How to connect a portable solar powered generator at home
2018.01.16
One of the best power backup options you could use for your home is a portable solar powered generator. With the most powerful solar powered generator, you could easily power your refrigerator, keep your electronics and computer running, and also power several lights and appliances. Although most of them are yet to match complete home power supply, you could still keep important appliances and electronics running.
Knowing how to properly connect a portable solar powered generator is the first step towards ensuring you are able to enjoy the benefits of the generator. Below is a comprehensive guideline that introduces you to the right way to connect a portable solar powered generator at home.
The first thing you should understand is that for this to work properly you have to get the perfect battery size for corresponding power output received from the portable solar powered generator. You could get most of the parts needed off Amazon or online stores near you that can deliver to your home. To pick the right size, you should know how much loads you will be expecting.
Additionally, you need a reliable battery. The most recommended option for use with a portable solar powered generator is a LioN Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. Although expensive, its service is worth it and its performance is better when compared to a lead acid battery.
Calculate your electrical usage
Power allocation is one of the things you should consider when working with a portable solar powered generator. How much electrical usage will be needed to power your current electrical setup? The easiest way to know how much you can allocate to your appliances is to measure the power in watts, which is most cases is indicated on your appliances. The generator also comes with a description of the maximum amount of power you are likely to get, so comparing this value with the number of appliances you require to power you could easily tell what to leave out and what to include.
Build the box
You need a toolbox that will accommodate the connection settings. If you are not going to have many appliances connected, an ammo is a perfect fit for your project. Your choice of the box depends on the components you will be using and their sizes. To create a balance in the box, ensure the battery is centered. This is necessary because the setup is meant to be portable and so you will need some balance while carrying the box around. Reinforce the setup well with nuts so there is no movement while carrying the box, and this also helps to ensure all the wirings you have done inside remain intact.
Solar panel and connection
The next thing you need after setting up the box and battery is to properly connect the solar panels. One thing you have to understand is that while the power runs from the panel to the battery for storage, there is some loss along the way depending on how well you have done the connections.
Your portable panel comes with a pair of MC4 connectors that also need a special crimper for the extension cables. Don’t worry about this as you can buy a kit for a portable solar powered generator from Amazon. Other sites like this also offer more information about the best portable home generator and therein are guidelines on how to connect various parts. A crimper could go for as low as $20 and the benefit of using one is that it makes connections rock solid so you minimize leakages. Connect the cable through the crimper and this will guarantee you that there will not be disconnections unless you use a special tool to do it.
Adding a Grid Tie Inverter
You need to connect the inverter to the mains in your home. This is a simple process as you only need to plug it into the main socket while ensuring your solar cables are connected to the inverter. This is of course if you are going to use the power directly instead of first channeling it through the battery for storage. In case you are considering using a battery with a grid tie inverter as well, the setup is a bit different.
Installing a charge controller
Besides having the setup installed properly and using the grid inverter to channel the power to your home, your portable solar power generator is not complete until you connect a charge controller. The first concern that would make you consider this device is safety. This is because solar energy is not very reliable and the amount you receive from the sun cannot be regulated.
Therefore, it is possible that sometimes you will have a higher voltage than expected and this could damage your batteries and other appliances in the home. The best solution to this is getting a solar charge controller, which enhances safety even when the voltage is at peak. Connect the controller just before the batteries to ensure all power coming from the panel is regulated before it is released for storage.
Something you should understand about connecting a charger controller is that the distance from the panels must be short. This will ensure less amperage and voltage drop. This should also be the case from the battery for the same reason.
Security
Acquiring panels and the accessories required for the portable solar powered generator is costly, and thus you need to protect these items from theft. One way you could secure the panels is installing a battery powered vibration sensor, but this might not work for a long period of time. The second and most suitable option would be getting a loop alarm. This relies on two tent pegs that are buried deep in the ground so that when someone tries to pull the peg the alarm is activated. The
You can enjoy the benefits of solar power as outlined above, but before you get the power to your devices, you need to understand the right way to make the connection. The guideline above helps you to easily connect a portable solar powered generator.
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