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  • Storing Solar Power - Complete newbie needs some guidance

    Hi All,

    I'm been interested for some time in free energy, I have a small 14 Watt solar panel set which I use in my bug out bag (it folds up into a backpack) which I would use for charging my mobile phone/mobile battery pack in an off grid scenario..

    Thing is.. I currently have my solar panel sitting at the window and storing power into my 50,000mAh battery pack, once this is charged (which is generally quite quick) the power is then not being stored anywhere, I looked for some larger battery packs however they are very expensive and don't really seem to hold much power

    So I then thought about storing the power into car batteries (I could get some of these quite easily)

    The only problem is I don't really know what I am doing! if anyone knows any guides on this already existing that would be good..

    I should probably state that I would need the power going into the car batteries to be USB as that is the output of the solar panels I have
    and I presume to get USB power out I would need an inverter of somekind? again this is also something i've not looked into in much detail so I am unsure of their use

    I may be completely off track here and what I'm asking isn't even possible so alternative suggestions are welcome

    Thanks

  • #2
    You are wasting your time, a 14 watt panel is only good for charging a cell phone and AA batteries. No way can a 14 watt panel charge a car battery in any amount of reasonable time if ever at all. It would take a 100 to 200 watt panel to do that, and can take a few days do it. A 14 watt panel would not even charge a small laptop. Well maybe in a week or two it could.

    Secondly if this 14 watt panel is for charging cell phones means it is a 5 volt supply. You cannot charge a 12 volt battery with 5 volts.
    MSEE, PE

    Comment


    • #3
      ah ok thanks

      What would you suggest I do?

      The solar panel's I have are: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IPBH5AO (Anker 14w)

      I don't want to waste potential free power, albeit low amounts but rather than store the power in lots of little battery packs i'd rather have one large capacity battery to store the charge

      Comment


      • #4
        not to worry. When you use your bugout bag, use your car power jack to charge everything, and after a day or two when the zombies are running rampant, the cell phone system will fail, and who will you talk to ? Get a short wave radio with a hand crank or solar panel
        Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | 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

        Comment


        • #5
          lol I'm in no doubt the zombies will never become an issue :P

          I already have a hand-crank radio, however the solar USB power is for example if I break down due to having a battery issue and needing to charge my phone etc, there are always logical reasons why you might need backup power (beyond the crazy stigma associated to having a bugout bag lol)

          Comment


          • #6
            So, get yourself a motor cycle battery and a 12v to 5v usb adapter and your good to go. If you want to go high tech, light weight, get a lithium.

            https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/56...FQoPaQodjw8AWA

            http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/e...FZKFaQodtvECug


            http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Converter...+converter+usb

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by InfoH View Post
              ah ok thanks

              What would you suggest I do?

              The solar panel's I have are: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IPBH5AO (Anker 14w)

              I don't want to waste potential free power, albeit low amounts but rather than store the power in lots of little battery packs i'd rather have one large capacity battery to store the charge
              What Free Power? A 14 watt panel in a year will generate roughly 10 Kwh of electricity or a dollar worth of power. A cheap 12 volt 10 AH battery will cost you $26 and last 2 years making your battery power cost of $26 / 20 Kwh = $1.30 Kwh or roughly 10 to 13 times more than the greedy ole power company would charge you 10-cents per Kwh.

              You call that free power?

              I call it highway robbery or Green Mafia Power Company.
              MSEE, PE

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by InfoH View Post
                ah ok thanks

                What would you suggest I do?

                The solar panel's I have are: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IPBH5AO (Anker 14w)

                I don't want to waste potential free power, albeit low amounts but rather than store the power in lots of little battery packs i'd rather have one large capacity battery to store the charge
                You could always charge your friends cell phones with your solar panel.

                The problem with batteries is first the cost and then the shelf life. All batteries have a shelf life and will die just sitting there waiting to be used. Of course if you over use that battery (lots of cycles) it will die an early death.

                Also bigger batteries need bigger energy sources (higher wattage and voltage) to charge so you would have to get solar panels in the 200 watt 18 volt range to charge a car battery. That starts to get expensive.

                So in wanting to use solar power and capture all that energy, IMO it is best used when the sun shines then putting it in a bottle for later.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by InfoH View Post
                  Hi All,

                  I'm been interested for some time in free energy, I have a small 14 Watt solar panel set which I use in my bug out bag (it folds up into a backpack) which I would use for charging my mobile phone/mobile battery pack in an off grid scenario..

                  Thing is.. I currently have my solar panel sitting at the window and storing power into my 50,000mAh battery pack, once this is charged (which is generally quite quick) the power is then not being stored anywhere, I looked for some larger battery packs however they are very expensive and don't really seem to hold much power

                  So I then thought about storing the power into car batteries (I could get some of these quite easily)

                  The only problem is I don't really know what I am doing! if anyone knows any guides on this already existing that would be good..

                  I should probably state that I would need the power going into the car batteries to be USB as that is the output of the solar panels I have
                  and I presume to get USB power out I would need an inverter of somekind? again this is also something i've not looked into in much detail so I am unsure of their use

                  I may be completely off track here and what I'm asking isn't even possible so alternative suggestions are welcome

                  Thanks
                  InfoH,

                  Your 'on time'.
                  You just need the new King of All Media
                  and
                  'The Knower of all Things.'

                  YouTube.

                  Search:

                  'Charge Cell Phone with Any Battery'
                  By ... Primed Preppers.

                  and

                  'Use your USB powered step up converter to charge your
                  small 12v Battery.'
                  By ... wtam69

                  Perhaps a little Jenna Marbles on the side.

                  You will see all kinds of stuff once you enter YouTube Land.
                  It will be Listed under your video's to begin the chain reaction.

                  For do-dad projects I have had great results with the little
                  Sealed Lead Acid Batteries at the Legendary

                  www.batterymart.com

                  Those boys forgot more than most Companies will ever know.
                  They are Ace#1 with little stuff.

                  Bill Blake

                  Comment

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