What You Need to Know About Buying Cabin Solar Power Kits

If you are running your cabin with a generator or just making do with camping lanterns and propane, a small solar power system could make your stay much more enjoyable and much quieter. But how small - or large - a system do you need? What makes up a solar power system kit?

Solar Power System Components

A solar power system has 4 components:

1. Solar panels - to turn sunlight into electricity during the daylight hours, powering your cabin and charging up your battery bank
2. Inverter -  to convert the DC electricity produced by the panels to the AC household power you need to run your appliances
3. Battery bank -  to store the power overnight and also for cloudy days when the solar panels produce much less and would not be able to keep up with the power you are using
4. Charge controller - to optimize the flow of electricity from the solar panels to the battery bank and prevent overcharging of the batteries.

It is also a good idea to have a backup generator to charge your batteries if there hasn't been enough sun or you've used more power than you expected.

Figuring Out the Power You Need

The size of the solar power system you will need depends on two things:

• the amount of sunshine you typically get at your cabin
• the amount of electricity you use each time and how frequently you go to your cabin

First, let's calculate how much electricity you use. Make a list of everything that uses electricity in your cabin - this includes mechanical systems like jet pumps and fans. For each item on the list multiply the power it uses - in kiloWatts (kW) - by the average number of hours that it would run each day. This gives you the number of kWh for that item for one day. Add them all up to get the total kWh per day. This is called load analysis.

Solar Panels

Solar panels will have to supply all the electricity you are using. Panels are rated in Watts - multiply the number of Watts for the panel by the amount of solar radiation you receive on an average day. This will give you the number of kWh that the solar panels will produce on an average day.

If you stay at your cabin for more than 2 or 3 days at a time you will want enough solar panels to supply the power you used in one day (calculated above in the load analysis) plus an extra 15-20% to cover losses in the inverter and the battery charging process.

If you are only at your cottage for the weekend and shut everything off during the rest of the week, then the solar panels have all week to recharge the batteries. Figure out what you use over the weekend, then divide that by seven days to find out what the solar panels have to produce each day. Again, add 15-25% to account for system losses.

When buying your panels, choose solar panels that are rated for 12 V systems unless you have decided on a larger system that uses a 24 V inverter.

Inverter

The inverter has to deliver enough power for all the appliances and mechanical systems that you would run at one time. For example, if you use the coffee maker (900 W) and the microwave (1300 W), and the electric frying pan (1200 W) at the same time you will need 3400 W just for those appliances. If you are also running a fridge and some lights, you will need at least a 4000 Watt inverter. However, if you stagger those loads you can save yourself some money and buy a smaller inverter.

There are many choices for inverters - sine wave or modified sine wave, inverter/chargers, automated transfer switches, auto generator starters, and the list goes on. Read about the options in the manufacturer's literature or talk to a qualified dealer.

Battery Bank

Battery capacity is rated in Amp Hours (AH). If you multiply the AH by the system voltage (usually 12 V for a cabin system), this will give you the kWh capacity of the battery. For battery health, you should not drain the battery below 50%, so this means that you effectively have only half of the kWh capacity available to you. Your battery bank should have enough capacity (at 50%) to supply your electrical needs for 3 days.

There are many choices for batteries. Maintenance-free absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries are a good choice for a cabin system.

Charge Controller

Charge controllers are rated for the amount of current from the solar panels that they can handle. Each solar panel will have a rating for its output current - typically this is about 6 Amps, depending on the size of the panel. A charge controller that is rated for 30 A would be able to handle up to four panels. You should always allow a 20 - 25% safety factor since solar panels can sometimes produce more than their rating. A charge controller usually includes a meter to let you know the status of your batteries and the amount of charging current that the panels are producing.

Location

Panels should be mounted facing true south (or true north if you are in the southern hemisphere) at an angle roughly equivalent to your latitude. You will need either roof space or someplace to ground mount or pole mount the panels where there is little or no shading. The shade will reduce the output by 40% or more.

This gives you the basic information that you need to make an informed decision. For the final choice of brand, hardware, and wire sizes consult a reputable solar energy supplier. Your solar kits are also available.

About the author: Diane H. Wong is a content writer at essaywritercheap.org. She works out different marketing strategies. In this case, she has an opportunity to share her experience with others and keep up with advancing technologies.