Product Review, Harbor Freight Solar Panel Kit

[noelsingletary]

I thought this was a review of the product and not a review of what you have. I would like to know about the quality, how well it holds up, charging rates, any flaws you noticed, etc. 

[GoatHollow]

@noelsingletary Ok 2 years later, I've had no problems. The panels have lost some efficiency, which I expected. They've lived through a few hail storms, but no really big stuff like softball size. I'm just finishing up an electric golf cart project, with a set on it's roof. Short story.... They won't power your house, so don't expect huge power from them, but for the price ($149 recently with a coupon), or around $3 a watt, they're a good deal. Quality is good. I now have 4 sets.

[noelsingletary]

@GoatHollow Thanks. I figured they were about average. I have seen some as low as 1.50 a watt but you have to buy a bunch of them.

[kenny310304us]

We MUST learn to live on less. If you can spend $1000 now and get a solar system that will allow you to run a fridge and a few lights, it will pay off in no time at all. We don't remember a time when the "ice box" was a necessity above anything else in the home. I think the time will return when having enough power just to keep food cold, will be a matter of life or death.

[GoatHollow]

@kenny310304us My plan is to build an "Ice house" cheaper in the long run than buying that much solar. I have purchased enough wattage in Harbor freight kits + am working on a little wind power, to run a few lights, and do some tasks electrically. Refrigeration is just too power hungry for SHTF solar power. IMHO

[shartne]

I would like to have several of those harbor freight panels.

[z28firefly]

Hello Sir, I was looking at that kit and found your review. I am trying to build an emergency backup too. I have two boys to take care of. I want to get an AGM battery because I am afraid of the gas and want to charge this through a front window. Do you think I could just plug in a car (lighter) inverter to that box?

Thanks for posting this.

Shelly

[chamblizi]

anyone ever tell you you can be a audio book writer

[llkwildcattt]

1400 watts to run the heater, 1100 watts to run the microwave, 800 watts to run the fridge not to mention the tv, lights and other stuff. 1500 watts to run the hotwaterheater... you gona need at least 10,000 watts or 10 kw to run your house.. if you covered your whole house in panels, it would not make enfough power. your hope is to cover the roof and grid tie it and hope it lowers your power bill in half.. but even then would it be woth it? these HF panels go bad after about 7 years

[GoatHollow]

@llkwildcattt I burn wood, so no heater. Cook on top of the wood stove, & grew up before microwaves were popular. Lights, a few cfl's. TV? Ever read a book? Building a "Breadbox Solar water heater". Learn to live with less my friend. It's going to be forced upon you very soon. (And yes, I just bought 2 more sets)

[1kzrider]

@GoatHollow would love to see the new setup with the new panels installed. I like the simple clean setup you have there. Great job.

[Mickeym1a2n3]

@llkwildcattt lol its a water heater lol not a hot water heater thats what i used to call it

[theonethatgoofs]

i have 3 kits for a total 9 panels i dont use the charge controler unless i need a battery charged. i bought the powerjack grid tie inverter for the 9 panels in parallel. and it runs nice droped my bill alot.

[GoatHollow]

@theonethatgoofs Can you use 3 Harbor freight sets on 1 HF charge controller?

[theonethatgoofs]

@GoatHollow i do with out a problem and that leaves me 4 extra lights 2 adapters to run multi items off controler .and if it ever went out ,and i dont think it will ,never blew a fuse or anything . i have 2 extra . got them cheep with inside track club as low as 119 for one set 189 the other and the original i payed 199 and the grid tie i bought from (using gods free energy )on ebay for a 85 dollor 300 watt grid tie. the fan only kicks on on major bright days.

[1kzrider]

@GoatHollow Yes this could work if the panels don't get more then 4 amps which is what the fuse is 4amps. Most everyone running these panels now that the charge controller is junk for the most part and only use this for power distribution at best taking advantage of the usb lights and other voltages. We most use other controllers like sunforce 30 amp controller or something equal to. I suggest only MPPT.

[stevetosborne]

@GoatHollow not with the charger that comes with it. But you can connect multiple controllers to one battery or bank of batteries.

[jeffery19677]

@theonethatgoofs How much did it drop your bill? From $200 to $100? How long would it take for the saving to pay for your 3 kits? I understand it would only be a guestimation.

[MrCryptica82]

Im going to get a few sets of these soon and start converting this house to solar, eventually get it off of the grid completely, getting fed up with the power companies bullshit, they are a bunch of crooks anymore out to rob the public as much as they can get away with it. Deregulation of electricity is the worst thing that could have ever happened in Texas, fuck em, Ill go solar, then they can take the 700 dollar light bills and shove them right up their fucking asses and choke on them.

[nx2overide]

I love the Harbor Freight Solar Panels but i use a diferent charge controller. Got a fiew of the little charge controllers in the closet.. the pannels are great cause even on a cloudy day i get somthing pretty good out put... my big panels do better on sunny days.. but these work great!

