How to Build a Portable Solar Generator
If you're new to solar power, you may want to start with building your own portable solar generator - even if you have no experience, it's easy to figure out and it's certainly easier to build and maintain than a full-fledged system. Plus, if you go on a lot of camping trips it can be quite convenient.
You can build the entire thing for less than $200, and even less than that if you have some of the parts on-hand. And it can pay for itself in only 2-3 weeks' time.
Here are the parts you'll need: 1) Solar Panel 2) Charge Controller 3) Battery 4) Inverter. These should be as small as possible, because this is supposed to be a portable generator that you can take with you on camping trips.
For the solar panel, even 12 V of capacity should be enough for camping trips if you have only small appliances. The charge controller limits how much power is drawn from your battery and greatly extends its life, saving you money in the long-run.
The energy collected by your solar panel is stored by the battery, and you can then use it whenever you need it. The direct current electricity that you get is converted into alternating current by the inverter.
To make your generator, first connect the solar panel to the charge controller. The controller should then connect to the battery, and the battery should connect to the inverter - and the inverter should connect to the appliance that you're using.
You could find someone local to get these parts for very cheap, or you could just go to your local hardware store.
In terms of extras, you could invest in a "battery box" to keep your batteries safe and protected from weather and other hazards. You could also get a system meter, which tells you how full your battery is and how much power is being drawn at a given moment, which can help you find problems early on.