you connect 3 wires to that charge controller to keep 12v right ? and thats parallel ? if you connect those 3 wires into a splitter and then with 3 inputs and 1 output then and hook that up to the battery would that still be parallel then or would that be series ? in other words if you do that would it still be 12v or 24v or more then ? im very confused about the difference between parallel and series connecting ...
Hi Dan, Have only watched this video but it has sold me on the Harbor Freight 3 panel set. My son has a river house in South Texas and it will be perfect for marine battery recharge, running his lap top and television. You are great doing what you do and I hope that your good work will be rewarded well.
Check the federal regulations. Homeowner assoc or Cities have a tendancy to try to impose zoning regulations that conflict with federal regulations. The feds are pushing for green alternatives.
Have the City show you the code section and ignore the letter. Force them to issue a citation and go to court.
City hall can be beat. Ya just gotta know how. Elected officials hate to say they are against alternative energy.
I am just starting with the Harborfreight solar system. How many panels can I place in parallel with the charge controller unit it came with? The system came with 3 panels, I am thinking about buying more panels. Thank you in advance for the answer.
How many of these kits do you think I would need for emergency energy? I would like to power fridge, freezer and some lights during a power outage. Thank you so much for the info.
OK Question,Probably not the first to ask this but there are alot of comments on here.
After you get power from the solar panel or 2 or 3 can you use that energy from one battery and connect it to an alternator to charge the batteries quicker?
For example keep a couple batteries separate at a full charge and use them at
night to run an alternator to charge say 4-12 main batteries?
Just curious, going to buy solar panels for my mobile home soon and not sure which ones to buy yet, still learning.
Watch your electric meter go backwards after installing your wind turbine and solar array! Net Metering will help reduce your bill. Solar only works 8 hours a day. Wind is operable 24 hours a day. Go to to sovdepot dot com We have all your inverters, charge controllers, wind turbine, and solar array needs.
The way the panels come out of the box is set up to mount to the frame with the wires at the top, don't know why that is, but I just went with it. Works fine, and is easier the adjusting the mount.
Hi! thank you for all the info you have been sharing over the years. I wondered if the harbor freight charge controler could be hooked to the other types of panels that youve used in the videos which produce 60-80 watts or is it just 45 watt max?
Thanks for the vid, but these panels are made in China. China is not a county of enviromentally friendly electronic producers not to mention all the carbon that was used to transport it from China to the USA. Most of Harbor Freight items are from China. I thought you would be more enviromentally responsible that than by promoting more home sources.
Great vid if you enjoy the benefits of cheap chinese junk. Wouldnt hook that system to my house. Sad that it comes from the green power dude, hes normally pretty sharp.
Good Video. Dan..question here...If you measure the voltage in each individual panel..do you get about 21 volts (open) connection ? ...Do each panel has a diode to avoid reverse current ?? ...what will happen if a panel drop to say 5 volts...what will be the average voltage ?
If you have one panel of 100 watts (36 Voc) and 3 panel of 60 watts ... (21 volt Voc)...can they all be connected to a single charge controller ( 50 Voc input; 400 watts) ?
Thank you, some of the people that work at Harbor Freight do not know how everything in the store works because they are so busy restocking stuff, but it's fine because other bigger stores they know even less and they charge a lot more, I love that store and their honest prices, your video is great
Really good Dan thanks for this... love the cat too by the way. Have you seen "Simon's Cat" I think you would get a kick out of it... simonscat-dot-com - hilarious. Keep the solar tutorial videos coming! Thanks again.
Nice helpful video. But lucky the sun was not on the panels as yet. You should always hook up the battery connections first with charge controllers -then- the panels.
What sort of setup (parts, components) would I need to run two reptile lights and two computer fans for 24 hours a day? I'm really confused as far as which batteries and solar panels to use and I would really appreciate the help.
The price can be lowered further if you watch for the adds in the papers or hotrod magazines. They usually have 20% off coupons in them. $179(best sale price I have seen) - 20%=$143.20 :)
The reason why you had to make adjustments to the brackets is you installed the panels upside down. I just bought this system today for $149 with a coupon and did the same thing. 2 seconds later after turning them 180, they were just right.
Free energy has been here for a while ,But some very powerfull ppl don't want you and me to be free from energy costs,Find the real deal, a free energy device at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,Free yourself!
@SolutionByEvolution I know this may be a lot to ask. Could you find the components that you would buy from eBay or other places that would complete the best (in your opinion) system for around 250 dollars or even up to 500 and email me links or just the name of each component..i get over whelmed when trying to do this as i always think I'm missing something or wasting money because of plain ol ignorance.I would appreciate it and also try to spread this info to others like myself. Thanks
Just read this from a harbor freight reviewer "The price can't be beat, but bear in mind that the lifetime of thin-film polycrystalline solar panels like this is limited. The peak output current decreases over time. In my experience, these have a half-life of 3 or 4 years, meaning you'll be lucky to get 1.5 amps in full sun after it's a few years old, and even that will continue to diminish. For long life, nothing beats the old-style panels with single-crystal silicon wafers"
I wish I could afford to spend a ton of money to save energy!! After you buy batterys, converter I could have just paid my light bill for 4 months. Although your having fun doing it.
Hi Dan, can you please tell me the weight in kg of one package? I'd like to get shipped some of these to Germany, but harborfreight was not able to tell me how much it would be.
Hey youtube! I'm new to this and I'm trying to get my music heard.. I NEED YOUR HELP!!! I'd really appreciate if you come by my page and listen to a few songs like "Wake Up" and "Being Myself" I even have a remix of Chris Brown's new single "Deuces"... I truly put my all into my music both writing and recording it so I truly believe it worth your time! Thaaank Yoooou! Just click my name!
