Good Solar How To Links?

AlbertWhite
AlbertWhite Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I'm somewhat new to solar and after lurking on this forum for a while, I see a lot of confusing info. Can anyone recommend any good easy to read websites where I can learn all about the electrical part of solar? I see a lot of math talk with volts, amps, batteries, etc and it's quite confusing. any suggestions? thanks!
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Good Solar How To Links?

    you can try reading some here.
    http://www.solar-electric.com/
    there really isn't any easy reading that'll educate you to a level of fully understanding all of the aspects involved in this in quick time. also try home power magazine. if you can't get it, that's ok because there are installers out there that can think and know for you given an input of your requirements and $.
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  • AlbertWhite
    AlbertWhite Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭
    #3
    Re: Good Solar How To Links?

    great, thanks so much. i'm not looking to learn all about solar quickly, but I want to learn everything about it for as long as it takes. from what it seems, it's more about learning what an electrician does.

    thanks for the suggestion of homepower, i'll subscribe to it. any other magazine suggestions? thanks again.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Good Solar How To Links?

    nope, that's about it except for reading the forum here and that's alot of reading.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,626 admin
    #5
    Re: Good Solar How To Links?

    My two cents on how to get a good grip on understanding the whole solar thing...

    Identify the basic components (panels, solar charger, battery, inverter) and get a good idea of how each works (not in detail, but just power in/power out and what each is supposed to do).

    Then, look at a "block diagram" of a simple system. And go over how each does its think.

    And "put the battery" at the center of your diagram. Pretty much, for the average system--the "major components" don't see each other--the only "see the battery". (i.e., the solar panels only see the charge controller. The charge controller only "sees the battery" and not the Inverter, etc.).

    As you start understanding the pieces and simple interconnections--then when you look at a "large/complex" solar RE with solar, wind, genset, inverter/chargers, etc. you will be able to get a 10,000 foot view very quickly without your head spinning.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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