What Can You Run On A Single Solar Panel?

My Favorite Solar Panel Cost Estimator - www.solarreviews.com/solar-estimator?aff=66965&cam…

About 7 years ago I used a Harbor Freight $200 solar kit to help build a cabin out in the woods. I charged hand tools and kept a radio going. I used a little $30 inverter. Never had temporary power turned on.

I just wanna run my tv when there's a blackout too piss the neighbours off

For coffee, you can get an insulated carafe for many coffee makers. Brew the coffee as normal and then turn off the coffee pot. The coffee will stay hot for a couple of hours, saves electricity, and will actually taste better if it hasn't been cooking on that heating element. You can also just dump it into a thermos. Should save you 90% of the electricity vs leaving it on for an hour. Great video, very practical information here.

I just got a 100 w panel (brand is LMenger) that has a usb and usb-c connector. It's my first step into solar. I LOVE it: can charge my phone (much faster than wall outlet), iPod, portable speaker, and two-way radio! I have nothing else - no batt, controller, etc. But - full disclosure - I do live in Arizona! :)

I always use the equation of 2 to 1. So if I have a 100AH battery preferably Lithium LiPo4 I need a minimum of 200 watts of solar to charge the battery. If you can afford more panels get them as long as your solar controller can handle that voltage or find out how many volts your solar power station will accept. Because solar panels don't produce what they say on them it doesn't hurt to go over by about 20-30% of what's rated on the panel. Make your coffee on a propane stove.

Excellent post Scott, I currently have a Jackery 300 watt and 500 watt generators each powered by 100 watt solar panels that I use on my sailboat which is on a mooring. They run my 12 volt tv and fans in addition to charging drone batteries, and iPhone and iPads. In addition to running the boat engine to keep house batteries charged up (rarely) I have a gas Honda generator for same purpose. Eventually I’d like to build a bigger solar system that would have 2 solar panels on my Bimini that would charge my house batteries and allow me to keep the refrigerator cold without running boat engine or Honda. Thanks, greetings from Chesapeake Bay.

Thank you for such a clear explanation of power consumption. I've just moved to Mexico and the power goes out quite often so I'm going to set up a small system on my sunny balcony. The 100w panel test was very useful for me to see what I might need.

I’m glad I found you on uTube. I’m in the really early stages of info gathering, to set up a makeshift pontoon houseboat, all DIY, to head into the Voyager’s National Park for weeks, possibly months at a time, by being self sufficient off the grid. You really seem to have mastered the mystery of solar panels, that could really be instrumental in my plans. I hope to utilize your knowledge in the future, when I’m ready to attack this project. Again, i’m glad to have found your site…

I was looking at a Bluetti solar generator, only 260wH. It makes more sense from a flexibility perspective to plug the few solar panels on my list into an inverter and charge the device off of that than plugging the solar panels in directly.

I think the biggest mistake I see even seasoned people make with "getting the max out of my panels" is when to charge JUST the battery bank, and when to charge/run other things. Most people I run into time their max usage during max solar production time. This is good if you are almost full in your batteries. The problem is most of the time they are at say 70 percent and trying to bring the bank up PLUS the loads. As most know, but seem to forget, once it gets closer to full it accepts less of charge. Okay say you are able to produce 100a of charge current. You battery is accepting 100a. Don't run anything else. Now later your battery bank starts to reach full and you are only putting 50a into it but your panels are still able to put out 100a. NOW is when to run other loads. Otherwise it's simply wasted. You got the max charge you could get into the batteries, they are STILL accepting the max they can, and you are directly using the leftovers to charge things like laptops, phones, run the TV, whatever. This figures into "how much can I do with one panel" a massive amount if you have the capacity to charge your batteries to 100 percent daily. Your panels may theoretically be able to produce 2000wh a day, but you have to use it or lose it.