Make sure you install the panels with the junction boxes at the top or peak as opposed to the bottom. I found the chink in the armor with these things. they dont caulk the edges of the glass inside the extruded aluminum frame and your wires will corrode off if water stands on them down there at the bottom edge. I have one in the barn that failed and found this after an 'autopsy', so to speak. I managed to save the other ones in time and still have them running. Just be aware of this.
I just thought I would let you know about that so others will be careful when setting them up. ALL the other brands of solar panels I have, which are also amorphous have sealant on the edges covering the wires under the frame but these just seem to have a kind of plastic 'flashing'. Other than that, these things are awesome and seem to perform a little better than they are rated.
Good video if you are installing it on your kitchen table. But if you are installing this outdoors, you need to make sure to isolate each connector end from each-other before taking panels out in the sun. Also, isolate the battery clips from each other before attaching to controller. You can use tape or put each in a little plastic bag and twist tie. All of these connectors will have a voltage across them when the panels are in sun. The features of the controller make this an excellent value.
When you say these have less efficiency than the other ones, what do you mean? Is it by the wattage created, or by longevity? Could you explain please? Thanks for your effort. :)
I am trying to figure out how to determine, how much batteries and solar panel kits to run a ki , that is 240V, 28 amps, 6720 watts for approximately 12 hours continually.
I am math challenged... any help will be appreciated! thanks
So um how do I save on electricity bills using this? Like do i hook it up with something to use the solar power instead of normal electricity? Or is this only good for battery charging? Sorry if I sound like a noob but i've never researched on solar panels b4
@luckylatio77 Solar panel kits on this scale are pretty useless for powering your home, unless you live in a small shack with a single light bulb. However, these types of kits are great for RVs or any away-from-the-grid needs...on a recent camping trip I used a panel to keep a laptop & cell phone charged...also had light at night from battery power...so very useful indeed...I would stay away from this kit as it is bulky and expensive...try ebay and piecemeal a setup.
@SolutionByEvolution but what about people like myself who would have no idea what parts to buy from ebay to make a completed system..someone posting those components would be nice.
I used 3 sets of thease and 8 homemade panels and charged 6 12v deepcyle marine batts, I was told by the city i live in that i had to dismantle the settup! They said it was unlawfull in a leeter they sent me, lol I am still to this day powering 80% of my home lighting from just 2sets and 4 batts, they work awesome!!!!!
@OscarTankMan IF your connected to the grid you could hurt anyone who might be repairing power lines; if there is a failure and you are sending juice into a system that is supposed to be dead, a tech could be doa- zap get ready for a lawsuit and probably jail.
@bruteforce76 Not possible with a grid tie inverter, if the power goes out they shut off. Also back powering the neighborhood with a home system would only last about a second because the load would be many hundred Kw as people leave their stuff on in a black out, this would blow any system. The Island on GTI's are good. They work, no power in no power out.
You know solar never charges at night or on cloudy days. Wind power kits are a great way to reduce or eliminate your home energy bill. Most people are going grid-tied and making the utility buy back the unused energy made from their windmills. Home wind power kits can be installed on a roof or in the yard of your home very easily. Small wind turbines are rapidly spreading across America combined with solar.
You have to love Harbor Freights new site and review system. I posted 7 reviews. 5 are 5 star and 2 are less than 5 star. Guess which ones they posted on their site? The 2 negative reviews are nowhere to be found. Looks like youtube is the only place to get a biased review for their items. With Harbor Freight some things are a great bargain and others are junk out of the box. You want know it reading their site reviews. They do have a great deal on this panel right now for $159.00!
Dan I have 2 of these systes hooked up together since spring. All of a sudden today the charge control stops and stays at 12.1 I am not using anything and do have a power inverter hooked up to it also if that matters. How can I test this to know if the Charge controller went bad or if it is the panels. Thanks for the help
i have 2 of the 45 watt kits and i am having some trouble. the first one i set up and tested the out put of each panel which on an overcast day was reading around 16-17 v open circuit. when i attach the leads to the charge controller the voltage drops to 3.9v! i called the tech support and they said to return it. i did and the new one does the same! should the volt drop be so great? . In the sun with no battery the voltage constantly changes ! help
Your voltage no load open should stay the same. Some HF controllers are not correct. Us another voltage tester. If both say 3.9 you have a short or you are hooking the panels to the output vs input.
This is a great video. I have been thinking for a long time on buying these harbor freight solar panels....but, I held back because I had no knowledge about solar energy. With your tutorial I am ready to buy this unit. Thanks for the knowledge.
Your BLOOPERS were hilarious. Funny..funny...funny !!!!
You have a lot of good acting skills and you are a natural in front of the camera.
My local Harbor Freight has these kits for $159.99 right now. I bought four kits at that price! Thanks for the great videos and I look forward to seeing your video of multiple kits running in parallel soon.
Hey Dan, I just bought my kit yesterday. A few tack welds on the stand works wonders for stability. Have you tried the USB charger port on the regulator/controller? I'm curious about charging my iPod from it, but I don't want to zap it with incorrect voltage. I've looked everywhere for an answer, and I was hoping you knew something about this.
hi dan ? the more panels you add the faster the batteries will charge right?what would be the idea system in your opinion.right now i have 1 kit from harbor frieght and 3 batteries and a 1000 watt inverter haven't hooked anything up yet just going to run maybe 800 watts of chistmas lights and stuff
Hmm...I *DO* have another 20% off coupon...I even went for the extra 1 year warranty for like 12 (or 20?) bucks. May be worth it! Hell the price came to 128 bucks and I got a 400w inverter for 20 bucks with another coupon!
if solar cells were bigger, they would be easier to make, dont you think for everyone even manufactures spread the word lets not over engineen things,this should be easy
I bought the harbor Freight 45 watts solar panel kit, plus I add another one 15 watts panel, and another one 80 watts panel that I bought on ebay. Now I have a total of 140 watts solar panel. I connected all the solar cable to the harbor freight controller and to the battery. Looks like its working! My question is would the harbor freight charge controller handle 140 watts total? Or would there be a problem with this later? I would appreciate and input. Thank you!
