Solar Power (step By Step)

[TOOLTIME]

I Just Built A Garage And Was Thinking Of Using Solar Power For Lighting And Or Light Tool Usage. Does Anyone Know Of Any Site That States How Solar Panels Work? Like After The Panels Turn Photons Into Electrons Where Does It Go From There. To A Battery, I Assume??

My Thoughts Are Kinda Like This...
Solar Panels To A Large Car/truck Battery, Then An Inverter From 12 Volt To Ac/dc Power. I Have No Clue About Electricity So Please Chime In If I Turned My Ideas Around.

Basically This Is What I Want To Do:
Go Into My Garage Turn On Some Lights...
Run The Radio
Maybe A Tv
Small Tools

Not All At Once Either

 

[HOTFR8]

I have two solar panels on my roof - that run the phone fax answer machine etc as well as the computer. You will need a controller ( otherwise direct connection of solar panels will kill a battery ) and some batteries designed to work with this type of system. Two Six Volts desigened to do this would be perfect. A decent inverter and not an old square wave either make sure you get one that will run a computer or electronics, Sine wave is a Must. My system also charges from the mains at night or if it is not a sunny day using a battery tender.

A couple of links fo you here on this forum.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9731
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10151
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11531

If you need more information just ask. The Guy that helped me set up my system was great and if anything goes wrong I just unplug the invertor and plug into the mains power. My Shed is wired with its own set up ie power points to a caravan power inlet and short extension lead from the invertor plugs into that fitting.

 

[TOOLTIME]

hey thanks for the info..just what i wanted to read about...

 

[kbs2244]

The is a mag call Home Power that is kind of the Popular Science for this kind of thing.

http://www.homepower.com

They have a series of "Basics" PDF files you can download on PV panels, Solar heat, burning wood, mathane, windmills. The whole alternative power range of things.

 

[toms73novass]

Quite often the most effective and cheapest use of solar would be for heating purposes. I put in radiant floor heating in my garage and I am working out plans to supplement with solar heat.

My plan is to put pannels on the garage roof and when the sun is shining pump thru the pannels to heat my floor. I have also thought about using them for dual purpose and flush out in the spring and use it to heat my pool......

I just have to work out the numbers and make sure that is cost effective at this point.