Portable solar generator project

BB.

Re: Portable solar generator project

Some links to solar powered golf cart discussions:

Solar Powered Golf Cart
Solar Power for EZ GO Golf cart
Charging 36V golf Cart battery bank with 3 12V panels

Possible--Yes. Practical--Depends on your needs/expectations.

Solar Panels do not collect that much power... Just a wild guess, depending on vehicle/usage, you are looking at 200-500 WH per mile. A 300 watt array would supply, roughly:

300 watts * 0.62 DC system efficiency * 4 hours per day of sun (9+ months of year) * 1/250 WH per mile = 3 miles per day for 300 watts of solar power (very rough estimate)

A 315 watt solar panel is around 66"x52" in size (not small). There are other issues of matching panel voltage to battery bank/charge controller voltages--But that is a quick back of the envelope calculation.

-Bill

inetdog

Re: Portable solar generator project

survivor wrote: »

Tell me something: I like the idea of building this solar powered battery charger thing; Not being an electrician but being open to suggestions, tell me if my idea is workable:
I see where this solar panel will run a battery charger! I have a battery charger for my golf cart. I know the solar panel will not run the golf cart, but if i could mount the solar panel on the roof of the cart and use it to run the battery charger would this not work to have a solar powered golf cart? Input please!

Your basic idea is workable, but the numbers do not work out. (Also you would need a charge controller designed for PV input, rather than using your existing charger which requires AC input.)

The largest set of panels you could put on the golf cart would deliver enough power to help charge the batteries while the cart is sitting still or to slightly reduce the current drain from the batteries while the cart is in use. But you would still need to hook up an external charger regularly. So you would have a solar assisted cart, not a solar powered one. And the cost of the panel system will almost certainly not be justified by the electric power you save.

It would look cool though!

survivor

Re: Portable solar generator project

Thanks! Appreciate your input! Maybe one of these days it will be more possible, what do you think?

inetdog

Re: Portable solar generator project

survivor wrote: »

Thanks! Appreciate your input! Maybe one of these days it will be more possible, what do you think?

Only if the efficiency of solar panels goes from ~20% to more like 80%. I am not holding my breath.

The other downside, BTW, is that you have to park the cart in the sun!

BB.

Re: Portable solar generator project

It depends on your needs... Golf carts will probably not become that more energy efficient (20% improvement is probably a big deal and would not be cheap).

Then you look at the panels--Commercial panels average around 13-18% (maybe) efficient... To get double (near 40%) efficiency from the panels, you would be looking at panels that are currently 10-100x as expensive.

There are lots of ways to address the problem (such as a solar powered charging station with all the panels/backup battery bank/or grid tied solar you need).

May not make sense if you have grid power (just get a genset and stored fuel for days-weeks of backup power)--but if you are 100 miles from the middle of no-where, then it may be worth the effort/costs for you.

If you are "prepping" for the next major storm/collapse of civilization--Then only you can decide what will make $en$e for you and your family.

Remember that batteries and electronics age/fail over time (batteries ~3-10 years; inverter/charge controller/electronics fail after ~10+ years). Installing a large system for emergency/backup power (vs off grid or grid tied system) is usually very difficult to justify expense/maintenance wise.

Just as a starting point, off grid solar power costs around $1-$2+ per kWH (9+ month usage per year). Utility power is about 1/10th that amount.

Grid Tied power is close (and sometimes cheaper) than utility power.

Generators don't cost that much to purchase (get a smaller portable unit) and if you can store 20 gallons with a ~$1,000+ Honda eu2000i genset (+ siphon fuel from car)--That will last you 10+ days (run genset morning/evening for lighting/fridge power). Use fuel stabilizer and rotate back into your vehicle once a year. Plus you have 20 gallons of backup fuel if you need to bug out for safety/security.

-Bill

Photowhit

Re: Portable solar generator project

I toyed with the idea while considering my "during the week" driving inside the camping comunity, where I work security. My daily drive to work there was @ 1.3 miles, with a good sized hill.

I think there are lots of inprovments you could make to the golf cart's efficiency, take off the low pressure turf tires and put on high pressure narrow trailer tires would likely be better than 20% increase off the bat. Figured I could mount 3 - 180watt panels on a platform replacing the top, and be close to making my daily trip to work, but the cost was just too high. If I was in a level town that I could use as a city vehicle. I think it would make an interesting conversion.

Of course I've move out at this point and need to work on a charger for a 48v bicycle conversion now for the 9 mile each way commute. I would actually buy an electric scooter, but they aren't allowed on roads above 35mph, but electric bikes and mopeds are...

...I once took a continuing ed class and asked if it could be applied to my college credits, they told me if I had my imunization shots they could...

...and you thought NEC code rules were odd/difficult...