Rising fuel prices and concerns about pollution are leading a significant number of individuals to move to solar battery chargers. If you’re interested in finding out more about solar battery chargers, please read on.
The simplest kind of battery charger functions by simply supplying a battery with electricity of a specific voltage. The battery is connected to the charger, and disconnected once it’s fully charged. A 15-18 volt power supply can be used to recharge a 12 volt battery. Unfortunately, this type of battery charger poses the risk of overcharging.
When overcharged, a battery’s life is likely to decrease. Overcharging a 12 volt battery too often can damage it to the point that it will lose its ability to maintain a charge. However, you can use a charge controller, which will make sure that the correct voltage is used and keep the battery from being overcharged. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, you’ll probably want to be able to leave it connected all day while the sun is shining, and thus a charge controller is a must.
For 12 volt batteries, the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) type of charge controller is the most common one. With a PWM charge controller, a switch is flipped on and off repeatedly depending on the flow of the electricity. Initially, the switch stays “on” more. As power is transferred to the battery, the switch spends more time activated than deactivated, and once the battery is fully charged, it no longer comes back on. In this kind of charge controller, a microprocessor chip typically handles the task of monitoring and controlling the charging process. There is no risk of overcharging with this type of charge controller, even if you leave it connected to a battery indefinitely. Topping up a battery in this way is known as “trickle charging,” and it will allow you to ensure that a battery is completely charged for whenever you happen to need it. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, it’s good to have this type of feature. This, in turn, will allow you to keep the 12 volt battery for your boat or RV charged at all times.
A 12 volt solar charger is no more complex than that. The source of the electricity is the only thing that differentiates a 12 volt solar charger from a standard 12 volt battery charger. As one would expect, a solar panel is the source of the power for a solar battery charger. If you want to save money, building a DIY solar panel to use in a 12 volt solar charger is a great way to go. You can get more info by taking a look at DIY Solar Panel.
For the typical solar panels used on houses, the solar cells are generally about half a volt and three to four amps. Several of these cells have to be connected in order to generate the 15-18 volts needed for a 12 volt battery charger. These kinds of solar panels do come in several different voltages. Matching the voltage of the solar panel to your charge controller will enable you to create a working solar battery charger. On each charge controller, you’ll see a voltage rating, which indicates the correct voltage. If you’re not using a charge controller, a solar panel of 15-18 volts is usually a fairly safe bet. However, if you are using a charge controller, it’s necessary to use the appropriate voltage. GreenDIYEnergy is the best guide to building your own 12 volt solar charger. If you’re interested, take a look at GreenDIYEnergy.
The method for wiring the solar panel to the charge controller is contingent upon certain factors within the controller. Identify the type of connector used on your charge controller, and solder one onto the solar panel. If you aren’t using a charge controller, use the type of connector that’s on the battery instead. Spring loaded clamps are a good choice if you’re using a larger type of 12 volt battery. For people who would prefer not to solder, you don’t necessarily have to solder (although this type of soldering is really easy even if you’ve never done it before); it is possible to just twist the wires together and use electrical tape. You’ll just need a basic soldering iron and solder, which you can get cheap at lots of places including Radio Shack. First, twist the wires together. Then, apply the soldering iron to the wires. Finally, touch the solder to the wires until it melts. As long as you take care not to burn yourself, and remember to heat the wires and not the solder itself with the soldering iron, it’ll be a snap. Another guide to building your own 12v solar charger that I recommend is Homemade Energy. To read more, check out Homemade Energy.
It’s really that simple! Then, you can build a 12 volt solar charger. First, you’ll have to have a 12 volt battery. Then, you’ll need a charge controller with the same voltage as the battery. The solar panel, which you can build yourself or buy, should also output the same voltage. The last step is to connect all the parts – connect the solar panel to the charge controller, and the charge controller to the battery. You now have free power, permanently! What’s more, you get some significant residual benefits: you save money, because you don’t have to pay for the energy you need to charge the battery; you reduce pollution, as energy generated by solar panels doesn’t pollute like electricity from oil or coal-fired plants does; and you help the country by cutting dependence on foreign oil.
Mail this post
