How the system works
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Guide books Guide for beginners
Click here to download the book
So you want to learn about solar. Good, this is a good place to start. How does a solar system work? Simple, it's a battery running a box called an Inverter that makes the power you use every day in your house. That power is called AC power and that's what's available in each one of your wall sockets in your house or RV. When you plug a TV or cell charger into the wall socket, you're plugging it into AC power coming from your grid or electric company. In a solar system, a box called an Inverter stands in for the power company's power and makes the AC power from the batteries it's hooked up to. AC stands for "Alternating Current" and in America the wall outlet voltage is 120 volts.
So as you can see, the solar system is really a battery powered system running an Inverter. The solar panels are there to charge the batteries. Let me say that again, "The solar panels are there to charge the batteries".
Next you have another box called a "Charge Controller" that goes between your solar panels and the batteries. The Charge controller is there to make sure you don't over-charge your batteries. Without the charge controller, the solar panels would over-charge your batteries and ruin them or worse, cause a fire in rare situations.
I realize this might sound a little confusing but once you think about it and look at the figure below, it will start to make more sense on how a solar system is operating.
Once you get the basic idea of how the system works it will be easier to make decisions about how to order one or build one.
This is the basic system as explained in the small book. The book contains more information if you want to download it by clicking the link above. I don't charge to download it but I do take donations of any amount if you would. It takes time and knowledge to write these books and provide information on this website and it costs money to make and keep a website running.
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If you decide you need more help, use the contact page and I will do my best to get back with you as soon as I can to help you.
Don't be one of those people who says, "Duh, I shoulda payed more attention to that"..
Guide book for beginners.
How to setup a small system for a small building.
What do the professionals use.