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What Can I Do With a 60-Watt Solar Panel?

Solar panels are becoming increasingly more available today as the prices of many home solar systems go down. For the same amount of money, you can get considerably more clean and renewable power for your home than ever before. But what are exactly the possibilities of a typical 60-Watt solar panel?

When purchasing your first home solar system, it is very important to know exactly what kind of equipment you will get, and what you can expect of it. If you have no previous experience with home solar modules, the 60 Watt system is an ideal solar kit to start with. Compared to the larger installations, this solar kit can be relatively inexpensive, with prices starting from a couple of hundreds dollars.

There are many things you can do with a solar panel of this strength, but don't expect too much. People often have unrealistic expectations in many areas of their lives, and this is also true when first coming in contact with the renewable energy sources. So, what exactly can you do with a 60 Watt solar module? Here are several tips and guidelines:

• You can run an adjustable speed direct current (DC) motor, such as some used in some pumps, compressors, or fans.
• You can recharge your laptop and blackberry batteries as well as other rechargeable gadgets.
• If you need light during the day, you can use your 60 Watt solar kit to run a light bulb, especially in association with low wattage fluorescent tubes or PowerLED bulbs. Both of them are generally low power consumers, but make sure you check their wattage prior to using them.
• If you don't need lighting during the day, you can store power by charging a standard acid 12 V battery and use the stored power whenever needed.
• With little engineering you can turn your stereo line to operate on 12 Volts DC current.
• In addition, you can find a number 12-V appliances that can be plugged into your 60 Watt solar system.

Once again, with a typical 60 Watt system you will get a nice solar kit to start with, but do not expect too much. For example, with this system you cannot use a standard vacuum cleaner. Most TV sets need at least 300 Watts AC current, so you cannot use them either, even if you attach an inverter to this solar kit. However, there are some small and portable TVs that indeed can be plugged into 12 Volt sources. Even when using a 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC inverter you won't be able to draw the required power to run many of the large appliances in your home.

In conclusion, the 60 Watt Solar Modules are ideal for getting to know the solar technology and start lowering your monthly electric bills. Most of the solar modules available today are of excellent quality and can be purchased at great price. Once mounted, their estimated useful life span can be up to 30 years. The saved money will likely be minimal, but your satisfaction will be great as you embark into the new world of clean, free and renewable energy.

About the Author

Gregor Sullivan is an environmentalist and nature lover. He is actively involved in education about the importance of preserving our natural environment and resources. He writes for sunnyray.org where you can read his Sunforce solar charger review.

Disclaimer:

The above guest post is published based on the premise that it will be helpful and informative. The opinions made within it are those of the author and not of sunnyray.org. The links you may find within this post do not necessarily imply our recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them.

Comments:

Milton Makanganise says:
10-13-2011

I need need solar that can run my lights for 6 rooms,2 TV sets and radio.
Please send qoutation

Greg says:
10-18-2011

Hi Milton,
That's a lot of power you would need, especially if you are planning on running the TV sets. The conventional light bulbs, in case you are using them, also draw a lot of power. You would definitely need to do the math first and link several high power modules like these, but even then the result may not be to your full satisfaction.

Racel says:
04-15-2012

My husband and I are looking at building a small cabin-type house with minimal conveniences. Could a 60-watt system run a regular sized refrigerator constantly and charge laptop/cell phone batteries for a few hours a day? If not, what size would?

Greg says:
04-15-2012

Hi Racel,
Charging the laptop and cell phone would not be a problem. However, the refrigerator is another story. In order to run it constantly you would need an extra battery (for example, deep cycle battery) - your solar panels would charge the battery, which would then be used to power some super-efficient refrigerator or a portable refrigerator. The best is to choose some portable fridge that operates on 12/24V DC power, for example, Engel MR040 Portable AC/DC 12 Volt fridge-freezer (40qt). Even then, the 60-Watt solar system will not be enough, and you would need to go to larger systems, depending on the actual configuration.

Alam says:
05-11-2012

I need to use 4 (1 for overnight, 3 for 4/5 hours at night) lights, day time I want to use one small motor (0.5 HP) for supplying water to my bath rooms and kitchen. I want to use laptop and 110 V AC TV. How much watt solar panel do I need, and how much 12V battery I need to buy for this purpose. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Greg says:
05-12-2012

Hi Alam,
If you want to use AC power, you would need to plug your AC devices into an inverter. The inverter should then be connected to a battery or bank of batteries, and finally the batteries should be recharged by your solar panels. The inverter should surpass the desired wattage input of your appliances. If the combined power of your appliances is, say, 600 Watts and if you are using two 12 V battery of 200 Amp/Hrs, you might get something like 3 Hours of operating time per day. So, your solar panel will have to be powerful enough to provide enough current (during the five to six hours of direct sunlight) for recharging the batteries. Typically, a 480 Watts to 960 Watts system is what one needs to use lights, and some small appliances. You can do the math yourself, depending on the desired power and the time of operation.

david says:
05-15-2012

hi Greg! I need a system that can support 5 bulbs at night, TV set and charge cell phones. Can a 60 Watt solar, 600 Watt inveter and a 12 volt N70 solar battery do? Thanx.