I would not go over 150 watts per controller. You can buy one from Ebay for 20 bucks. If your voltage is the same. Panels to two controllers, to your batteries. For future add ons.
Greetings, My neighborhood HF has 'em on sale for $169. If I can pick your brain for a minute. I'm under the impression panels perform better when facing the sun. If that's the case, think it's feasible to mount the panels end to end on a 1x9 frame that can tilt to follow the sun? It seems a 1x9 would be easier to do mechanically and be less exposed to wind issues like the 3x3 would be. Appreciate your videos and any thoughts you can offer.
For PV panels a heliostat system is not really needed. You will only get an extra couple of volts AM and PM. These stay at 21v open no load from 10 to 5. So you can track, and I have seen systems that do it, but I think you would be better off spending money on more units vs a tracking system.
Thanks for the reply. Actually it wouldn't cost me much of anything to build a tracking system. I'm an electronics/mechanical hobbyist, not to mention a scrounger/collector of good junk to make something worthwhile out of. I'll take you at your word for the 'not worth the effort' on the power gains. One LAST question, if I may, how do these panels look for resistance to hail damage? Again, I appreciate your opinion and your time.
Dan .... What do you think of the sunforce 50044 system at Amazon for $284.00. Also how big of a system would I need to ren a 1500 watt electric heater... I am new to this and enjoy your videos..... Thanks
Thank you for making me feel like I am not such a dumb ass when it comes to putting together harbor freight items. I bought the 8ftx4ft trailer and put it together and it took 2 days!!! and a lot of cussing. lol. the instructions are horrible. but you make this seem doable.
CHINESE conversions are a riot. I got a Small Stirling Engine (not from HF) anyway, it said place the "screw clam bolt below the love hug section joy" ? That was priceless.
hey dan would like to see two of this kits on a solar tracking unit. I would be really interested in it tied in with the SSI 200w grid tie inverter. Which I hear is close to UL approval also there is larger units of this.
Once again a dual setup of these with solar tracking would be a great project and I would for defiantly have interest in this.
I got this kit it was a pain in @33 putting together nothing lined up. LOL I know your frustrations LOL. I actually got a 2x1 board measured and cut to fit rear inside of frame drilled from outer side in and bolted.
Unit is better to move around now not so flimsy. Also for those who get this unit a hot glue gun helped me. Hit the areas where I was going to connect then connected held it there a few secs and helped hold in place while handling to place next part in.
Can the cables from the cells be extended to have the controller and inverter in a shed for protection from the weather? What's a recommended setup? Also, my panel manual said not to leave the system unattended while charging. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
In order to hear you speak, in your Videos -the Green power science intro Blasts out my stereo. It is so much louder than You, your a mad scientist can't you fix this?
great videos Dan..I was thinking about buying some of these from harbor freight and I was wondering how well they would stand up to hail...have you ever had them get hailed on before? I get up to about golfball sized hail here on occasion and was wondering if they would stand up to it...if not, do you recommend any thing clear to cover them? such as basic plexiglass or something like that?
I asked you a question, thats all, and you still will not answer it. You have answered just about everyone else's question/s, even those asked after mine. Obviously you don't care enough even to answer either way........ Unsubbed!
If you have 2-6v batteries hooked up in series making it 12v, you could do the same set up on the other 2-6volt batteries you plan on buying. This would give you 2 banks of 12v batteries. 1-positive and 1-negative on the first bank, 1-positive and 1-negative on the second bank. Connecting the 2 positive wires together and the 2 negative wires together would give you a 4 battery bank of 6volts ea running at 12 volts.
You shouldnt expect Dan to reply to everything you ask
I just bought 2 of this kit on harbor freight for $179 each, to bad my credit card was max out, but I will buy more as soon they go in special again, they are pretty good for the price
Yea he didn't have the courtesy of answering you either way though. Not very nice of him. In fact I was interested in your question too and would love to know the answer. Next time just ask someone who knows more about solar power or someone who does it for a living.
i had fun at the same time i learned a lot just from watching the video...=)
iLOVENATURE2011 1 week ago
cool
snathanmax 1 week ago
The Solar Panels Manufacturers are keeping the prices very high and slowly lowering it down…
keeping demand and supply with high profits.
Your Only Option is to Build You own Solar Panels
There is an Engineer from Chicago that explains it All
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jonathoncrowe28 1 week ago 2
sweet, will these work in a high humidity environment such as florida,georgia?
TOPLVAGENT 1 month ago
Cool
eastrockaway11518 2 months ago
I just purchased the kit from Harbor Freight and found your video very helpful. I got a good laugh from the Bloopers at the end.Thanks.
Scribe816 2 months ago
you connect 3 wires to that charge controller to keep 12v right ? and thats parallel ? if you connect those 3 wires into a splitter and then with 3 inputs and 1 output then and hook that up to the battery would that still be parallel then or would that be series ? in other words if you do that would it still be 12v or 24v or more then ? im very confused about the difference between parallel and series connecting ...
SpeedManiac1976 3 months ago
@SpeedManiac1976 (2) wires per panel. All reds to + all blacks to - equals parallel or voltage the same but amperage boosted x 3 roughly.
