10 Watt Solar Charger

Here's a 10 watt photovoltaic charger with a 12 Ah battery. You can do quite a bit with this baby. It's based on a Popular Science DIY article from July of 2008. Let me know what you think. Jocelyn Cohen. Here are the specs:

10-watt photovoltaic (PV, aka solar-electric) panel:
Voltage: max. power 17.6V, open circuit 21.6V
Current: max. power 0.57A, short circuit 0.61A.
Pop Sci used a 5-watt panel, probably to keep costs down, but if Im bothering to build it, I want to get more out of it! The charge controller can handle an even bigger panel, too.

battery:
12 amp-hours

4 amp charge controller:
I love this elegant little thing. Here is the spec sheet from the manufacturer: http://www.vellemanusa.com/downloads/6/sol4ucn2gbnlfresdpl.pdf. The charge controller keeps the battery from overcharging or discharging too deeply, both of which can ruin the battery.

meter:
The Pop Sci article used a 10A meter, which doesnt do much when the panel is only rated at around .6 amps! If about .7 is all youre going to get at peak power, then the 1 amp meter will do the trick.
In the video youll see that I used a cheap multimeter to measure current for now, but Im going to add an analog panel meter like this one between the panel and the controller. Im also going to add a meter or two between the battery and the load to put numbers on what this baby can actually do.

I got connectors at Radio Shack.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• photovoltaic
• pv
• diy
• charger

[Serjfor]

Would it still work if you connect the solar panel to the power inverter?

[Moses3282]

@Serjfor not sure what you mean. If you mean can you wire the panel right to the cigarette plug adapter which the inverter is plugged into, then yes, but 1) it would only run anything that was plugged in if the sun were shining; and 2) you have to make sure that the panel was the right size for your device. Otherwise you could blow out your device (or pop the fuse in the little inverter). It's hard to imagine not having a battery, for power when you want it.

[CollectingSilver]

So how much does that solar charger cost? And where can I buy it?

[Moses3282]

@CollectingSilver Hi @CollectingSilver, I'm going to be making them so send me a message if you want one. I want to get parts in bulk, I'll be putting a battery light so you'll know when your battery is almost out....I might be able to to bring it in under $100.

[Moses3282]

@CollectingSilver by the way, collecting silver, it looks like my charger will be more compact, and come in at way under $100. I think I'm going to make it a usb plug. and I think I'm going with Lithium ion batteries for lightness and durability.

[LOPEZdJUNGLIST]

genuinely arousing

[mojokiss]

@mojokiss i mean dc :)

[mojokiss]

@Moses3282 yeah i like that idea. i have a few of those male and female car cd parts laying around right now. p.s. i just bought a 5 watt 12v unit for $15 and it's cool too. I have to try putting both of them together and then I just have to find a good battery, then its off in the canoe!

[Moses3282]

@mojokiss wow, that's great! good luck. Unless you have a little soldering shop and can create the right plug for whatever jacks your devices and your system components have, I just standardize everything to the 12v DC car plug (which everyone has adapters for) or use the little inverter (which has a huge impact of system efficiency) with an ac plug.

[mojokiss]

@Moses3282 even tho you used an inverter, you demonstrated the system nicely! people can use or not use an inverter as they choose. i just got a 15 watt panel from the pawn shop for $20!