[ChuffChuffWoo]

Solar is the way forward - nukiller power is outmoded

[interstatetrader]

Interested in Solar? I just got in more discounted solar panels that will produce more electricity than these Hardware Store panels. View it under my user name or ebay id: interstatetrader Thanks!

[cdltpx]

They are on sale with the coupon out the popular science or mechanics $150.

[joe18370]

i own 2 off them and they work great i have a 100 watt solar panel that i built i light my house with it ,day time i run my pc with it and charge everything that needs to be charged,i have a small flate screen tv i run from it..cant wait to get more and more batteries,i like that you are welding the fram like that..

[docchocobo]

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.

[WORRO01]

Placed in my Favorites. Great video thank you.. Im waiting and waiting on HF going back to the 159-169 price tag!!

Thanks.

Thumbs up.

[RobertRFalk]

@WORRO01 They have a coupon online thru Aug 16 '10; you can get the kit for $149! Add /magurl5 to HF's base URL & you'll find it.

[WORRO01]

@RobertRFalk going CRAZY here,, I cant get it to work!!!! still trying! Thank you for the info.

[RobertRFalk]

@WORRO01 Sorry, I know it's a pain; youtube does not allow URLs in comments.

Try this:

harborfreight [dot] com/magurl5

but replace each " [dot] " with a period, and take out the spaces.

[SmallWindTurbines]

Our Small Wind Turbine kits have both wind and solar as a hybrid energy kit. 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.

[rlmarin1968]

You can swap out the 4 AMP ATC fuse in the charge controller with one that can take more amps in from more panels or a wind turbine. You will probably need a voltage regulator to afix the fluctuating current you'll get from a wind turbine.....but from what I have read, the harbor freight charge controller can be for more than 4 AMPS

[12talkcrazy]

unfortunately a 45 watt system won't keep up with a single 60 light bulb the batteries will run down and the cells won't keep up, I'v worked in solar power and can tell u that ur roof doesn't have enough space to hold half the cells u would need to run a single major appliance, but they can run a few led powered lights and maybe one r two attic fans, or the thermostat to a gas powered heater

[llkwildcattt]

@12talkcrazy ,no it wont but, know what? it will run led bulbs and I would rather change to leds and solar than to keep paying the power company. I turned my power off and told the kids, if they want power, we will have to use solar and take the money we would pay the greedy power company with each month and buy a solar kit. We are up to three 45 watt kits not and were going to keep on untill we cover the whole roof. SCREW the power company. We aint you motherfuckers slave no more

[12talkcrazy]

@llkwildcattt , you r on the right track that some things need 2 change 2 enjoy solar electric power, n the south east 4 example the run of the mill thro it up block home wit appliance package don't cut it, u need 2 think more like one livin n a rv, no microwave, small dc appliances, gas stove n dryer, ect. bottom line it can b done but it requires a change of mind. the panal mnf. makes it sound like "mount it, wire it, n ta daaa! your troubles r over, so go on like u always did"

[webchez69]

Man, this was not a review, but a chance to hear you free associate when you got wasted

[VivianRinSC]

Also on our list of To-Do things... also the wind thing... more projects than time or money here. lol I'm really enjoying your series. Pardon me if I skip the Podunk news. I too live in a Podunk area and the drama here is more than I want to know about. lol. Getting a crash course for here as it is and don't want to get it confused with yours. :) The way my brain works lately... it could happen. lol

[nomoreremakes]

You sound like the guy who narrates the "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar" movie. :)

Thank you for sharing your information. Have a great day!

[929rr3900]

YOU NEED DEEP CYCLE BATTERIES

[GoatHollow]

@929rr3900, at 1:20 on the video you will find that they are "Marine" or "Trolling motor" batteries. In other words, DEEP CYCLE MARINE BATTERIES. They are rated for 125 amp hours each.

[NovusChaoMundi]

I buy my deep cycle batteries from Sams club for the same price $69 6 volt T105 tie them in series and they can take a deep discharge. Solartech panels best buy I ever got and they work great. they have an ebay store too. I think you need a bigger inverter too

[GoatHollow]

NovusChaoMundi - Don't have a lot of cash to invest in this system. The objective is to have a few "cfl's" burning in an emergency. (We're prone to ice storms here). & maybe a small radio. I did wire the 120v portion of the system to break up the load, so that I can add another 750 watt inverter in the future. We burn a woodstove for heat, so a bulb or two, along with a deck of cards, will get us through a prolonged "Grid" outage.

[lanahill]

@NovusChaoMundi

What is the name of the Ebay store that sells

Solartech panels. I can not find it under that name?

[digdugdiggy]

How much did you pay per battery?

[GoatHollow]

Digdugdiggy, $62.95 per battery (U.S.D.)

