In these times of global warming and climate change harnessing a renewable and non-polluting source of energy seems like the right thing to do. A portable solar powered generator helps one do just that. Manufacturing electricity has to be one of the most bothersome things that man has to do to make life comfortable. It requires one to burn coal and gas, dam rivers, build nuclear reactors and what not.
Harnessing the power of the sun the mother-lode of inexhaustible energy is a great way of not only ensuring a steady supply of energy but also contributing towards making the earth heal from the ravages of overexploitation of its resources. A solar-powered generator that is portable provides you mobility apart from the cheap power it supplies.
Here’s how one can build one.
What you need:
The first thing you need to lay your hands on are the parts. These typically will consist of a couple of marine deep cycle 85 amp/hr batteries, two 40 watt solar panels, a charge controller as well as a 2000 watt sine wave inverter. Amazon and eBay are good places to source the components at quite reasonable prices. Using second-hand batteries can also help cut costs.
What to do:
The next thing to do is to rig these parts up and expose the solar panels to direct sunlight so that they get charged. This will happen at the rate of 5 amps per hour which corresponds to about 5 hours of exposure every day. The addition of solar panels will speed up the charging process.
What it does for you:
The power generated by this solar powered generator would easily help you run lights, fans pumps, and pumps. Besides, you will be able to charge your electronic devices as well. You may even be able to run a small window air-conditioner, but not for very long!
In order for you to get the most out of your self-built solar generator, you need to take care of a few things. First of all, one should not compromise on the quality of the inverter and use a pure sine wave one. This ensures that one is able to use one’s electronic devices safely.
For the sake of safety, one should use thick cables to connect the battery with the inverter and installing a fuse would be advisable to prevent fire-related accidents. One should try and keep the batteries about 60 to 70% charged for optimal output.
Considering that power outages are generally no longer than an hour or so, this non-polluting and silent system of power back-up is more than adequate for an average house hold’s requirements. Since this is a portable unit it would be of great use in camping situations as well.
All in all, assembling a portable solar powered generator is a great idea. It doesn’t cost much, can be rigged up in no time and is a source of abundant cheap energy. What’s more, it has no detrimental impact on the environment, which is hardly the case with generators that use fossil fuel.
In case you have the money to spend and want a ready-made one you can get Portable Solar Generator from Amazon