SERIES
Panel 1 BLACK TO PANEL 2 RED PANEL 2 black to panel 3 red
SO Panel 1 has a free red, panel 3 has a free black this is voltage x 3 and apms the same as one panel.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 3 months ago
Hi Dan, Have only watched this video but it has sold me on the Harbor Freight 3 panel set. My son has a river house in South Texas and it will be perfect for marine battery recharge, running his lap top and television. You are great doing what you do and I hope that your good work will be rewarded well.
alphashed 3 months ago
i wished had been here before
thangb52 3 months ago
Check the federal regulations. Homeowner assoc or Cities have a tendancy to try to impose zoning regulations that conflict with federal regulations. The feds are pushing for green alternatives.
Have the City show you the code section and ignore the letter. Force them to issue a citation and go to court.
City hall can be beat. Ya just gotta know how. Elected officials hate to say they are against alternative energy.
cbarsonfire 5 months ago
I am just starting with the Harborfreight solar system. How many panels can I place in parallel with the charge controller unit it came with? The system came with 3 panels, I am thinking about buying more panels. Thank you in advance for the answer.
mcallenuser 5 months ago
How many of these kits do you think I would need for emergency energy? I would like to power fridge, freezer and some lights during a power outage. Thank you so much for the info.
vida130 7 months ago
My local HF has these for $149, and they will accept the 20% coupon that runs in the local papers every week.
AJS0121 7 months ago
Cant believe some of the comments on here, some of us can only afford the cheaper stuff.
kobedarott 8 months ago
OK Question,Probably not the first to ask this but there are alot of comments on here.
After you get power from the solar panel or 2 or 3 can you use that energy from one battery and connect it to an alternator to charge the batteries quicker?
For example keep a couple batteries separate at a full charge and use them at
night to run an alternator to charge say 4-12 main batteries?
Just curious, going to buy solar panels for my mobile home soon and not sure which ones to buy yet, still learning.
kobedarott 8 months ago
@kobedarott You would need something to turn the armature inside the alernator in order to generate an electrical current.
500SWMAGOPERATOR 6 months ago
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Watch your electric meter go backwards after installing your wind turbine and solar array! Net Metering will help reduce your bill. Solar only works 8 hours a day. Wind is operable 24 hours a day. Go to to sovdepot dot com We have all your inverters, charge controllers, wind turbine, and solar array needs.
indibry 8 months ago
The way the panels come out of the box is set up to mount to the frame with the wires at the top, don't know why that is, but I just went with it. Works fine, and is easier the adjusting the mount.
notchic 8 months ago
wow now i dont have to talk out of my ass when a customer asks me about it lol
KronikKonekshun 8 months ago
Hi! thank you for all the info you have been sharing over the years. I wondered if the harbor freight charge controler could be hooked to the other types of panels that youve used in the videos which produce 60-80 watts or is it just 45 watt max?
potential2ba1st 8 months ago
what kind of inverter do i need for a 45 watt kit and how many batteries do i need to get started ?
MrTHEPANCH 8 months ago
what kind of inverter do i need for a 45 watt kit and how many batteries do i need to get started
MrTHEPANCH 8 months ago
It took 3 million gallons of bunker to get these panels from China to the USA!!
Buy local
MrFangole 9 months ago
Thanks for the vid, but these panels are made in China. China is not a county of enviromentally friendly electronic producers not to mention all the carbon that was used to transport it from China to the USA. Most of Harbor Freight items are from China. I thought you would be more enviromentally responsible that than by promoting more home sources.
kieranmullen2 9 months ago
Great vid if you enjoy the benefits of cheap chinese junk. Wouldnt hook that system to my house. Sad that it comes from the green power dude, hes normally pretty sharp.
Jayded2007 9 months ago
The green power guy is normally pretty cool but this is just trash systems, honestly the frigging chinese are screwing up the solar industry so bad.
Jayded2007 9 months ago
I counter screwed the frame together and mounted it on a piece of plywood, this makes it very solid.
intrepidorator 9 months ago
Does anyone else find it ironic that they packaged a "green unit" in all that polystyrene wrapping material? Just an observation lol.
slyder2k6 10 months ago 2
@slyder2k6 Its because its cheap chinese junk. That little controller is going to toast within the first year or two.
Jayded2007 9 months ago
can these be mounted to the top of an SUV? Would love to be able to have power to run a small space heater inside my SUV.
hypnos315 10 months ago
how much was it?
alec4672 10 months ago
you should do a battery reserve/multi panel system to alieviate all electric cost and run a stand alone system.
TheShokwav 11 months ago
Nor sure if you are working for Habor Freight. hOPE YOU ARE getting something from them for all your free publicity!!
diysolarpanels100 11 months ago
Dan Rojas for President !!!!
Good Video. Dan..question here...If you measure the voltage in each individual panel..do you get about 21 volts (open) connection ? ...Do each panel has a diode to avoid reverse current ?? ...what will happen if a panel drop to say 5 volts...what will be the average voltage ?
If you have one panel of 100 watts (36 Voc) and 3 panel of 60 watts ... (21 volt Voc)...can they all be connected to a single charge controller ( 50 Voc input; 400 watts) ?
tonymac96 11 months ago
the first one of those frames that i put together pissed me off.
energyman1988 11 months ago
Thank you, some of the people that work at Harbor Freight do not know how everything in the store works because they are so busy restocking stuff, but it's fine because other bigger stores they know even less and they charge a lot more, I love that store and their honest prices, your video is great
aragonesm 11 months ago
@greenpowerscience Is there a good battery price/performance that would work with this kit?