Greg says:
05-16-2012

Hi David. If you have a 60 Watt solar panel on one end of your system, you should have appliances of comparable power on the other end, even when using batteries and inverter, unless of course, you want to use them for a short period of time. The charging of cell phones is not a problem. You can try to limit the power consumption by using low power bulbs and a portable DC TV set, but still it is hard to tell precisely what type of solar panel you would need without knowing the load. You can check the average Watts required for your appliances here.

Natasha says:
05-23-2012

We are wanting to have 2 light bulbs in our barn..60 watts each. Only one will be on all night. Can you please tell me what watt solar panel I will need? Thank you! Natasha

Austin says:
05-26-2012

How about a 3000 watt motor? Lol can that be run off a 60 watt panel? I say yes.
I am (slowly) making a scooter with my 3000 watt brushless motor, and the 36v 12Ah lipo pack will be recharged by the solar panel running through a dc-dc converter then to the chargers, and that charges the battery...
12Ah*33.3v(nominal)=399.6watt/hour
399.6/(30*1.8)=7.4 hours
The 30*1.8 is 30 cells times 1.8 watts per cell...
I may do up to 45 cells in my panel...


If you'd like, follow my progress (and my other projects) on YouTube. I am Hogwit.

pablo says:
06-01-2012

hi Greg,
How much solar panel and batteries do I need to run 6-7 bulbs of 12v 15w for no more than 5 hours per day? will 100w solar panel and a 150amp troyan acid lead battery be enough?
thanks,
pablo

Craig says:
07-10-2012

Hey Greg

We have a 60 watt array going into a 12 volt Die Hard Deep Cycle. We get at least 5 hours of sun on the panels, but our two 15 light (with inverter) shuts down before two hours are up. Is my battery not doing the job or do we need a bigger battery bank?

Greg says:
07-10-2012

Craig, could you check what’s the capacity of your battery in amp-hours?

Louis says:
08-27-2012

I have a 60 watt system installed at this moment with a 1000 watt inverter and a 12v deep cycle battery i use about 5 energy florecent light bulbs 60 watt (15 watt/60 watt). If i install another 12v deep cycle battery, will my system (60 watt) be good to charge my 2 batteries?

anuj says:
08-30-2012

I am planning to buy a solar system.... 200w solar panel, 800w inverter and 150 ah battery ... Plz tell me if this is perfect or not

Greg says:
09-17-2012

Louis, I would have to ask you the same question as already asked above. What's the capacity of your battery?

Greg says:
09-16-2012

Anuj, it all depends on what you wanna do with it.

paul says:
09-16-2012

Ok I admit I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but that's what I'd like to power... Well my shop anyway. I'm really new to this and it seems very difficult to get straight answers on the subject but I love the idea of alternate energy for many reasons. So my question: trying to solar power a small backyard shop where I piddle around about 16 hours a day. If I'm calculating closei would need an economical light (no windows), variable tools like sanders, grinders & maybe a drill or saw or even a small 5 gallon compressor... Oh & everyone needs music to work! LOL but anyway I'm figuring maybe around say 3,200 watts for about 16 hours just to make sure I covered all my bases. Then none @ all for @ least 8 hours so the batteries could charge uninterrupted during prime sunlight (i keep odd hours hahaha). Would it even be feaseable to think I could work out maybe a 45 or 60 watt panel, charge controller with about a 600 watt inverter and maybe say a 4 12-volt battery bank wired in parralell? Either way i appreciate your time and input just think it would be a great learning project (as if i don't have enough projects going already!!! LOL)

Greg says:
09-16-2012

Hi Paul

Think of it this way. With 60 watt panel, provided that you get something like 5 sun hours a day of sunlight (unrealistic in winter), you will end up with 300 Watt-hours. If we disregard any losses, which btw. can be significant and will also depend on the type of charge controller you use to charge the battery, this would mean that you can use 300 Watts for one hour, or 600 Watts for half an hour, or 1600 Watts for less than 10 minutes per day. That's the basic math - you simply cannot get more power on the back end than what you get on the front end.

