Aug
25
What’s an easy beginner – solar power conversion kit?
ByI was thinking about having some plugs in the kitchen converted (Specifically dedicated to the Toaster, Microwave, Blender) to solar power. What’s a good simple complete kit or instruction book on making this possible? Thanks in advance.
3 Comments
August 25th, 2010 at 4:34 am
Kitchen appliances take a lot of power, especially the heating type.
You won’t save money, or pay a solar system off for a few years.
There are many online resources dedicated to solar.
For what you want, I would get 4 KW inveter (or a 2+2 linked set), maybe 300-500AH of batteries (at 24V) that can provide the instant current you need, and maybe 4KW of panels and related hardware. You would tie your counter recepticals into the inverter.
Really, I would instead go with a 2KW system, for some lighting and home entertainment. You do not need to size as high for a peak current use. And switch out to energy efficient lighting, appliances, and usage practices.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:08 am
If your goal is to save money, then unfortunately, connecting only a few outlets to standalone solar is not going to be cost effective. The batteries involved make the electricity cost several times what grid electricity costs, and in addition, you need to maintain the batteries, monitor the electrolyte, etc.
In general, anyone with access to grid power stays connected to the grid, even when they install solar. They use a grid-tied inverter, that simply sells power to the power company when the panels are producing more than the house is using. Even so, not everyone can save money this way. It depends a lot on your location.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:33 am
A solar kit might work for you if you’re not ready to invest in a full-scale solar array but you need power for your basic needs in the kitchen.
It is also a great way of getting a simplified start on powering your home with the energy of the sun.
Some of the ‘plug and play’ models of solar energy kits available today can plug right into an outlet so you can avoid wiring hassles all together.
These solar kits would not involve converting certain plugs to solar power, but they would offset a significant amount of the electricity that you use.