On completion of assembling your PV solar panels. We then design a system to make best use of the solar power they produce. There are a number of ways of doing this. We can use a battery, push the electricity back to the national grid, or we can power our homes. You probably have a rough idea of what you want your finished system to look like, but plan very carefully. Know exactly how many watts of energy you need and how many watts of energy your solar panels are capable of producing.

Portable Solar Power Generator

This is the simplest of all the systems. It only consists of four components – a battery or batteries, inverter, solar panel and the charge controller.

You don’t have to build all your solar panels before you install a system in your home. You can add more solar panels as and when they are available. The inverter will switch the current from DC to AC so you can power directly your household appliances.

You can store excess electricity in batteries, because once electricity is produced it has to be used, so use it or lose it! Do not use standard auto battery, use a deep cycle battery.

On-Grid Solar Power Generator

If you are connected to the national electricity grid then you should definitely consider this system. Instead of storing the excess electricity in batteries, you feed it to the national grid. This has the effect of reversing your meter and so your electric utility supplier will credit you on your bill.

After you build a solar panel, you will appreciate how easy they are to make. You can easily build one panel in 7 days and let’s say over a year you build 35 of them. You will be sending so much electricity back to the grid, that you can make a nice little income on-the-side to supplement all your other household bills.

Add a Battery Bank to Your Grid-Tied System

However, it still may be prudent to have a battery backup with a grid tied system. For example, if it is a cloudy day and you are using some DIY tools which demand a lot of electricity. The battery system can kick-in and supply your needs without having to take power from the grid.

Generate Solar Power With Off-Grid Homes

If you are not connected to the grid then you will want to have a battery bank of some considerable size. And by having a battery back-up you will not have wasted any power you may have generated and not used.

Batteries perform better when they are warm so it is wise to invest in a battery box and keep them in your garage. A battery box is also a good health and safety feature, especially if you have children or animals running around. Your dog would get a real shock if he decided to relieve himself up against a battery bank!

Final thought, if you already have a generator, consider linking this to your system as this can charge your batteries should they get run down.

Different Types of Solar Powered Systems For the Home

• Off grid with just a battery backup
• Off grid system
• Portable solar power pack
• Solar panel with a battery backup
• Photovoltaic system without a battery backup

Learn more about how to build a solar panel as well as uncovering tips to optimize producing solar electricity for your property visit build a solar panel.