Frank says:
09-17-2012

Hi Greg, I have a chicken coop about 500 feet away from any electrical outlet. I'd like to keep a 40watt bulb in the coop at night to keep the air circulating and preventing frost from settling anywhere (a farmer neighbor does that and his chickens are healthy). That said, what set up would you recommend I buy? ie 60 watt panel, type of batter, inverter, etc.

My other question is the water freezes in the coop feeder and I'd like some sort of heater for it to keep it from freezing... maybe a heated stone they use in lizard terrariums could work. What kind of set up would you recommend?

Greg says:
09-17-2012

Hi Frank
I don't know about the heater, but 60 Watt panel might be enough to power your 40 watt bulb - it all depends on how many sun hours you have and how long you plan to keep the lights on during the night. It is really hard to tell exactly up front, as there are many parameters to be taken into account.

Andrea says:
10-01-2012

I want some lighting in my horse barn. There would be a max of six bulbs, I would normally only be using them for a few minutes a day. Since it gets darker earlier, I could use some lighting at feeding time. Also, I would like to use those wires that keep pipes from freezing..... just a short pipe. I have a 400 watt inverter and want to get the battery and solar to charge it. Could you suggest size of solar charger to use? Battery?

Gwen says:
10-08-2012

I live in US but my family lives in rural Africa. I would like to buy them a solar panel to light the house, at least 2 bulbs and a 12"tv. Please advise me on the most efficient portable solar panel to get and the right battery to store power. Please reply. Thanks.

Greg says:
10-09-2012

The portable solar panels that I know of are not strong enough to power a TV set, even if it is a 12-Volt DC device. Probably you can try matching Brunton Solaris 52 Watt (look HERE for more details) with the power input of some TVs to see what would be possible, if anything.

Dick says:
10-12-2012

Greg,
We have a 60watt solar panel with two deep cell batteries.
What power can we expect from this?
We could add two more batteries in this location.
What can we expect power wise from either two or four batteries and what size inverter would we need?


Greg says:
10-15-2012

Hi Dick
In the ideal case, you cannot expect to get more power than what your solar panel can produce. In reality you will get substantially less power (say, 60-70% of the panel label). If you have something like 5 hours of peak sunlight you might expect, say, 70% of 60 Watt*5 hours, which would be 210 Watt-hours. On the other end, you can spend this energy running a 210-Watt-device for one hour, or a 21 Watt device for 10 hours. The battery is here just to store the produced energy, adding more batteries will not increase the produced power.

Saad says:
11-09-2012

Dear Greg,
Greetings.
I don't know a thing about solar panels and desperately need your expert advice.

I want to light a bulb of 20 watts for 10 hours and charge mobile phones for 5 hours. We have direct sunlight for at least 10 hours.

I'll be grateful if you please tell me exactly what things I will be needing to fulfill my requirements.
Thanking You
Saad

Greg says:
11-12-2012

Hi Saad
What you need to check is the number of so-called "peak sun hours" for your exact location. This number varies from town to town and also depends on the season. You would need to determine what the peak sun hours are for the worst case scenario (winter data). No way you will get 10 sun hours if you take the worst case data. The math largely depends on this number.

Robb says:
11-11-2012

I was wondering what would I need to run a 2kw heater for 8 hours?

Greg says:
11-12-2012

That's a lot of power Robb, and to make things worse heaters are virtually incompatible with photovoltaic (PV) solar systems. However, you can use active solar heating systems that use fluids to collect the solar energy and are much more efficient than any PV system.

BUD says:
11-28-2012

I want to use a panel+ controller+ large capacity deep cycle battery+inverter to run battery chargers to float/maintain only. Input on them reads: 120v AC 2 amps/12v 2amps out. I also want to run the charger for my 18v power tool batteries. Not 24/7, just enough to keep them full. How many watts of 5 hr/day solar input do I need? Thanks!

Yonas says:
12-01-2012

Hi Graig
I have
one 21" TV - 120 Watts
one amplifier - 60 Watts
three bulbs - each 12-15 Watts and one DC refrigerator.
now if I want to run the refrigerator for 24hrs/day and the bulbs for 8hrs/day and the TV and amplifier for 12 he's a day, what kind of panel, inverter and batteries are needed? I get 7hrs peak sunlight most of the year cause I live on the tropical area...

mo says:
12-04-2012

I just bought 60 watt solar panel. 1. how many christmas bulbs(LED)can I light for my outside light decoration. 2. If my 60 watts panel is not enough can I simply add more pannel to my system. thanks

bruce says:
12-04-2012

I have a 85 watt solar panel to charge a battery. I want to convert to 115 volt ac, to run a heater that draws 3 amps for 8 hours at sun lite. Will this work?