[hijackednation]

I have a house that is lit by white leds powered by solar (as back up lighting) but the cool thing is these low wattage white leds at 30ma@3.6v 30 + serve is lights at night which eliminates the need to run high wattage lights in the house for unused rooms or hallways . Unbelievable how little light you need for major house activities with white leds . Ran the wires when building my house myself. Dont try if u dont understand electricity fuses etc etc very important.

[GoatHollow]

Am wiring my house with a "Parallel" 115v system. Separate from the grid system. Will have 7 outlets on the inverter. I figure my little system will handle 4-5 compact florescent's pretty well. Yes don't mess with wiring unless you are comfortable with it. I was an apprentice electrician for 2 years.

[jjjester123321]

i live where it snows and everything ices over in the winter, and that doesn't sound like a good thing for a solar panel. how would i go about making a solar system possible?

[GoatHollow]

Snows here too... you have to make sure you have enough battery to handle your expected loads till the next sunny day

[mrbuki77]

You may want to talk to locals and see what alternatives you have.

[xINJUNx]

lol very andy rooneyesk,i enjoyed it thnx

[mrbuki77]

Take a look at the system I've put together. I started out with the same Hrbr Frght system, and have upgraded, little by little. You'll find that these panels actually put out about 50% of the rated watts. So out of the 45watts, you get about 22watts. This system is a great set up to learn and get you started in making your own power. My goal is to simply run my kid's playroom/ home office of the system, hence I have upgraded the panels, charge controller, battery bank and inverter. Hi from FL

[hijackednation]

so easy to start a fire . I like the direct DC vs inverters lots of watts wasted in VAC conversion . I run some marine fans too for air circulation too 12vdc motor. I just have about 110 watts of solar panels for these basic things. Maybe next summer may get into solar plant irrigation (florida lots of shallow wells)

[GoatHollow]

Hey Renee (Michigansnowpony),

You can only plug something straight in that uses 12 volts. Like a laptop with a car adapter. you need an inverter, I showed a pic of mine at 2:20 on the vid. (Wal-mart $75.00). Then you have the basics to be able to plug in a lamp or even some small appliances. Gotta have the battery though. Not 45 watts th.......... Not enough room I'll just do a video this week.

[Michigansnowpony]

Okay, I'm totally stupid about solar power systems. So . . . patience please with the questions: Other than the batteries, is this kit complete? That is, once you add the batteries, are you good to go to plug something in? How does one tell what appliances can be run on 45 watts?

I'm wondering if something like this would work to run a stock tank heater.

Thanks!

[jknacasual]

Good going! I am still working on my water system, but as soon as I am done with it, the next step is power back-up. One of the things that I have read up on, that you might consider, is using Forklift batteries for your system. They are already 24V or 36V and will offer a much higher storage capacity. Check around your area local and you can find some for cheap. Many will have a charger available so that you can supplement during intermittant outages. They are a pain to move though...

[homeismn]

Great Job...I loved it. Keep them coming....

[3charter]

I've had one of these running for almost a year...no problems. Will eventually upgrade controller and add panels. It's a pretty good "starter" system.

[evcrawfish]

kewlness sir. have fun and be safe.

[msamour]

I was doing the math, and came to the conclusion that the Harbour freight system was a great deal. especially for someone who wants to setup a small system as a back up. It can be expanded on. For about 3000$ a person can have a system that will run almost everything in the house, only not at the same time. The hard thing is to find a fair priced pure sine wave converter. For most application it's not even needed. Thanks for the vid. Mike, London, On.

[CMLovejoy]

Great setup.

I was thinking about doing a portable water generator where I would setup a dehumidifier, and plug it into a solar panel set up. Then I would take the water from the dehumidifier and filter it. Just a thought.

[msamour]

That is a great idea. My dad told me he had the water from is water dehumidifier analyzed, and all they found were some protozoa that can easily be killed by treatment. The thing produces about 2 gallons of water in 4 hours in the summer when it's really humid. Will not produce any water in the winter though, as it is usually really dry where he lives. It's a good idea, when you live in a humid place, but don't have access to a stable water supply.

[GoatHollow]

Hmmmm, What's the amperage draw on your dehumidifier?

[JosiahsBackpack]

Aww man I was just about to buy one of these!!

[GoatHollow]

So buy one Josiah. I said it was a good deal!

[JosiahsBackpack]

But now I am not first....haha

You seeing the increase in electrical costs too or just wanting to have a way of making your own power even though it is just a little bit?

[GoatHollow]

Both... I also want to protect against ice storm outages , and maybe a little juice for when you know what hit's the fan. I could tell "ACORN" I'm just being green, LOL.

[Kashmir2000is]

Love this! And after your done with that... :) ...

Root cellar, right? ha ha Peace

[Cneumann22]

We purchased the same solar panels from HF. We use the solar charged batteries to light the lamp and keep my laptop charged. Works great. We bought another set of panels and battery as a backup. While one battery is in use, the other one is outside charging. Great video.