Rapture092011Repent 11 months ago
Really good Dan thanks for this... love the cat too by the way. Have you seen "Simon's Cat" I think you would get a kick out of it... simonscat-dot-com - hilarious. Keep the solar tutorial videos coming! Thanks again.
dougieladd 1 year ago
Nice helpful video. But lucky the sun was not on the panels as yet. You should always hook up the battery connections first with charge controllers -then- the panels.
redgoldcu 1 year ago
how do you get ac ports on it?
solarmaster100 1 year ago
@solarmaster100 You need an inverter to covert the 12V DC into 120V AC. Look at some of the other green power science videos for more information.
purplemutantas 11 months ago
Where's Denese?
johnnyViDeO 1 year ago
What sort of setup (parts, components) would I need to run two reptile lights and two computer fans for 24 hours a day? I'm really confused as far as which batteries and solar panels to use and I would really appreciate the help.
BloodRedChorizo 1 year ago
This video.. cool. See my home energy stuffif you like WIND POWER. Merry Christmas Y'ol!
HomePowerWind 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this video. It helped me a lot. I liked the bloopers too! :)
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stinkyt798 1 year ago
The price can be lowered further if you watch for the adds in the papers or hotrod magazines. They usually have 20% off coupons in them. $179(best sale price I have seen) - 20%=$143.20 :)
stinkyt798 1 year ago
The reason why you had to make adjustments to the brackets is you installed the panels upside down. I just bought this system today for $149 with a coupon and did the same thing. 2 seconds later after turning them 180, they were just right.
Stizzthebigneptizz 1 year ago
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Stizzthebigneptizz 1 year ago
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Free energy has been here for a while ,But some very powerfull ppl don't want you and me to be free from energy costs,Find the real deal, a free energy device at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,Free yourself!
offertorycardiacml 1 year ago
love the bloopers! great videos!
w3bguru 1 year ago
@SolutionByEvolution I know this may be a lot to ask. Could you find the components that you would buy from eBay or other places that would complete the best (in your opinion) system for around 250 dollars or even up to 500 and email me links or just the name of each component..i get over whelmed when trying to do this as i always think I'm missing something or wasting money because of plain ol ignorance.I would appreciate it and also try to spread this info to others like myself. Thanks
souleeze 1 year ago
Just read this from a harbor freight reviewer "The price can't be beat, but bear in mind that the lifetime of thin-film polycrystalline solar panels like this is limited. The peak output current decreases over time. In my experience, these have a half-life of 3 or 4 years, meaning you'll be lucky to get 1.5 amps in full sun after it's a few years old, and even that will continue to diminish. For long life, nothing beats the old-style panels with single-crystal silicon wafers"
Made me think twice
souleeze 1 year ago
Made in China?
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hungarylnnjsd 1 year ago
Great video and made it easy for me to put mine together and the bloopers just shows we are all not perfect and can learn from our doing
swivelgate 1 year ago
from the 17th to the 19th of september theyll be on sale for $149.99! i would love to buy three of those things
thedeadbeats 1 year ago
I wish I could afford to spend a ton of money to save energy!! After you buy batterys, converter I could have just paid my light bill for 4 months. Although your having fun doing it.
scooterss2112 1 year ago
lol @ out takes
BlueCollarSurvival 1 year ago
how many of these would you need to power a normal house?
GUNS4MIKE1234 1 year ago
Great training video.Really helped a novice like me
amberjacksolar 1 year ago
hi
question?
i just install a 85 watts panels?
how mucho it should read????
kricotas 1 year ago
Hi Dan, can you please tell me the weight in kg of one package? I'd like to get shipped some of these to Germany, but harborfreight was not able to tell me how much it would be.
rotberg16 1 year ago
How many amps/watts can that controller handle?
collintheapplegeek 1 year ago
I just got mine for $169 at harbor freight. $185 with tax. A sale is going on.
SNUBISM 1 year ago
nice job very helpful video!
sunriseenergy007 1 year ago
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Hey youtube! I'm new to this and I'm trying to get my music heard.. I NEED YOUR HELP!!! I'd really appreciate if you come by my page and listen to a few songs like "Wake Up" and "Being Myself" I even have a remix of Chris Brown's new single "Deuces"... I truly put my all into my music both writing and recording it so I truly believe it worth your time! Thaaank Yoooou! Just click my name!
donLoot 1 year ago
skeeter biting me, LMAO!! i woilda been losing my MIND...
madfran6 1 year ago
Sloppy presentation.
fsog13 1 year ago
I liked the video, it was very informative and well done except for disposing of the packaging. That was a little sloppy.
MrPrefix1 1 year ago
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Make sure you install the panels with the junction boxes at the top or peak as opposed to the bottom. I found the chink in the armor with these things. they dont caulk the edges of the glass inside the extruded aluminum frame and your wires will corrode off if water stands on them down there at the bottom edge. I have one in the barn that failed and found this after an 'autopsy', so to speak. I managed to save the other ones in time and still have them running. Just be aware of this.
docchocobo 1 year ago
I just thought I would let you know about that so others will be careful when setting them up. ALL the other brands of solar panels I have, which are also amorphous have sealant on the edges covering the wires under the frame but these just seem to have a kind of plastic 'flashing'. Other than that, these things are awesome and seem to perform a little better than they are rated.
docchocobo 1 year ago
Good video if you are installing it on your kitchen table. But if you are installing this outdoors, you need to make sure to isolate each connector end from each-other before taking panels out in the sun. Also, isolate the battery clips from each other before attaching to controller. You can use tape or put each in a little plastic bag and twist tie. All of these connectors will have a voltage across them when the panels are in sun. The features of the controller make this an excellent value.
snowbird29803 1 year ago
Excellent! The public needs simplicity to get it!
dabend11 1 year ago
When you say these have less efficiency than the other ones, what do you mean? Is it by the wattage created, or by longevity? Could you explain please? Thanks for your effort. :)
laayre 1 year ago
@laayre "longevity"? no, he means the efficiency of the panels ability to convert solar energy to electrical energy
crabtrap 1 year ago
@laayre size of the panels being the same, these produce lower peak power.
ometec 1 year ago
it would awesome if they sold add on solar panels to build a huge complete system
hangoutsumtime 1 year ago
JFYI ..... HF just emailed me their newest Solar Sales Flyer and it promoed your video and linked it to here.
