DIY Solar Panels

This is part 3 of our DIY Solar Panels tutorial. Having determined how many solar panels required to provide power to our house, we can then look to our solar power design and what we need in terms of our DIY solar panel components.

Most solar power systems are fairly similar in terms of their general design and the way they convert solar energy into usable electrical power, and there are components which most grid-tie solar systems can’t do without.

1. Energy Source – DIY Solar Panels

The first and most obvious component is our solar panels and access to sunlight. These panels when connected form our solar array.

2. Charge Controller
If we are going to be implementing a battery bank as part of our DIY Solar Power system (and to get the most out of it we should), we’re going to need a charge controller to prevent our batteries from overcharging. Regularly overcharging batteries can significantly reduce their life expectancy.

3. Lead Acid Deep Cycle Batteries
A battery bank enables excess energy generated during the day to be accumulated and be available for periods when our solar array is not generating power, such as night time or times outside peak sunlight hours. Unlike shallow cycle batteries such as those used in cars which are intended to provide large amounts of amperes very quickly to kick start an alternator, deep cycle batteries are designed to provide lower levels of amperes over numerous hours before recharging.

4. DC Disconnect
A main DC Disconnect enables the power to the inverter to be turned off for system maintenance.

5. Power Inverter
The deep cycle battery bank stores direct current (DC) power, however most households utilise alternative current (AC) power. The solar power inverter converts low voltage DC power to higher voltage AC power.

6. AC Breaker Panel
This is the point where a houses wiring meets the electricity source, and routes electricity through to the various points in the home. It also enables power to be switched off for servicing, and is a fail safe against electrical fires.

7. A Kwh Meter
Most homes are already installed with this type of meter which measures the use (or in the case of extremely efficient solar arrays which produce more power than is consumed by the household) or generation of power.

8. System Meter
A system meter is usually implemented between the battery bank and the power inverter to monitor and determine how much energy is being consumed from the battery bank. This is different to the Kwh meter which measures the households total consumption taking into account the power generated by the solar array.

A solar power system diagram is set out below:

In the next step of our DIY solar power tutorials we’ll be looking at the solar panels materials we need for construction.

FILED UNDER: DIY Solar Panels Parts and Components