Sylvester says:
12-11-2012

I have been following this forum for a month or so now. You are doing a nice job. Pls I have 2Q. 1. Can i use a DC MOTOR, ALTERNATOR, CHARGE CONTROLLER, DEEP CYCLE BATTRAY and INVERTER to generate Electricity instead of SOLAR PANEL? Because I saw it on net but there was no good instructions step by step on how to get it work Q2. Pls. I want to used 1 Fan of 65W, 1 TV of 100W 1 DVD of 30W and 60W of bulb. How many Watts of solar panel, Volts of Deep cycle battery, Watts of Inverter, Amp or volts of charge controller will i need. Many thanks.

Greg says:
12-12-2012

@Bud: You should definitely calculate the total load (in Watts-hours per day) prior to looking at the other end and deciding on what kind of solar panel you would need. Simply determine the power of your chargers and other appliances (POWER in Watts = VOLTAGE in Volts x CURRENT in Amps) and multiply the power in Watts with the number of hours you will use them to determine the load per day.

@Yonas: So, let’s see. 120 Watts x 12 hours + 60 Watts x 12 hours + 45 Watts x 8 hours + 40 Watts fridge?? x 24 hours = 3500 Watt-hours per day. So you need something like 3.5 KWh per day.
To account for losses in case you use a MTTP charge controller (more expensive solution) you have to multiply this number with 1.5 which gives you 5.25 KWh per day. In case you opt for a PWM controller (cheaper solution), you would have to multiply your load with 1.8 or more.
The next step would be to select you battery, accounting for 3, 4 or 5 days autonomy (in case something goes wrong). If you want to have 3 days autonomy, the required load will be 15.75 KWh. As the batteries should not be discharged below 50%, you have 31.5 KWh, which translates into 24-Volt batteries with 1312 Amp-hours capacity.
The last step would be to select the solar panel, which should provide 5250 Watts in 7 hours = a system of panels of 750 Watts total power.
Last but not least, you would need something like a 40 Amps MTTP solar charge controller.
All in all, this is obviously not a cheap set up.

@mo: The answer to your first question is - it depends on the total load of your LED lights (see the replay to Bud above). You should be able to add more panels, connecting them either in serial or in parallel to increase the total power of your system.

@bruce: If your heater draws 3 amps at 115 volt for 8 hours, it means that you require 2760 Watt-hours per day (without even taking into account the power losses). No way you can provide this power with just one 85 Watt solar panel.

@Sylvester: Thanks for the comment, but I have no idea what Q2, or 2Q is.

jason says:
01-10-2013

Hi Greg. I have a hydroponic system that uses a lot of power with a 400 watt lamp, fans and heater. I use in my green house what sort of solar system would I need to run for it.

arnearne says:
02-03-2013

Looking to power a 200w (200w actual wattage) flouro bulb/grow light indoors for tomato plants, melons etc..

what system is enough to run a 200w bulb say 8h a day?

James says:
02-07-2013

Hello Greg,
I'm looking to power a 4.0 Kw electric Garage heater for very stints, enough the warm the unattached garage for maybe an hour or 2 while I'm in there working in my cars at night. will a 60 watt system work with a few deep cycle batteries?

scott cleator says:
02-11-2013

I need to pair a system for an off-grid water heater for my cottage.It is for a low-usage outdoor shower. i just want to know how much power i could need and what size of heater i shold purchase to make it happen. thanks

Ribal says:
04-02-2013

I have 28 watt solar panel and 65 Amh battery (filled with water, and 1500watt inverter (nominal but acctual 750watt). How can i use it to run 32" LCD and reciever and LED light (about 1 amper needs) and how much time will it last. And one other question i need to put the panel on the roof and i'm setteling in the first flor so I need about 25-30 meter wire what thickness do i need?

Ric says:
04-05-2013

Hi Greg
I have a 48 volt wind turbine at 300 watt, 2 solar panels at 100 watt each and a 20 watt solar panel with an 12 volt inverter at 700 watt. 2 deep cell 12 volt batteries and an all in one wind/solar charge controller, I would like to know if I can generate current to run a 21 inch TV, a music system and 3 light bulb at 60 watt each. I have sun shine in the Caribbean maybe 8 hrs most days. Please give me your in put on this.
Thanks
Ric

Brian Stuaffer says:
04-09-2013

I am putting together a fishing cart and I would like to add on a couple of electronic things... Radio (either ran by iPod or car stereo) and an external light fixture. Can you tell me information I would need to get the right amount of solar power I would need. Thanks for the help

Mark says:
04-12-2013

@Brian: I would suggest something from the Brunton Foldable Solar Array line of products.

