 amps (max) 12 volts (nominal). This would roughly equate to a 30 watt, 12 volt, solar panel. Note: you should also use a small charge controller with this setup.

Bruce Said:

i found a solar panel that makes 45 watts how many volts comes out of that its on harborfright.com please help?

We Answered:

I think that 45-watt kit is really 3, 15-watt panels. Each is of an appropriate voltage to charge a 12V car-type battery when directly connected. If you were to measure the voltage in bright sun when a battery was not connected, the voltage would be a little higher.

Just so you know, that 45-watt rating is very optimistic, and you're unlikely to get that much under realistic conditions.

Carole Said:

What do I need to use a solar panel to charge a deep cycle battery?

We Answered:

You should geta charge controller to keep the battery from overcharging and to keep the panel from discharging the battery at night. Something like http://www.altestore.com/store/Charge-Co…

Tiffany Said:

I would like to know if this 45 watt solar panel will run a small chest type freezer we bought from sear.?

We Answered:

No. You will need about 135 watts or so of solar power. Here is why:

That unit will use a motorized compressor and draw on the order of 150 watts (or so, 294KW/year per the specifications) when operating. That is about 1.5A at 120V. Your solar panel is making 45 watts at roughly 12V. But in any case, if you divide 294,000 watts (294 KW) by 45 watts (solar output), you will need 18 hours per day on average of sunlight. And if you are that far north (or south) in the summer, you will get very nearly nothing in the winter. The best you will get between the Tropics is 12 hours per day, and of that only about 8 hours will be useful. Allowing for normal weather, transfer losses, conversion losses - and you can see where you will need at least 135 watts of capacity and at least 50 AH of storage. More of both is better.