YuddaLevy 1 year ago
I am trying to figure out how to determine, how much batteries and solar panel kits to run a ki , that is 240V, 28 amps, 6720 watts for approximately 12 hours continually.
I am math challenged... any help will be appreciated! thanks
strawbanana2010 1 year ago
So um how do I save on electricity bills using this? Like do i hook it up with something to use the solar power instead of normal electricity? Or is this only good for battery charging? Sorry if I sound like a noob but i've never researched on solar panels b4
luckylatio77 1 year ago
@luckylatio77 Solar panel kits on this scale are pretty useless for powering your home, unless you live in a small shack with a single light bulb. However, these types of kits are great for RVs or any away-from-the-grid needs...on a recent camping trip I used a panel to keep a laptop & cell phone charged...also had light at night from battery power...so very useful indeed...I would stay away from this kit as it is bulky and expensive...try ebay and piecemeal a setup.
SolutionByEvolution 1 year ago
@SolutionByEvolution but what about people like myself who would have no idea what parts to buy from ebay to make a completed system..someone posting those components would be nice.
souleeze 1 year ago
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SolutionByEvolution 1 year ago
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SolutionByEvolution 1 year ago
I used 3 sets of thease and 8 homemade panels and charged 6 12v deepcyle marine batts, I was told by the city i live in that i had to dismantle the settup! They said it was unlawfull in a leeter they sent me, lol I am still to this day powering 80% of my home lighting from just 2sets and 4 batts, they work awesome!!!!!
OscarTankMan 1 year ago
@OscarTankMan is it a homeowners association?
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 1 year ago
@GREENPOWERSCIENCE no in the city of Scranton Pa.
OscarTankMan 1 year ago
@OscarTankMan Are you like in Kalifornia??
ERIKSREALITY 1 year ago
@OscarTankMan IF your connected to the grid you could hurt anyone who might be repairing power lines; if there is a failure and you are sending juice into a system that is supposed to be dead, a tech could be doa- zap get ready for a lawsuit and probably jail.
bruteforce76 1 year ago
@bruteforce76 Not possible with a grid tie inverter, if the power goes out they shut off. Also back powering the neighborhood with a home system would only last about a second because the load would be many hundred Kw as people leave their stuff on in a black out, this would blow any system. The Island on GTI's are good. They work, no power in no power out.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 1 year ago 5
@OscarTankMan What city/state do you live in?
Thelonelyshepherd1 9 months ago
hey bud, what is the angle of the panels when the frame sits on level ground? please let me know.. i love your show...Ditmar
ditmar11 1 year ago
You know solar never charges at night or on cloudy days. Wind power kits are a great way to reduce or eliminate your home energy bill. Most people are going grid-tied and making the utility buy back the unused energy made from their windmills. Home wind power kits can be installed on a roof or in the yard of your home very easily. Small wind turbines are rapidly spreading across America combined with solar.
SmallWindTurbines 1 year ago
-Yeah those Harbor Freight kits can be tricky. And it's always good to keep some extra nuts & screws handy cause they don't put extras in there.
-Overall I enjoyed the video, but is it possible to hook those panels into your home power to offset your power bill?
ColtonDean 1 year ago
-Yeah those Harbor Freight kits can be tricky. And it's always good to keep some extra nuts & screws handy cause they don't put extras in there.
-Overall I enjoyed the video, but is it possible to hook those panels into your home power to offset your power bill?
ColtonDean 1 year ago
You have to love Harbor Freights new site and review system. I posted 7 reviews. 5 are 5 star and 2 are less than 5 star. Guess which ones they posted on their site? The 2 negative reviews are nowhere to be found. Looks like youtube is the only place to get a biased review for their items. With Harbor Freight some things are a great bargain and others are junk out of the box. You want know it reading their site reviews. They do have a great deal on this panel right now for $159.00!
tpboles 1 year ago
Dan I have 2 of these systes hooked up together since spring. All of a sudden today the charge control stops and stays at 12.1 I am not using anything and do have a power inverter hooked up to it also if that matters. How can I test this to know if the Charge controller went bad or if it is the panels. Thanks for the help
homeismn 1 year ago
Rojas your everywere......
ovinizorro 1 year ago
cool video!!!
leolopez71 1 year ago
beautiful cat!!!
jawbraeka 1 year ago
Good Stuff.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFO
NovaStar77 1 year ago
Harbor Freight just tweeted your video. Hope they send you a big fat gift card for all the publicity you give them.
TheVampirella 1 year ago
@TheVampirella :-) I could use it. Funny thing is, when I bought the system, the guy in the store had no idea how it worked. THANK YOU FOR THE INFO
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 1 year ago
Great video...good cat cameo and I'm thinking....solar bug zapper??? Next video!
hydrostream78 1 year ago
ok, I'm not clear, does the controller switch need to be on (illuminating LED) to charge the battery or its automatic?
onecullen 1 year ago
those are really nice charge controllers. and do you guys actually use the panels after you make the videos?
TheSolarSkater 1 year ago
I want one. Power half of my room with it.