Hendon says:
04-15-2013

Hi I have a 600 watt light at the end of my peir. How many watt solar panel do u think it would take to run the light for a couple of hours at night?

Rakesh says:
04-25-2013

Hi Everyone:
after reading few comment, I come to know there is requirement to clear fundamental of Solar cells.
First of the types of solar cells
1) amorphous (cheap and less efficiency per sq. meter)
2) polycrystalline (more costly and more efficient)
3) mono-crystalline (more costly and more efficient even than polycrystalline)
Now calculation,
First calculate total used power per day.
Example: if you use 2 30w cfl for 6 hour a day + a fan 75w for 4 hour per day then total power utilized per day is,
2*30*6(for cfl)+1*75*4(for fan)=660 watthour per day.
Now calculation for solar panel required.
A typical 100 watt solar panel produce 400 watthour per day
so for 660 watthour you need:
(required power)/(typical power produce by panel)*(efficiency of system)= total no. of solar cell required.
Here 0.8(80%) is considered as efficiency of your system in worst case + 120-130% more power to charge battery.
Here we have:
660/400x0.8=2.0625
so you need 100*2.0625=206
~200w solar panel.
Now calculation for battery
as you need 660wh per day
watthour/volt=amperehour.
660/12=55ah
so you need 55ah 12v battery
As battery degrade with time its better to use 70ah 12v battery.
for any help you can contact me directly on r.kumarrakesh231@gmail.com
or at www.facebook.com/rakesh231


Redley says:
06-24-2013

Is it possible to use a heat from a high watts bulb as source of energy to my solar panel to charge batteries at night.

sunnyray says:
06-26-2013

No, that is not the way to go. That way you have nothing to gain, you can only lose energy.

Brian says:
12-04-2013

Hi ya,

Two questions

1. I have 2 x 12v 20w PIR flood lamps. As they will only be on at night time when movement I reckon they may be on for say 5 hours. Would a 50w solar panel do the job???

2. If I have a 240v 70w flood lamp could I directly fit a 70 w solar panel to an inverter then to my lamp and use it during the day for working?

Gift says:
12-15-2013

I want a solar system that can be used to light a chicken run.It will use 600w of power for 12 hours for lighting purposes only. what solar size,inverter,battery would you recommend for me.

Sbonelo mzimela says:
12-30-2013

I have a 10w panel ,60ah 12v sealed lead acid maintenance free and 230w inverter, is enough to run 14 TV and 2 energy saving lights 15w each?

sophie says:
01-12-2014

Hi, we wanted to hook a 500mah 5W mini keyboard vacuum cleaner to a 5W panel, will it work? Or do we need another panel with higher watts? I heard that you have to match the watts of the appliance with the panel. Also, do we need a12V battery as well? I hope you can enlighten me on this one because we will be presenting it as our project. Thank you very much

Hello says:
01-13-2014

I bought myself a 80W panel with a steca 10A controller with a 105ah deep cycle battery, the cables was supplied by the company I bought my system from I want to run just a 12v dc snomaster camp fridge on this system and just 1 by 12v light would this system be good enough or would I need something more?? Can you also supply the basic setup/connection diagram for this system I do have a battery case with inline fuse in the case. Thank you

Aashish says:
01-14-2014

hi! i need 2 lit in average 6 5 watt led bulbs for in average 5hrs @ night....of how much watt should my solar panel be and how much volts should the battery be???? thank u in advance for your advice.

santiago says:
01-27-2014

I want to run a 0.5 hp motor along with an 8051 micro controller and other electronic devices like comparator,charge controller,regulator.I have a 74 W solar panel. What are the ratings of the battery I need?How much time is needed to charge the battery?Will I need any extra solar panel?

drew says:
01-27-2014

Greg I have the optimax blue top batter 12v. Nice battery from what I've read. 60 watt sunforce kit. How good is this battery w this set 200 watt inverter 7amp charge controller.and could I simply add more batteries in parallel sequence or is there a basic formula to watts in solar panels to battery equation? Example 300 watt in panels=x amount of batteries? In blue top?

kithaka says:
01-29-2014

I have a 100 watt solar panel and a 100 AH battery. What appliances can I use with the power?

Troy says:
03-02-2014

Could someone please tell me the solar set up I need to run a 1500watt submersible water heater that we use in our equine 100 gallon water tubs. Living in North Dakota it will have to run 24/7 during winter months as it seems we can never get above -40 below..lol any help would be appreciated.

