Resources and Reference:
Solar Living Sourcebook edited by John Schaeffer
Possibly the best -- and certainly the biggest -- single, printed resource available for sustainable living in general and solar power specifically. Actually, it's two resources in one: (1) a huge catalog of sustainable living products sold by Real Goods; and (2) lots of plain-English explanations of how thousands of sustainable devices and technologies work. This book's been through many editions over the last 30-plus years; every home library should have at least one.
- The Renewable Energy Handbook by William Kemp
Another superb, thorough volume concerning solar power and other sustainables. As far as conventionally formatted books on the subject go, this may be the best. - The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy by Dan Chiras
A very close second. A bit less material, some slightly different perspectives, but Chiras is one of the best writers around on real-world sustainable living. - Photovoltaics by Solar Energy International
Those who want to know the nuts and bolts of how one actually installs a full-scale residential photovoltaic system should definitely have this resource.
Solar Panels
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Sunforce 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit $320
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Sunforce 25-Watt Folding Solar Panel $350
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Charge Controllers
So that solar panels don't overcharge the batteries to which they may be connected -- thereby ruining the batteries -- it's necessary to wire a charge controller between panels and batteries. For small solar applications like those on this page, an inexpensive, 7-amp charge controller such as the one pictured will usually be appropriate. Some solar panel kits come with their own charge controllers (read the specifications before buying); if so, it may not be necessary to buy more. For larger solar configurations, however, charge controllers of 30 amps or more may be necessary in order to avoid wrecking your batteries.
Deep-Cycle Batteries
Solar power is often stored in deep-cycle batteries. Unlike ordinary car batteries, they're built to be substantially discharged while powering appliances, then fully recharged, time after time. While deep-cycle batteries may look like car batteries, the two can't be used interchangeably. The deep-cycle variety are sometimes "disguised" inside easy-to-use power packs such as these:
Xantrex 51Ah Battery/1,500-Watt Inverter $381
54 Pounds Like the Duracell 600-watt power pack (below), this unit consists of a sealed (i.e., safe to use inside with no special ventillation) battery, wired to an inverter with ordinary AC outlets. There's also a DC "cigaret lighter"-style outlet. With a capacity of 51 amp hours, this unit can run some large appliances briefly and smaller loads for hours at a time: sufficient capacity to remove from the grid -- permanently -- some high-efficiency lighting or a spare bedroom or a pantry or an attic or part of a basement, etc. The Xantrex 1500 would also work well for a weekend away from the grid -- at a cabin or campground, perhaps: enough juice, for example, to power both some high-efficiency lighting and a small, portable stereo for 10-20 hours.
Duracell 28Ah Battery/600-Watt Inverter $130
(with AM-FM Radio/Alarm Clock/5-Watt Light)
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Inverters
Inverters change battery power into AC electricity like that in your walls. The above batteries come with inverters and AC outlets that'll run most small, energy-efficient devices. Some appliances, however, are finicky and require "cleaner" (pure sine wave) electricity. Cost is largely a function of size. Low-watt units tend to be less expensive; those for big, demanding loads can easily cost $1,000 or more.
YouTube Videos That Demonstrate & Explain Solar Electric:
*Google Tech Talk: Hy Murveit, David Talkin, Kurt Newick
*1.7kw Installation; Sebastopol, CA
6-minute highlight reel of Marin Solar techs installing a small residential solar electric system
*How To Install Solar Panels
With Roger Bacon, owner of RGB Home Repair and Renovation in Santa Barbara California
What Is a Solar Panel? :: Wiring for Solar Panels :: Solar Panel Mounting Rails :: Solar Energy System Sizes :: Grid Tie Inverters for Solar Energy :: How to Connect an Inverter for a Solar Energy System :: Mounting Rails on Roof for Solar Panels :: Wiring for Solar Panels :: Battery Banks for Solar Energy :: Solar Energy Change Controller :: Standard Inverters for Solar Energy
*single-panel system in the UK
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*Solar Powered Carport
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