Half of my room is on a other breaker switch, so I guess I could do that.
therandomawsome 1 year ago
@greenpowerscience
Great bloopers dan!
dylanthorner 1 year ago
i have 2 of the 45 watt kits and i am having some trouble. the first one i set up and tested the out put of each panel which on an overcast day was reading around 16-17 v open circuit. when i attach the leads to the charge controller the voltage drops to 3.9v! i called the tech support and they said to return it. i did and the new one does the same! should the volt drop be so great? . In the sun with no battery the voltage constantly changes ! help
blovemontana 1 year ago
Your voltage no load open should stay the same. Some HF controllers are not correct. Us another voltage tester. If both say 3.9 you have a short or you are hooking the panels to the output vs input.
Dan
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 1 year ago
LOL! That was an awesome video, enjoyed it! Loved the bloopers too! Reminded me of my cat. :)
akouo01 1 year ago
Signup for their email specials and you get 20% coupons via email weekly and it can be used on sale prices too.
ExcelsiorAutoParts 1 year ago
$249 now bummer
kwvrad2 1 year ago
I did not like the stand so I welded it togeter.
wildfire53575 1 year ago
This is a great video. I have been thinking for a long time on buying these harbor freight solar panels....but, I held back because I had no knowledge about solar energy. With your tutorial I am ready to buy this unit. Thanks for the knowledge.
Your BLOOPERS were hilarious. Funny..funny...funny !!!!
You have a lot of good acting skills and you are a natural in front of the camera.
johnny102marvin 1 year ago
Good Job - loved the outtakes
MJCPeters 1 year ago
Very good improvisation good tutorial I almost paid £250 to learn this, I followed all the videos, I must say I am very confident. Bless you mate
jonnynasz 2 years ago
Thank's seen this on eBay[UK and of course it a lot more expensive here]But its nice to see it put together and explained in more detail.
evadb51 2 years ago
My local Harbor Freight has these kits for $159.99 right now. I bought four kits at that price! Thanks for the great videos and I look forward to seeing your video of multiple kits running in parallel soon.
mwoliver 2 years ago
yo tengo un xantrex solar power pack de 400 watts viene con un panel de 5 watts
y se lo he cambiado por uno de 15 watts
capas de captar los rayos del sol aun cuando esta nublado o lloviendo
en total he gastado como $250
ahora he pensado en algo mas grande
para mi casa en mexico
si quieres buen material visita northen tools ahi tienes cosas buenas.
tigerclub18 2 years ago
Hey Dan, I just bought my kit yesterday. A few tack welds on the stand works wonders for stability. Have you tried the USB charger port on the regulator/controller? I'm curious about charging my iPod from it, but I don't want to zap it with incorrect voltage. I've looked everywhere for an answer, and I was hoping you knew something about this.
possenti 2 years ago
@possenti Ipods are funny about power. I have tried several chargers and only computer USB seems to work for the NANO w video. I would skip.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 2 years ago
hey where can i find some amorphous crystaline?
bloodynikka1 2 years ago
thats a nice sys for the money!
58belvedere 2 years ago
hello
Avia0r 2 years ago
Love the bloopers at the end. Great info by the way.
1kings1918 2 years ago
hi dan ? the more panels you add the faster the batteries will charge right?what would be the idea system in your opinion.right now i have 1 kit from harbor frieght and 3 batteries and a 1000 watt inverter haven't hooked anything up yet just going to run maybe 800 watts of chistmas lights and stuff
fanman1981 2 years ago
I built own solar panels system.Cheap and easy now....thanks to guide....
builtSOLARPANEL 2 years ago
going to get one today. on sale for 159 and i have a 20% off coupon!!
xrobevansx 2 years ago
No joke, I did the same thing but with 3 %20 coupons, just kept going back in gtill I had 3 out the door, thanks HF!
cherokeenut 2 years ago
Hmm...I *DO* have another 20% off coupon...I even went for the extra 1 year warranty for like 12 (or 20?) bucks. May be worth it! Hell the price came to 128 bucks and I got a 400w inverter for 20 bucks with another coupon!
xrobevansx 2 years ago
Yeah unfortunatly I think the sale was good today only.
cherokeenut 2 years ago
not here...3 day sale! Fri/Sat/Sun
xrobevansx 2 years ago
if solar cells were bigger, they would be easier to make, dont you think for everyone even manufactures spread the word lets not over engineen things,this should be easy
stonevrscx 2 years ago
thankyou so much it help me out alot hope to c more of your video on solor soon =)
marypoopie 2 years ago
4.5 amps for $250 ????? NOT very efficient-----
veedubyuh82 2 years ago
I bought the harbor Freight 45 watts solar panel kit, plus I add another one 15 watts panel, and another one 80 watts panel that I bought on ebay. Now I have a total of 140 watts solar panel. I connected all the solar cable to the harbor freight controller and to the battery. Looks like its working! My question is would the harbor freight charge controller handle 140 watts total? Or would there be a problem with this later? I would appreciate and input. Thank you!
TheConradmov 2 years ago
I would not go over 150 watts per controller. You can buy one from Ebay for 20 bucks. If your voltage is the same. Panels to two controllers, to your batteries. For future add ons.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 2 years ago
Thanks Dan!
