PV Gap

Martha Said:

What are Amp-Hours in relation to Solar Power Batteries?

We Answered:

You cannot convert watts to amps, since watts are power and amps are coulombs per second (like converting apples to miles). If you have at least least two of the following three: amps, volts and watts then the missing one can be calculated. Since watts are amps multiplied by volts, there is a simple relationship between them.

Converting Watts to Amps
The conversion of Watts to Amps is governed by the equation Amps = Watts/Volts

For example 12 watts/12 volts = 1 amp
Converting Amps to Watts
The conversion of Amps to Watts is governed by the equation Watts = Amps x Volts
For example 1 amp * 110 volts = 110 watts

Converting Watts to Volts
The conversion of Watts to Volts is governed by the equation Volts = Watts/Amps
For example 100 watts/10 amps = 10 volts

Converting Volts to Watts
The conversion of Volts to Watts is governed by the equation Watts = Amps x Volts

For example 1.5 amps * 12 volts = 18 watts
Converting Volts to Amps at fixed wattage

The conversion of Volts to Amps is governed by the equations Amps = Watts/Volts
For example 120 watts/110 volts = 1.09 amps

Converting Amps to Volts at fixed wattage
The conversion of Amps to Volts is governed by the equation Volts = Watts/Amps
For Example, 48 watts / 12 Amps = 4 Volts

Amps are how many electrons flow past a certain point per second. Volts is a measure of how much force that each electron is under. Think of water in a hose. A gallon a minute (think amps) just dribbles out if it is under low pressure (think voltage). But if you restrict the end of the hose, letting the pressure build up, the water can have more power (like watts), even though it is still only one gallon a minute. In fact the power can grow enormous as the pressure builds, to the point that a water knife can cut a sheet of glass. In the same manner as the voltage is increased a small amount of current can turn into a lot of watts.

In theory 2 60 amp hour batts would give 120 amp hours but in practise it is not the case. The wiring has resistance, and you would probably never get the batts to accept a complete charge etc.

Angela Said:

Can you connect a lightbulb to solar powered batteries?

We Answered:

There is no such thing as "solar powered batteries"

There are solar arrays and solar cells, and they can be used to charge batteries.

solar cells put out about 1/2 volt each and the current depends on the size.

what is a "regular light bulb" ? decide what that is, and put solar cells in series or parallel to get that voltage and current. If this is a 110 volt bulb, it gets more complicated, as you need a battery and an inverter.

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Sheila Said:

does anyone know about solar power batteries?

We Answered:

it's possible you need new batteries. Just happened to my motorcycle batter over the winter.

When the lead plates oxidize, they lose their effectiveness as a battery, and this is more likely to happen when the battery voltage is low, and it's cold out (or the water level gets low). Try sealed batteries, that may reduce the maintenance a little.

Hazel Said:

Do you prefer to use calculators that run on solar power or batteries?

We Answered:

batteries because something might go wrong with the solar power. if there is then the solar power caluculator is no use. so i prefer batteries because, all we do is change the battery.

Seth Said:

Is there any kind of electrical outlet that is powered by either solar power or a batteries?

We Answered:

There are solar and battery powered Christmas lights. Check the links below.

Antonio Said:

Researchers. Why can't solar power be used to recharge hybrid car batteries?

We Answered:

The average car using 33.5 horsepower consumes about 25,000 watts. Assuming about 12 hours of daylight, and 1 hour of driving time per day, the total output of your solar cells would have to be about 2000 watts (25,000 / 12.)

Given that typical output of a solar panel is 12 watts per square foot, one would need about 167 square feet of solar panels to operate a car, which is about a 13 ft by 13 ft square. this is not unreasonable for a rooftop, but may be a bit costly.

However, the process of storing power in a car's battery, then using it to power a car is less efficient than directly using it in your home, as most solar panels are used.