Redefining beginner...

wthiessen
wthiessen Registered Users Posts: 1
I work in Haiti and I'd love to have some information about purchasing a portable solar panel and a few batteries. (I think)
I am looking to use power only in the daytime, perhaps for 1-2 laptops and charging a few phones. We might even want to have a CD player running. Any ideas about what I would need to run such things?

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm guessing about 300 or 400W  of panels, two 6V golf cart batteries wired in series, and a 200-300W inverter.   And if it's a cloudy day, you turn it all off to not damage the batteries,
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    I agree with Mike--That would be a very nice, cost effective system to power your stuff.

    Here is a nice 300 Watt TSW 12 volt inverter that would work fine. There is a 230 VAC 50 Hz version available too if needed (special order in US?).

    http://www.solar-electric.com/inverters-controllers-accessories/inverters/moin/mosu300wasiw.html

    -Bill

    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    Agreed. As a variant, you could use DC converters for the phones and laptops.

    The golf carts run to 215Ah. Thus to get a 0.1C charge rate youd want roughly:=215Ah*0.1*12V/0.77 = 335Wp solar.
    Lets say you use 3x 110W 36 cell panels with Isc of 7.1A.
    Using a PWM controller such as the Morningstar Sunsaver, or Midnite Brat,
    Assuming you use half the power at night, adn the panels are well oriented and unshaded, and a tropical locale,
    that gets you around: =7.1A*3*13.6V*0.77 =223W (real world) * 4 sun hours/day * (0.5*1+0.5*0.8) = 800Wh/d
    Thats enough to run two 30W laptops for 13 hours, every day.




    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar