 | Sunforce 50048 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit
Buy new: $279.95 A guideline for DIY systems is $5/watt for panels. I'll illustrate 2 designs. This is a 4 panel monocrystaline set which is slightly less that $5/watt complete and includes a charge controller. It is not area efficient. Expect 1/2 KWH per day production from this when optimized.
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 | Sunforce 39126 246-Watt High-Efficiency Polycrystalline Solar Power Kit
At 246 watt, this is 4 times the output of the sunforce 50044 panels, or about 2 KWH per day (40-60 cents worth of power) but it will need a charge controller as that is not included. The kit will make 2KWh per day on average.
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 | Optima Batteries 8052-161 D31M BlueTop Dual Purpose Battery
Buy new: $210.99 You need to store your power in a battery array. To keep things simple, I've selected panel systems designed around 12V batteries. Car batteries are a poor choice as they do not "deep cycle" well. This battery holds about 1 KWH. If you produce 2 KWH per day, you should buy 2 of them and connect them in parallel.
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 | Illumibend 24 LED 12VDC White 5500K
Buy new: $15.00 This is an example of a 12VDC LED light. Like a tube lamp, it gives off diffuse light and can be switched directly from your main battery array of 12V batteries. It can run for hours on minimal power. You can even wire 4 of them in parallel for more light if need be. Avoid 110VAC LEDs which requires an inverter, killing the efficiency.
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 | Engel MT35F-U1 AC/DC Fridge Freezer
Buy new: $868.00 In most homes, the refrigerator is the largest consumer of electricity. This unit runs directly from 12V and only uses 3-5A depending on settings & climate the duty cycle is 30-80%. Assuming the worst, you need 5A x 0.80 x 24hr x 12VDC = 1.152 KWH/day to provide refrigeration. If you can turn off your large refrigerator and fit into this, you save considerable monthly $.
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 | Xantrex Technologies Prosine 1000 Prosine 1,000 to 1,500-Watt Power Inverter
This is optional, but nice at times when you must run an AC device. A quality inverter can provide 1-1.5 KW of clean utility power from 12VDC. Use 4 ga cable to connect it. The display can be remote mounted indoors, and this model includes a powerdown mode that checks for a 110VAC load, and if they are not turned on doesn't run. When running, the LCD display shows your system performance.
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 | Sunforce 60032 30 Amp Digital Charge Controller
Buy new: $83.00 / Used from: $74.70 If you choose the 2 panel, 246 watt setup, you will need a charge controller (the 60 watt kit comes with a simple one). While this will do the job, there are others available. The charge controller's responsibility is to not overcharge your battery array and damage it, plus prevent draining the battery when it is dark outside and the panels are connected.
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