Month: July 2019

A home battery system stores surplus solar power for later use. The solar battery extends the use of a photovoltaic system’s generated energy and will provide free, sustainable power even when the sun is not shining and the modules don’t produce energy.

 Photovoltaic systems without a storage opportunity produce electricity to be used immediately. This is rarely effective, since solar energy is mainly generated during the day, when the power demand of most households is low. However, electricity demand increases significantly in the evening.

The difference between the Lead and lithium batteries
Battery storage systems for residential use are equipped either with lead-acid, lead-gel, or lithium batteries. Lead-acid batteries were used mostly in the past, amongst other things, as car batteries. Given their considerable advantages, lithium batteries are becoming increasingly accepted over lead-acid batteries. They have come to be regarded as the standard in photovoltaic in recent years. Lifetime: The expected lifetime of lithium batteries is around 15 years, whereas the maximum for lead batteries lies between 5 and 10 years.
Safety: Lead batteries must be housed in a ventilated room since they emit gases. This is not necessary with lithium-ion batteries.
Depth of discharge: Lithium-ion batteries discharge up to 100% of stored power. Lead-acid batteries, however, can normally only be discharged up to 50%, since deeper discharge reduces their overall lifespan.
System efficiency: The system efficiency of lithium-ion batteries can exceed 90%, where only approx. 70% is possible with lead batteries. Photovoltaic systems with lead batteries therefore have to be larger, leading to unnecessary extra costs.
Our advice: Choose a lithium battery to store electricity for solar power systems

solar panels: high-performance, efficient and durable
 Solar or photovoltaic modules are the heart of every photovoltaic system. The modules contain parallel or series-connected solar cells that generate energy from solar radiation. For private applications and small businesses, the solar modules are usually mounted on the roof of the house. The output of the PV system created by interconnecting the modules depends on many factors such as the number of modules, module type and output, roof pitch or solar radiation.

How do solar panels work?
 Photovoltaic modules (PV modules, solar panels) convert sunlight into electrical energy. The solar cells inside each panels are responsible for this. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced.

Since an individual solar cell produces only a little electricity, several of them are combined per solar panel. Inside these cells is a layer with a surplus of positive charge carriers (p-layer) and a second layer with a surplus of negative charge carriers (n-layer). An internal electrical field builds up at the so-called p-n junction (the interface between the layers) which is normally made of silicon. This leads to a charge separation of the charge carriers released by the incidence of light. The electrical charge can be made usable via metal contacts. Direct current then flows if an electrical consumer is connected.

You have noticed that you need additional power for your camping trips, and you have realized that solar panels are the best choice to achieve this.
Having solar power camping gear is one of the best ways to ensure that your batteries won’t run out of power when you are enjoying your vacations in a remote location. However, with so many brands, models, and possibilities, it might be hard to select the right solar panel for you.
First, you need to select the type of solar panel that best suits your needs.
For instance, there are three types of camping solar panels.

Solar Chargers
The best solar panels for camping are the so-called solar chargers. These devices generally have a small size mainly designed for charging electronics such as smartphones, laptops, iPads, etc. They integrate monocrystalline or polycrystalline technology in a foldable solar suitcase that can be easily put away or taken out.
The portability of these products makes them an attractive option for those campers that constantly travel and that are mainly looking for a camping phone charger. There are also bigger solar chargers that are occasionally called solar blankets that can be easily folded to put under the seat.

Portable Solar Panels
The second choice is the so-called transportable solar panels. These are generally traditional modules that can be folded and safely installed or kept away. The size of these modules is bigger than the solar chargers and they can be used for more demanding applications such as charging appliances and 12V battery packs. This is a good option for campers that do not regularly go on trips, but instead go for vacations.

Fixed Mounted Solar Panels
The third choice is the typical fixed mounted solar panels. These are the traditional modules that we constantly see on top of the roof. In this case, it would only be applicable for people that have a camping trailer or that want solar panels for an RV.
The greatest advantage of these products is that you won’t have to set up the power station kit every time that you go out camping and it avoids the possibility to get the modules stolen since they are fixed on the roof. These are the perfect options for campers that have a nomadic lifestyle.