Portable Solar Generators
What Is A Solar Power Generator?
A solar power generator is any device that is capable of harvesting sunlight and converting it to a useful working voltage, this can be DC (direct current) for charging storage batteries or AC (alternating current) which requires an inverter to convert DC to AC for running household items.
A charge controller, or charge regulator is basically a voltage and/or current regulator to keep batteries from overcharging.
It regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery. Most "12 volt" panels put out about 16 to 20 volts, so if there is no regulation the batteries will be damaged from overcharging.
Solar Panels
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A charge controller, or charge regulator is basically a voltage and/or current regulator to keep batteries from overcharging.
It regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery. Most "12 volt" panels put out about 16 to 20 volts, so if there is no regulation the batteries will be damaged from overcharging.
Charge
Controller
A power inverter takes DC and changes it to AC so that it can be used to power household items. The power inverter is one of the most critical components when sizing a system and yet it is the one component that makes a solar power generator ineffective for a given use. There are two types of inverters, modified sine wave and pure sinewave.
A pure sinewave inverter is recommended for senistive electronics such as modern day TVs, variable speed power tools.
Power Inverter
The battery is probably the weakest link in this chain of components. The most common storage battery used in power packs today is lead acid AGM (insulated glass mat), preferrably a deep cycle.
The down side to any lead acid battery is weight which makes it very difficult to transport. The limiting factor of almost all power packs is the capacity of the battery, measured in AH (ampere hours). A 100AH (ampere hour) battery weighs about 85 pounds.
Storage Batteries
LiFePO4 vs. Lead Acid
If you are using a 100 AH (ampere hour) lead acid battery you can expect to only be able to discharge this battery to within 50%, or about 50 AH. That is because lead acid batteries should not be discharged below this level without the risk of damaging the cells.
I recommend using LiFePO4 batteries (Lithium Iron Phosphate) in their place, they are safer, incredibly light and can be charged and discharged over a wider range quicker. Be warned...they are still a little pricey.