Getting started in Solar power


Using the Harbor Freight 45 watt solar kit for everyday use or grid down emergency.

25 thoughts on “Getting started in Solar power”

  1. I want to ask…can I use a wind turbine instead of solar for the same
    purpose?

  3. I have two of these same kits… on a wood frame I built. pvc cracks in the
    sun. Question: how do you put this in a faraday cage and still have
    openings to plug things in? Can you show me the faraday cage? I have
    three deep marine batteries on a 1K 2K watt inverter. ?

  4. How many Amps is your 90 Watt system actually providing you? I have the
    same (2 sets of panels) system, and it never, ever produced more than 1.5
    Amps. I have two deep cycle (NEW) batteries, with a Wattmeter (G.T.
    Powere 130A) in-iline with input.from panels to the controller. I also
    placed another Wattmeter in-line to the battery bank from the controller
    identifying very similar figures. I’m thinking the volts are floating
    without a load, But,under ‘different’ size loads 1.5Amps has been the
    highest I’ve gotten; Something I’m missing? When the weather clears I’ll
    check connections again. I’m thinking the system has a maximum rating of
    producing 7Amps so, 1.5 on a clear sunny day pointing directly at the sun
    =1.5 max??

  5. I have a dvr security system that I would like to use nonstop how man
    batteries and Panels would i need to power consistently. The system is a
    12v ?

  6. Very helpful advise and easy to follow. Thank you for taking the time to
    make this video. You have encouraged me to purchase this system (or one
    like it) and start learning.?

  7. 15 watt panel = about 1 amp . GREAT video you are so right solar scares
    people. I have had my setup so long the panels are actually silver and the
    controller has 3,6,9 volt and even came with a multi charging cable. This
    is a perfect system to get use to solar and learn what it can do and NOT
    do. Your setup is exactly what it’s made for small scale. Please get a
    battery box and get it away from anything that sparks.?

  9. Hi, you said you had 4 sets and 4 controllers but you only need two
    controllers. how do you hook up the two sets of panels to one controller
    ? Do you simply combine the wires in the back of one of the controllers ?
    Can the controller handle 80 watts ? ?

  10. Your power inverter needs to be a pure “sine wave”. The regular inverters
    can cause radio/tv noise, or damage sensitive electronics. Also to prevent
    theft, I went 24v input, & 24v panels. Also 2 systems, 220 for higher
    loads at 2500w & 110 at 1500w, for the stuff your doing. Your radios will
    last much longer?

  13. If I was going that direction, I wouldn’t go with that type of battery set
    up but rather an AGM deep cycle, AGMs last much longer, more stable, less
    mainatince and sotre more power. I work at batteris plus in PA if anyone is
    interested.

  14. getting 40 watt coleman system for $ 99 and getting 4 of them. have 3000
    watt inverter for $ 180. all i am missing is the batteries. hear golf cart
    batteries are because the designed recharge many times.

  16. Ping Pong, Do you happen to have any information on doing solar seperate
    from the grid? What I am hoping to do at my place is put in a hybrid system
    that is not directly tied to the grid. But I am wondering if there is a way
    to wire it so that if something happened I could flip over to grid power
    fairly quickly. Can you recommend anything or even just point me in the
    right direction?

  18. sorry I dont know about any small wind turbines. Ask OBXSOLWIND he is the
    expert on the subject of off grid power.

  21. I’ve started even smaller, just using a 12v scooter battery and a solar
    trickle charger. Have a couple sets of 12 volt LED lights and a 12 volt
    fan. Don’t have an inverter yet, but that’s the next addition. Its a teeny
    tiny setup, would do me next to zero good in a grid down anything, but its
    perfect for me to learn on. Thanks for helping to take the fear out of a
    daunting project!

  23. i bought 2 batterys 1 old battery in other 3 set with 3 panel to charge set
    too run 400 watt inverter computer/tv & dvd for camper the biger set will
    run camper’s gride off solar too! beside the house stuff!!!

  25. Looks like fun, how would someone take a few sets of those panels and
    connect them together to give better battery charging power? I’d like to
    start out small but would like to stick to a budget and add a few more
    panel kits as I go.

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