FAQ Running Solar Power At Your Home

What can I do with the power?

Well, before you ask that question, you really need to know the answer to this one:

What sort of power is it?

In case you didn’t know, solar panels don’t generate what we call "mains electricity".

Mains is 230 Volts AC (117 Volts in the USA), while solar panels generate about 12 Volts DC.

AC/DC – that’s a heavy metal band isn’t it?

Er, yes, but they’re not the same without Bon Scott are they? AC stands for

Alternating Current and DC stands for Direct Current. The important differences are that the voltage of an AC source can be changed by using a transformer, whilst DC can’t. On the other hand DC can charge a battery whilst AC can’t. That’s why mains is always AC and car electrical systems are always DC.

So I can’t make solar power into mains with a transformer?

No, you need something called an "inverter". But you can charge a battery.

I’m on the mains. Can’t I have solar power then?

Of course you can, don’t worry. You can connect solar panels to the mains using a "synchronous inverter", and sell the extra power to the electricity company. The government may even give you a grant for doing it.

What’s a synchronous inverter?

It’s an electronic device that turns DC into AC and matches it to the incoming mains.

Then, when there is extra power, it turns your meter backwards.

I’ll have one, where do I get it?

Don’t ask me, I do self-contained systems remember? Have a look at my links page to find specialists who can tell you more. Ask me another question.

So what if I’m not on the mains?

You might not live in the middle of nowhere but that still doesn’t mean you can get the mains. You might need power for a caravan or boat, or a holiday home overseas.

Maybe your garage is the other side of the main road and you can’t bury a cable. The questions are the same.

What if it’s not sunny?

I reckon you know the answer by now. Charge a battery, that’s what. Then, when the sun’s not shining or you need more power than the solar panels are producing it can come from the battery. If you do it right, during the day the battery will charge up again.

But I want mains, not battery power, don’t I?

I don’t know, do you? You can get a lot of 12 Volt appliances now, so you might not need mains. Truck accessory people and the like sell them. Have a look at my recommended products and links for more information. If you really do need 230 Volts AC you can use an "inverter".

That’s the thing that sells electricity isn’t it?

That’s a synchronous inverter, this is a bit different. Instead of being connected to the solar panels, a stand-alone inverter is connected to the battery. It does the same sort of thing except it generates its own "mains" power. Solar power answers has a page all about inverters.

So, a solar panel, a car battery and one of these inverter things then?

If you like, but it won’t work very well or for very long. You see, there probably

won’t be the right amount of power, and the battery won’t last very long. To

understand more, let me show you how to design a solar power system.