TheConradmov 2 years ago
Greetings, My neighborhood HF has 'em on sale for $169. If I can pick your brain for a minute. I'm under the impression panels perform better when facing the sun. If that's the case, think it's feasible to mount the panels end to end on a 1x9 frame that can tilt to follow the sun? It seems a 1x9 would be easier to do mechanically and be less exposed to wind issues like the 3x3 would be. Appreciate your videos and any thoughts you can offer.
awizardalso 2 years ago
Hi,
For PV panels a heliostat system is not really needed. You will only get an extra couple of volts AM and PM. These stay at 21v open no load from 10 to 5. So you can track, and I have seen systems that do it, but I think you would be better off spending money on more units vs a tracking system.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 2 years ago
Thanks for the reply. Actually it wouldn't cost me much of anything to build a tracking system. I'm an electronics/mechanical hobbyist, not to mention a scrounger/collector of good junk to make something worthwhile out of. I'll take you at your word for the 'not worth the effort' on the power gains. One LAST question, if I may, how do these panels look for resistance to hail damage? Again, I appreciate your opinion and your time.
awizardalso 2 years ago
in a previous video he got burned by the soldering iron, this time the cat got him. LOL why is he always getting hurt?
jaimenumero1 2 years ago
Do the light cords have a fuse on them Would it be posible to use a 20-50 watt 12 volt bulb on the same cord and socket
minicoppergpiscool 2 years ago
Dan .... What do you think of the sunforce 50044 system at Amazon for $284.00. Also how big of a system would I need to ren a 1500 watt electric heater... I am new to this and enjoy your videos..... Thanks
homeismn 2 years ago
They are good too. For heat consider direct sun:
watch?v=SF_mEoFRSAQ
The efficiency is much greater.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 2 years ago
Thanks Dan... I need all the help I can get. Keep up the good work....
homeismn 2 years ago
Thank you for making me feel like I am not such a dumb ass when it comes to putting together harbor freight items. I bought the 8ftx4ft trailer and put it together and it took 2 days!!! and a lot of cussing. lol. the instructions are horrible. but you make this seem doable.
renshy84 2 years ago
CHINESE conversions are a riot. I got a Small Stirling Engine (not from HF) anyway, it said place the "screw clam bolt below the love hug section joy" ? That was priceless.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 2 years ago
hey dan would like to see two of this kits on a solar tracking unit. I would be really interested in it tied in with the SSI 200w grid tie inverter. Which I hear is close to UL approval also there is larger units of this.
Once again a dual setup of these with solar tracking would be a great project and I would for defiantly have interest in this.
1kzrider 2 years ago
I got this kit it was a pain in @33 putting together nothing lined up. LOL I know your frustrations LOL. I actually got a 2x1 board measured and cut to fit rear inside of frame drilled from outer side in and bolted.
Unit is better to move around now not so flimsy. Also for those who get this unit a hot glue gun helped me. Hit the areas where I was going to connect then connected held it there a few secs and helped hold in place while handling to place next part in.
1kzrider 2 years ago
Cat > his chest! lol that was a funny and informative movie
Snopey1 2 years ago
will a kit like this work for a small motor home?
BeezPhotos 2 years ago
Yes, It works but keep in mind it is 45 watts. So you can charge and use more but the watt hours are what you need to consider for number of systems.
GREENPOWERSCIENCE 2 years ago
thank you and it is good. keep the green going.
rockmalai 2 years ago
lol that was great keep on sharing more videos
allthewaytolife 2 years ago
lol that was great! :) i hope u share more ty
allthewaytolife 2 years ago
Can the cables from the cells be extended to have the controller and inverter in a shed for protection from the weather? What's a recommended setup? Also, my panel manual said not to leave the system unattended while charging. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
chazsql 2 years ago
In order to hear you speak, in your Videos -the Green power science intro Blasts out my stereo. It is so much louder than You, your a mad scientist can't you fix this?
xwhatever33x 2 years ago 2
your like a kid in a candy store
tankmdg 2 years ago
great videos Dan..I was thinking about buying some of these from harbor freight and I was wondering how well they would stand up to hail...have you ever had them get hailed on before? I get up to about golfball sized hail here on occasion and was wondering if they would stand up to it...if not, do you recommend any thing clear to cover them? such as basic plexiglass or something like that?
squirrelbong 2 years ago
C'mon guys ...the only stupid question is the question that never gets asked !!!
TheDave570 2 years ago
All the things you buy are about 3 times the price in the UK!
silver760 2 years ago
I asked you a question, thats all, and you still will not answer it. You have answered just about everyone else's question/s, even those asked after mine. Obviously you don't care enough even to answer either way........ Unsubbed!
MrSkaramanga 2 years ago
I could be wrong but...
If you have 2-6v batteries hooked up in series making it 12v, you could do the same set up on the other 2-6volt batteries you plan on buying. This would give you 2 banks of 12v batteries. 1-positive and 1-negative on the first bank, 1-positive and 1-negative on the second bank. Connecting the 2 positive wires together and the 2 negative wires together would give you a 4 battery bank of 6volts ea running at 12 volts.
You shouldnt expect Dan to reply to everything you ask
macmcknight1 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
fuck you and fuck dan
MrSkaramanga 2 years ago
Great once again I have learned more. I would like to know more about the grid tie unit that plugged in wall off two batteries?
Can you tell me where to get 12 Volt one with cheap prices?
BTW great job once again ! Cheers
1kzrider 2 years ago
Nice vid Dan, thanks
Roger11733 2 years ago
I just bought 2 of this kit on harbor freight for $179 each, to bad my credit card was max out, but I will buy more as soon they go in special again, they are pretty good for the price
cdesigns222 2 years ago
It's good to know how to do it :)
SuperHappyWorld 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Be smart - don't pay any more electricity bills. more info: solar.xfollow.me (Copy to your browser's address bar)
TheAkb10 2 years ago
Still no reply, i guess i stumped you with my question, fair enough.
MrSkaramanga 2 years ago
Yea he didn't have the courtesy of answering you either way though. Not very nice of him. In fact I was interested in your question too and would love to know the answer. Next time just ask someone who knows more about solar power or someone who does it for a living.
DavidGilmourRox 2 years ago
Be reasonable. They might not have the time to respond to all emails and replies from youtube.
enviergy 2 years ago