solar bedroom

System

Hey guys,

I'm new here and I want to convert my bedroom to use solar electricity for the computer, monitor, tv, and a printer, and lights. Do you guys think one 120watt pv panel provides enough power for my bedroom?

thanks
-Ryan

System2

Re: solar bedroom

Hi Ryan,

Long answer: Buy or borrow a Kill-A-Watt meter. Measure the power (watts) used by each device. Determine how many hours a day each one will be used. Multiply the watts for each device by the on-hours for each device to get watt-hours. Add up all the watt-hours for all the devices. Then you can start sizing a photovoltaic system.

Short answer: Yes, with a battery and charge controller and inverter etc., but not for long.

icarus

Re: solar bedroom

Ryan,

A much shorter answer,,,no!

As Sage says,,,do the math.

Tony

System2

Re: solar bedroom

icarus wrote: »

Ryan,
A much shorter answer,,,no!

Your answer is, of course, more accurate.

- Rob

icarus

Re: solar bedroom

Ryan,

A bit longer answer. (I must be bored on a Sunday aft!)

We have ~200 watts of panel. We use about 400 watt hours all told to live in a very small house. That is lighting, water pumping, laptops, modem, satellite internet etc. We are very frugal about how much we use and WHEN we use electricity. Big draw items are on only when the sun is out for example.

Now in your room, doing a bit of the math. Say three CFL's @15 watts=45 for 6 hours/day=270 wh. Computer, laptop say 60 watts for 4 hours=240 wh. TV at say 100 watts, 4 hours=400wh. Printer (I have no idea, I use a portable with a battery in it) lets say 100 watts for 15 minutes=25wh. So you add all the wh up and you end up with ~935 if my math is right. Now assuming you would only run these during the day, you could (not in the real world) get those kw out of about 1200 watts worth of panel.

Since they wouldn't all be going at once, in this case your panel could be somewhat smaller,,,but. Since you are going to want to use some of these loads at night, you will need a battery to feed the load during the no sun hours. So now you have to add in charge efficiencies, inverter efficiencies, reserve for days when you don't get the batteries charged etc.

So the longest answer is consider what it is you are trying to achieve. If you are currently on the grid, you could consider a small grid tied system. That would be both cheaper AND a more efficient use of your solar dollar(s). You wouldn't be burning "your own" electricity all the time, but rather selling to the grid when you have excess and buying it back when you need it. (Way cheaper than a battery system)

If you are looking to build an UPS that will allow you to work during a power outage then a battery system is required. Think about what it is you want to do.

A side note, a lap top uses way less electricity than a desk-top and monitor. Another advantage is that you can use it at night, but recharge it during the day. If you are looking to get your toes wet with solar, you could also consider a lap top with a portable solar panel system to power it. I believe you can also charge cell phones and portable printers with some of them.

Good luck,

Tony

PS to Sage, I think my one word answers are better. Too bad I don't keep them to that more often!

System2

Re: solar bedroom

Tony,

I was tempted to give a two-digit answer: 42, but I am not sure how far Doug Adams has travelled in this forum.

-Rob

---
I think the problem is that the question was too broadly based..."
"Forty two?!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"
"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is.

icarus

Re: solar bedroom

Rob,

"Your not going to like it!"

Tony