Lovington says:
04-03-2014

Hi, I bought a 60 watts solar panel to use for 3 power led lights, small telly, small stereo and charge the phones; how many watts inverter plus what size regulator do I need?

Jimmy says:
06-22-2014

@ Lovington, with that limited information NO one can work out a thing for you. You need to know everything in watt hours, eg the power consumption of a device and for how many hours a day it will be on. Eg 50W lightbulb for 5 hours is 250Whrs. The same for a solar panel, if its a 100W panel and its in the sun for 5 hrs a day its generating a theoretical 500Whrs per day - however they are never 100% efficient, so usually go on about 80% efficiency, so that 500Whrs x 0.8 = 400Whrs produced. If you need to store that energy, then you need a controller and batteries. Batteries are measured in volts and amp hours. Watts are volts x amps, so watt hours are simply volts x amp hours. Run say 2 x 12V batteries in series you will double the volts but retain same amps. Run 2 x 12V batteries in parallel you double the amps but retain the same volts. Same applies with multiple solar panels (although be aware failure or shading in one panel effects all panels). It's all just simple maths once you understand it.

richard says:
04-23-2015

I live in rural zimbabwe, I have 480watts solar panel ,250ah deep cycle battery and a 1000watt inverter. Is it possible to run a deep freezer 200l.

Tamrei says:
04-25-2015

I want to buy 2 solar panel with 100 watt each and one (1) 150ah baterry (12V). Can I use 200 watt solar panel to charge 150ah baterry...Pliz help me I dont have any idea about solar...

Raheel says:
04-26-2015

I have a 150 watts solor panal .. I want to use that for 12 to 20 volt dc fan and 2 led bullbs. It will work nyc or not?

Olola says:
05-09-2015

I have 1500 inverter and I want to be used day and night. How many watt solar panel do I need?

kaushal 9th says:
05-22-2015

It is good to use the waste solar panel in reuse by using it for mobile charger, run DC motors etc.

Anand Sugrim says:
06-21-2015

I have a 17volt solar panel and a 12volt battery how much wattage inverter do i need to work a 120 volt music system alone when the sun is in all its brilliance.

Rich says:
06-28-2015

Come on people, He gives you a very well written explanation of what to expect out of a 60 panel yet most of you continue to ask the same questions. Can't you read? The internet is at your fingertips. Geesh!

bashi says:
07-01-2015

i have 80 watt solar panel, i want to use tv lamps 8 hours in each night how many batteries are required sufficiently.

misebo says:
07-04-2015

Nice article

dexter baggs says:
08-02-2015

I have 2 solar panels the same size I test one and than I connect 2 together ,I get the same voltage but double amp is that correct ,or am I doing something wrong

Greg says:
08-02-2015

Hi dexter. The answer to your question depends on the type of controller and battery you are using. Assuming that you are using a 12 volt battery, and that your controller can use 24 volt input to charge your battery, it might be better to put them in series ( double the voltage, same ampers) to reduce losses and reduce wire size. The way you are wiring them is parallel (same voltage, double the amps) is better, for example, if you plan to expand your system with other panels in the near future.

Suraj says:
08-14-2015

Halo,
my plane is to go for solar panel to fulfil our energy requirement...3-4 led bulb[only ni8], 3 fan[mostly ni8] , and a led tv for 6-8 hours and charging phones et.c. How much watt panel we need for full satisfaction.

mohan says:
09-06-2015

3 lights for home using solar panel. how much cost?

yvonne says:
09-17-2015

which solar can I use for tv and fridge

Samuel says:
10-11-2015

hello I have a 90watt ac small fridge. can i run it on a 500watt inverter drawing power from a 40 amhr deepcycle battery charging on 60 watt pannel

nicole says:
10-25-2015

I want to run 2 sets of Christmas lights where there is no power within 600 ft. I bought a solar set but I want them on during the day too. Then I bought a 12v battery and inverter and a solar recharge panel but that's not working either. HELP

Raj says:
11-22-2015

I have a 12V 100Ah/20hr lead acid battery, 900w inverter and two solar panel of 70W 17V each. How much power I can generate from all these things I have? I need power for cooking purpose to run one induction cooktop of 1600W. What are the other things I need to collect? Would you pls help me?

said says:
11-23-2015

I live in Sahara aria (> 12 hours sunlight both summer& winter). We have 6 ample (5hours) , 2nd, 1 refrigerator (24hours), also we want use in kitchen, 1 washing machine, 2 mobile& 2laptop . Could we stop electric and use only solar panels? What type of solar panels battery enough for us?

henok says:
12-21-2015

what is the d/ce b/n deep cycle and normal battery

md tuhin says:
01-15-2016

i have 80 watt solar panel
so how to use tv & blender
but now i use only 3 energy lights.

