PV Gap

Virginia Said:

what size solar panel, inverter and battery would i need to power a tv, dvd player and a couple of lights?

We Answered:

Great question.

I have been working the same solar system for use by my father for his Class A motorhome.

First, you want to buy some solar panels, 100 watts worth of Polycrystalline based units will do the job. They are great in low light conditions. Go with the frame mounted solar cells since they have high resale value and generally last years longer than foldable solar cells. You can pull them out of the campervan when you get to your destination and lay them on the ground. Of course, the fact that framed solar panels produce 50% more power per sqft helps as well in those forested situations. Here is some detailed discussion about a 50 watt solar panel: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…

Second, you need a bigger battery array to provide the required sustained power. Of course your campervan already has some so you already have a good base to build on. I suggest buying a Group 31 Gel Cel and a marine battery box from your local marine retailer. That will cost about $350.

Third and finally, you will need an inverter. You should be able to make out with a MSW (Modified Sine Wave) unit and they are about $100. Here is some discussion about how I installed my own: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…

Fourth, you need a $100 MPPT charge controller. The solar charge controller optimizes the incoming power from the solar panel and also actively conditions the battery. Here is some help with hooking it up: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…

Finally, all of this may sound complicated but once you start working with it, the results come quickly. I really enjoy having a working 12VDC to 120VAC solar array at my home. I use my system heavily on the weekends to power a refrigerator and portable boom box. Having a solar powered beer cooler has made me quite popular among the neighbors.

Yolanda Said:

solar panel inverters?

We Answered:

Investors in this ground-breaking technology include Rockport Capital Partners, Third Point Ventures and Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of solar equipment manufacturer Applied Materials.

Enphase Energy's CEO Paul Nahi said the company raised money earlier than expected due to strong demand for its microinverters.

So what are these microinverters?

The Enphase Micro-inverter shifts DC to AC conversion from a large, centralized inverter to a compact unit attached directly to each solar module in the power system.




Distributing the conversion process to each module makes the entire solar power system more productive, reliable, and smarter than traditional solar panel inverter systems.

Usually, one single inverter is dedicated to a rooftop array of panels for a homeowner. Enphase Energy, however, have built a DC-to-AC inverter that is placed on each single panel.

This makes it more reliable than a centralized inverter and more efficient, so panels can generate more electricity, Nahi said.

Enphase has already started shipping its microinverters and has tied up deals with several panel distributors and installers.

The future of inverters?

Enphase Energy has been able to improve the DC-to-AC conversion efficiency to around 95%.

Because of this, Nahi predicted more companies will turn to decentralized inverters.

"There's been very little question on the benefits of microinverters, but people didn't think it was possible to get the efficiency levels required," he said.

Now it seems that they have.

If you are looking for high quality, low price solar panel inverters please visit my UK store by clicking here. For our US store click here.

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Viola Said:

Can I connect a solar panel directly to an inverter?

We Answered:

Normally it is not connected directly because the voltage and current output from the panel is fluctuating as it is entirely dependent on the sun's rays.
So the solar panel is therefore connected via a "Charge Controller" to a 12V lead acid battery to charge it.
The battery is then connected to the inverter.