To be straight forward and honest, for camping, outdoors recreation, sure grab yourself a solar generator unit, they are good in that capacity, for a few lights in your tent, a radio perhaps, charging your phone, powering your tv or laptop a cordless drill battery. However in a home or survival shelter or going off grid, i would encourage ppl to just get a full system. Such as a panel, a charge command a battery and a power inverter. This way you can isolate what is wrong if ever a problem. Because like anything, its going to require regular service. Such as the command unit may go out, you simply replace it not needing to open the box, most of those generators simply are not user servicable. For the price you pay because they have litium battery, is outrageous. 600 USD for the one here its a very small AH watt hour battery. For people who are on a budget, I will give you an example of my set up It was easy, i paid less than 350USD for a 100w with a 12v 100ah RV battery, with solar panel directed to the sun angled to be the most efficent. I found an app on godggle play which tells me exactly where the sun is year round, sun tracking. For hard wiring your RV, Off Grid shed/cabin, think RV set up. You can get a 100w Solar panel kit from Amazon, which comes with a panel, mounting, 25ft of cable and a charge controller for 89.00USD, I purchased a 750W Jupiter modified sine wav power inverter, which I mounted on a 2x2ft piece of plywood. I then bought a 12v deep cycle RV battery, not a car battery, the two are made differently, an RV battery is specically designed to be charged by a generator or charger or solar charge , it doesnt have the power kick a car battery does for starting a motor then recharge from a alternator. Its specifically designed to operate the lights, appliances, tvs in a RV camper. Most sold are sealed where as a car battery is not and car batteries off gas which can make you really sick, a sealed battery you can keep inside like under a counter. Deep cycle means it can go lower than 50% , mine have gone down to 75% depleated and its fine, it recharges back great, no battery damage. The price of an deep cycle rv battery is 129 then a core. I started with one battery and my solar setup. Its been over 5 years and its still going really good. litium batteries are extremely exspensive, they have many pros also, but again many people having to resort to alternative living situations probably dont have a 1000usd on hand to buy one single litium rv battery, yes one thousand doallrs or more per battery. Not letting people know the alternatives of powering a make shift shelter considering that most people look in to solar might be searching for ways to reduce costs or being off the grid. A more solid system with reliable batteries and cost efficient, if the battery is small in that solar generator it can olny operate for so long and has to be constantly recharging, yet a 100ah if keeping minimal lights and appliance going , a fan and a several lights, the battery can go three days, just like a camper. And the best suggestion ive ever seen about alternatives , learn to live needing less power, be frugal. Most of the stuff we use , we dont really need to live a good wholesome life. We have been so brain washed into giving our money to utility companies about things we really dont need. So to change your life and go solar , so also change your life so that you arent so dependant upon. Its nice ambience to live 1800s with soft lantern light , peaceful, relaxing, comforting. I have 1000 lumen LED lights outside , but not a lick of electric battery, all solar, solar yard lights, solar decrative lights. Learning how to go entirely solar is fu, but can be very inexspensive. Im not trying to say bad about this video , i just know that there hundreds uopon hundreds of people going homeless , they cant afford 2-3-4 thousand dollar gadgets, We need more youtubers making videos about how these unfortanate can get power for their shack or tents. As humans we should be sticking for our fellow citezens, not sticking up for the companies over charging for profit.

I used 1/2 the latitude as a year round angle but flat has been sufficient: three 110 Watt panels, two 6VDC batteries for 12 VDC to run a small Norcold frig, 50 Watt amateur radio, and electrical requirements for a propane heater, a propane furnace, a propane instant hot water shower and propane 12 VDC lighting. I looked at the system as startup amps for the refrigerator and total watts. The controller is Trace 12 and my solar power system has a fuse on each circuit. I do not use an inverter. I used marine grade shielded wiring. I wanted an electrically quiet environment for my qrp amateur radio hobby. I like what you have done. I really like your presentation.

Great educational video. Love the math behind it...very helpful.

Really enjoyed this. It cleared up some things I was confused about.

I have 4 100watt solar panel from Eco flow and I used them to charge my delta batters . I have two batteries packs . On a sunny day I get around 290 watts -303 watts . Not to bad .

Great video, thanks for the great info. Looking at building a solar charge shed for all the lawn equipment. Oh, if you use a thermos type coffee pot then it only has to heat the water once. :)

When the panels are installed on a standard shingle roof those shingles are altered by walking on them. The aggregate (stone) is removed which is the protection of the shingle itself shortening the lifespan of the shingles. Not to mention and install defect that can cause a leak in your roof. Will the solar panel installers dispute the install warranty and claim it was the shingle installers that caused a roof leak, or even blame it on the shingle manufactures. I see a potential mess of problems that could happen with the cost of repair being put on the homeowner canceling out any posible savings from having solar panels When the roof needs to be replaced who and how are the panels going to be replaced and reinstalled, drilling more holes in a roof, creating more potential leak locations

It's useful to have a charger, digital signal processor, and a shunt with the solar panel run online with a small storage cell. SJ research achieved this over the last decade.

Four points I want to make. (Sorry I didn't read all 246+ other comments so I may be duplicating what others wrote.) 1. I see the list at 11:34 of Watt·hours and it's tempting to add it up. But one must consider how often you use each device/tool. For example, maybe you need to charge your iPhone 2X per day, but the laptop only once per week. Also, maybe you need 2 pots of coffee per day? Maybe you only drink coffee on cloudy days. (People likely use more lights on cloudy days.) 2. Having a charge controller+battery with 3600 Wh capacity seems handy. So usage could fluctuate wildly. As long as over a period of (say) ten days, your battery stays 'topped off' then you are fine. But if you find it is constantly hitting zero, then you need to add more solar panels. Perhaps if the household is "smart", i.e. "today is laundry day, so no coffee" etc. then you can survive with fewer panels or a smaller battery. 3. Seems like the panel can produce up to 100W. I'd be tempted to use a mirror or reflective metal (mylar?) to get more light on the panel(s), so they are maxed out. Also, that would allow it to be over that minimum 11V more often, possibly adding hours to the daily collection. 4. Why only 4.6h per day? That number is just "peak" or "optimal" sun values. In reality, I think you'd get more than that per day. Have you really found that number to average out correctly? (I live in Phoenix, AZ so our number is higher!)