Del says:
01-23-2016

Hi Greg what size solar panel and inverter would i need to run x5 300 watt led lights please.

Tahir says:
02-23-2016

Hi!
I have bought 300w solar with 100 amperes battery and 800VA inverter and I have 40 inches led tv,after changing the battery I started using my tv but it couldn't work properly when it gets on after 5-10 minutes it gets off please help what I have to do. Regards

Love Zewon. Gongar says:
03-24-2016

How much can I get from 60 watt Panel?

Alanah says:
03-29-2016

Hi just wondering if 5 x 60 watt solar panels provides the same power as 1 x 300 watt one and if so which would be the better choice to install.

Saerri says:
04-04-2016

hi.is 60 watts enough for 1 tv, 2 electric fan,3 cellphone, and 2 bulb? can i use the solar panel while watching tv and using its power? should i need to put it under ther sun while using solar panel?

Sean says:
04-27-2016

Hi I'm new to all this I have just inherited a 2000watt 4000 watt peak invertor and two deep cycle 12v batteries one 110 am hand one 90 amh In my small eight foot square workshop total watts in way of machinery is 4000 watts but all not continuous use except lights and music winter months contiuious 200watts what size panel would you recommend

Rashid says:
05-05-2016

hi, i have thre TV's. one is a 60 inch plasma tv, 40 inch led tv and a 50 inch led tv, I also have 20x 1.2m long 12v led strips, I need to know, what size solar panel, battery and solar charger do I need to run all these items for at least 6 hours a day. please reply to my email if possible. rashidsh@gpg.gov.za
regards
Rashid

Solar Eater says:
05-18-2016

I bet you get burnt out answering the same questions all the time. I only have one question, how to you keep your panels from sucking power out of your batteries at night? Hey thanks, Tesla had it correct all these years.,

Greg says:
05-18-2016

Hi Solar
You should check if your solar panel has a reverse flow protection. Most of the newer panels have it pre-installed. This will block the discharge at night. It is either in a form of a diode, or LED. The third and least desirable solution is, of course, disconnecting the cables when the Sun is down.

Rohit kumar says:
05-18-2016

Costly product

praveen says:
05-23-2016

I want to make my own solar panel, I just need some instructions about 60watt panel, what the parts usefull for making solar panel, please tell me in detail.please

gilmer says:
06-06-2016

i have a 50 watts solar panel and a 12volts deep cycle battery 40 amp,my question is: how many wattage of lights and small appliance can it run?

Geoffrey says:
06-25-2016

I have a 30w solar cell, 12V17AH battery. I want to know whether it can charge my laptop and lighting a room. And you also advise me on the minimum specs for an inverter I should buy

Rahul says:
07-02-2016

sir, I have 40amp 12v battery .I want to use 75watt fan about 8hours in a day.l want to know what size of solar will be install. plz tell me

Robert Sinn says:
07-08-2016

I have a 120watt solar panel with 2x 120 amp/hr batteries in the back of my ute. I also have a 600watt inverter in line how long will I be able to run my 2 engle 60lts and 40lts fridges

Hemant says:
07-11-2016

hey greg, plzzz tell me if i wanna charge my laptop only then how much watt solar panel requires for me............ Thankzzz

Josh says:
07-12-2016

I am about to build a small cabin. It's mostly primitive, meaning no water and minimal electricity. I will have a generator for the times we need AC power, but for the moments during the night when you just need a quick 12v light on to get to the outhouse, I planned on a battery system that is charged when the generator runs. Now my neighbor told me he has four older 40 watt solar panels I can have. They're 4'X 4', but I don't care about the size because they'll look cool and get lots of attention from people in Subarus. So if I have 160 watts coming through a controller to keep a 12v battery topped off so it can power a few LED lights now and then during the night,,, I am assuming that would be beyond adequate? I thought about maybe a small inverter as well so I could have minimal AC without the generator running, but I don't know what I would really need it for besides another small alternative. Does this seem reasonable? I don't know what else to use the 160 watts of solar for,,, but I sure want them on the roof! That's the neat thing about "off grid" shacks,,,, the more cool sh*t you can add, the better your YouTube videos are, right? ::rolls eyes:: My shack will be supplemental to my ordinary house and standard American Lifestyle, so I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the free panels. Thanks...

razdiitroy says:
07-28-2016

I have a 40watts solar panel .How many lights will i install and what battery volts and inverter will i use?Also what type of wire will i use.Need your advice.Thank you

Elliot says:
08-01-2016

Hi Should I use motor and alternator as a solar panele?

