I wiil be going on a camping trip soon and will not have any 120v outlets readily available to charge my cell phone or ipod besides a vehicle charger. But I was wondering if anyone has had any experience using portable solar photovoltaic panels to charge their cell phones or other small electronics? I've seen some on amazon.com, but Im a bit skeptical about buying one. A link and some information as to how well they work would be appreciated. Thanks.
i couldn't find that many reviews but what i did find shows that it is a good way to go here`s the links i found http://www.12voltsolarpanels.net/charge-your-cell-phone
Learn how to reduce your electricity bills with solar panels
Do you want to save money by reducing your electricity bill? Homemade solar panels could help you do just that. I'll thought it would be great to write this article so everyone gets an overview of what you'll need to build a solar power system at home and how it functions. There are two ways of installing photovoltaic solar panels, 'photovoltaic' means they will generate electricity this is very important as opposed to regular ones that can only heat water. In fact there are two options: semi-DIY or full-DIY. The latter requires more skill, patience and ambition on your side.
1. Full-DIY The hardest part is building your cells. (But they can easily be purchased online at the lowest cost. They're usually around one dollar for a normal size solar cell. Heat copper sheeting for 30 minutes to create copper oxide on the surface. Cool it, place it next to the non-oxidized copper then adding a salt-water solution onto its surface submerge in a break-proof glass panel. The next step is some wiring, mounting the jacks and you're almost done. You need to repeat the process several times to create a full panel to power your house. 2. Semi-DIY
Buy the solar panels locally or online. All the kits are different but you should receive; photovoltaic cells, wiring kit and installing hardware/mounting devices. Most kits come with instructions which should be simple and precise, although there are guides and online articles which go much more in depth.
The full-DIY is more cost-effective and enjoyable at the same time. The semi-DIY requires less work however a commercial solar panel is normally sold for at least two thousand dollars, which isn't at everyone's hand. Either way if you enjoy tinkering around and want to save money on your electricity bill while doing your part for the environment, building a solar panel may be for you. A daunting task at first may become one of your passions. Overall, the great things about going green and living off grid by building or buying solar panels is that you no longer have to be affected by power outages, you'll save hundreds and even thousands each year that you can spend for other home improvements and not only that but you'll be protecting the environment for many generations to come.
Best Residential Solar Energy Systems and other Related Resources:
Magniwork Magnetic Energy Generator - How would you like to create a generator which creates free electric energy? Using our easy-to-follow guide, you will be able create a Magnetic Power Generator which creates absolutely free energy, and doesn’t require any resource like wind or solar energy to function, the magniwork generator creates energy by itself and powers your home for free. The generator works fully off the grid.
GreenDIYEnergy is a guide on how to start generating your own green energy at home. Developed by Ultimate Results, LLC, GreenDIYEnergy's page promises to give users a step-by-step video and manual on building and installing their own personal solar panels. GreenDIYEnergy's site also gives users a snek peek at the video that shows them how to buld and install their own solar panels.
Homemade Energy is fast becoming the buzz word in environmental circles. Consumers are becoming fed up with the problems associated with using conventional energy resources. Tired of rising costs, changing our lifestyle and in some cases being subjected to rationing, many home owners are turning to the newest trend in energy conservation DIY Solar Power Kits. A number of companies are now producing homemade energy guides, available for instant download on the internet, which give you step by step instructions on how to assemble the materials for your own DIY solar power kits.
[simplecontent lang="" source="flickr"]do it yourself solar panels[/simplecontent] [simplecontent lang="" source="article" backup="answers"]do it yourself solar panels[/simplecontent] [simplecontent lang="" source="youtube"]do it yourself solar panels[/simplecontent]
How do I figure out how many solar panels are needed for off grid solar system?
look at your electric bill and see how many kilowatt hours ( kWh) you use a month
divide by 30 for daily use. Most people are in the 20kW a day range
So you need to put that much into a battery bank each day
the Dept of Energy has a calculator for how much usable sun a day you have where you live ( like say 8 hours a day year round in Key West, 3 hours a day average in Seattle)
4 hours a day? you need a 5 kW system...more is better for there are various losses and inefficiencies to deal with.......
panels: this would mean about 30 2x3 foot 175 watt panels; add wire, battery bank, inverters to take the 14 volt of the battery system back up to 1120 volt home use......add 10% for "stuff".......and then the labor for the carpenters roofers and electricians to put it all in, plans permits and gov regulations.....
and time and again the number always comes out to about $6.00 a Watt installed..