Ababa chris says:
08-12-2016

what type of panel and battery should I buy if I want 4 lights and solar dc screen?

Nelson says:
08-19-2016

Ok I want to run my rabbitry on solar so during the summer I run 4" fans x 8. 10 watts each. During the winter 8 heated bowls 25 watt each and to go with that only when cold 8 40 watt light bulbs so given that info what size panel, battery, inverter do I need

robin says:
10-02-2016

I have a 70watts solar panel and a N 70 battery. However I don't see that my battery is charged during the day and also I cann't charge my laptop with it. Some time it only last for 20mins when charging my laptop

Rely appreciate you help

TAITUSI says:
10-11-2016

how much does it cost

ruoaa says:
10-12-2016

valuable information thank you

Sheina says:
10-18-2016

hi ,please help sir , how many watts solar panel do i need if im using my laptop, lights, electricfan and internet wifi fiber, i mean i do have an online job , and i wanted to use the solar panel if power outage will happen ,hope you will help me

kevin says:
11-04-2016

can u give me an idea in using a solar energy that can drive a room with 4 ceiling fan 6 fluorescent 1 computer

sapna says:
11-22-2016

hi sir, i want to build a load box ,i have only 500W solar module , i want to run 10 dc led bulb,1 dc small fan for 24 hours. please help me to find out the suitable specifications of bulb,fan and battery according to 500 W solar panel. specification of solar module are given below-
power -500 W
voc- 86.4 v
isc- 7.5 A
vm- 70 v
im- 7.14 a

hope you will help me. thanks.

Mathias says:
12-01-2016

Hello,

I would want to use a TV, Laptop and music sytem. How many watts can i have for a solar?

sypriel says:
02-06-2017

I need to use 2 light bulbs 60w each and fan, DVD can I use 12v Bettery in vector and solar

Rune says:
03-15-2017

Hi, I am in 8th grade and doing a science project to create a self-sustaining light trap model that can be placed near apiaries to reduce the incidence of phorid flies - which create "zombees". The infected bees are best attracted by a 65w halogen light at night. I want to buy a small solar setup to power the lightbulb above my trap for at least 5-6 hours a night, and probably a timer so it only goes on for the 5-6 hours as needed. Can you recommend what type of solar cell I should get? Thank you!

ritchie says:
03-15-2017

Hi greg,
i hav two 100w solar panel in parallel connection,20 amps.12/24v CC,ONE 12 VOLTS 100A,650W POWER inverter.sunlight temp max 32????c.i got only 4.4 amp going to battery. other side this two solar panel fron diff.maker,poly and mono. this correct?thanks

bs says:
04-20-2017

I want to run 0.5 hp ac motor in daylight only. how many solar panels are required?

Efetobor says:
05-08-2017

Hi greg,
You're doing a great job. please what solar capacity do i need to generate power for the following, CFL Bulb (15w): 27hours
AC Ceiling Fan(75W): 12hours
32???????????????? TV (85W): 24hours
Laptop(45W): 9hours


oluwayomi says:
05-29-2017

Can 80 watt inverter takes tv set and home theartre and dvd

Nadine says:
06-27-2017

I have a 60W solar and 1 deep cell battery box. Summer in Australia I will get at least 6-7 sun hours. (for a camper van so will not be used in winter this way) Can you please tell me if this will run 1-2 15w LED lights for a few hours at night and perhaps charge 2 phones during the day?

brian says:
06-27-2017

@Nadine: I think it should be enough for what you wanna do.

Emmanuel says:
07-08-2017

I Need Solar That Can Carry My Tv Radio Two Fan, How Much Can It Cous Me, And What Type Of Solar Panel And Battery Can I Get

Smitty says:
07-22-2017

I have a 60W solar panel and 1 deep cycle battery 150ah. Solar charge controller and 225w inverter/peak 450. Summer in Haiti is hot. I will get at least 7-8 sun hours.Will this be able to to power my laptop for an hour, charge 3 cell phones and run 2 LED blubs 15w at night for two hours?

Linda says:
07-30-2017

Hi Greg,
I have a 15 watt solar I wish to use a fridge,TV,charge phones,lighting and radio.can it be enough or how many watt battery can you recommend.Thanks in advance

Peter Johnsson says:
07-25-2018

I need to run two radios at.275amps each, I need 32watts continuous and 56volts DC. What equipment do I need to make this happen?

Joel Chilufya says:
09-14-2018

Hey Guys!
How many watts of a solar can I use to watch a 100 watts TV for 12 hours?

moses were says:
10-21-2018

Hi which solar panel is suitable to run my 112 egg incubator of 90 watts for 24 hours.

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