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Many people are aware that solar chargers are a good alternative to non-renewable sources of energy, but not everyone is familiar with how easy they are to build. The purpose of this piece is to outline important information about different types of solar battery chargers, including how to put together your own.

Generally speaking, a battery charger is a power supply that sends electricity of a specific voltage to a battery. All you need to do is connect the battery to the charger, wait for it to fully charge, and then take it out. A 15-18 volt power supply may be used to recharge a 12 volt battery. However, this kind of battery charger poses the risk of overcharging.

An overcharged battery’s life is likely to decrease. In the event that you seriously or repeatedly overcharge a 12 volt battery, the battery can be damaged so much that it will no longer hold a charge. However, there is a device called a charge controller that will ensure that the necessary voltage is used and prevent the battery from being overcharged. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, you’ll probably want to be able to leave it connected throughout the day while the sun is shining, and thus a charge controller is a must.

The most common type of charge controller for 12 volt batteries is a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) charge controller. In basic terms, a PWM charge controller works by flipping a switch on and off very quickly. In this respect, the switch is mostly “on” when it first starts charging. As electricity is transferred to the battery, the amount of time the switch spends “off” increases, until the battery is fully charged, and then the switch remains off permanently. A microprocessor chip handles the charging process. In other words, you can leave this type of charge controller plugged into a battery all day long if you like, since it will only transfer power to the battery when needed, without the danger of overcharging. This is known as “trickle charging,” and it is handy when there’s a battery that you don’t necessarily use constantly, but would to make sure that it’s charged when it does need to be used. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, it’s useful to have this feature. 12 volt batteries for boats and RVs are often charged in this way, for example.

With these basic components, you can build a 12 volt solar charger. What differentiates a 12 volt solar charger from a normal battery charger is the power source. Solar battery chargers generate power through the use of a solar panel rather than through a wall outlet. Building your own DIY solar panel for use in a 12 volt solar charger is becoming more common. To learn more, check out DIY Solar Panels.

Usually, solar panels used on houses contain 1/2 volt and 3-4 amp solar cells. Since a 12 volt battery charger requires about 15-18 volts of electricity to use, it’s necessary to connect several of these cells to generate enough power. Small solar panels do come in many different voltages. The charger will work properly when you match the voltage of the solar panel to your charge controller. The correct voltage is indicated by the voltage rating, which is displayed on every charge controller. A solar panel of 15-18 volts is usually the best choice if you can’t use a charge controller for whatever reason. However, if you are using a charge controller, it’s important to use the appropriate voltage. You can build your own 12 volt solar charger with the help of GreenDIYEnergy. To read my article about it, take a look at GreenDIYEnergy Review.

The method for wiring the solar panel to the charge controller depends on certain factors within the controller. Identify the type of connector used on your charge controller, and solder one onto the solar panel. If you aren’t using a charge controller, use the type of connector that’s on the battery instead. Spring loaded clamps work well with most larger 12 volt batteries. You do have the option of using electrical tape as an alternative to soldering, but soldering is a more permanent solution, and, in this case, it’s a very easy procedure. You won’t require any special tools other than a decent soldering iron and solder, which you can get cheap at places like Radio Shack. All you have to do is twist the wires on either side together, applly the soldering iron to the wires, and touch the solder to the wires until it melts. As long as you take care not to burn yourself, and remember to heat the wires and not the solder itself with the soldering iron, it’ll be no problem. Another guide to building your own 12v solar charger that I recommend is Homemade Energy. If you’re interested, visit Homemade Energy Review.

It’s really as easy as that! Then, you can build your own 12 volt solar charger. A 12 volt battery is the first component. Then, you’ll want a charge controller with the same voltage as the battery. Next, you’ll require a solar panel that also has the appropriate voltage for the charge controller – you can build one yourself or buy one. The last step is to connect all the parts – connect the solar panel to the charge controller, and the charge controller to the battery. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have permanent, free power! This will save you money, reduce your emissions, and let you do your part in reducing dependence on foreign oil.

The rising cost of energy is making more people think about off grid living every day. Unplugging from the electric grid and producing all of your own power is now entirely possible. By utilizing wind turbines or solar panels, many homeowners are generating their own power, assuming their system is sized correctly. You can take at least your first step towards off grid living by producing some of your own power.

We will discuss solar power first. Solar panels are a great option for supplying power to many homes and can work in all parts of the world, even in remote areas or places with a harsh environment. The only requirement is lots of sunlight and some hardware. For the do-it-yourselfer, the best guide to building a diy solar panel is GreenDIYEnergy.  You can build a solar power system that is as large or small as required and it can even be portable if your living arrangements are mobile. Solar panels are tough, require very little maintenance and can last up to 20 years if properly cared for.

Any solar power system will include a number of solar panels that are connected together. In the northern hemisphere, solar panels should be pointed directly south for maximum power output. Some solar power systems use panels that rotate so they always point directly at the sun, though with more recent solar panels this is less important than it was with older panels. With more recent solar panels, stationary panels work quite well as long as they are pointed directly south and at the correct vertical angle.  For an article about how to build your own solar panel, visit Build Solar Panel.

Direct Current (DC) electricity is produced by solar cells and can be used to charge batteries to power any DC appliance. Electricity can be provided at night or when the sun isn’t shining by charging batteries during the day.

If you want to provide electricity to Alternating Current (AC) appliances like you typically have around your home, you will need a power inverter. The power inverter will take power from both solar panels and batteries and convert it into AC electricity.

A wind turbine can also be used to generate the power that will enable you to begin living off grid. You can mount a modern wind turbine on a pole or tower, or perhaps even on the roof of your home. These modern wind turbines are fairly small and quite efficient. One advantage of a wind turbine over solar panels is they can generate power all day and all night as well. As long as the wind is blowing, a wind turbine can produce electricity.  For information about making a diy wind generator, check out Earth4Energy Review.

You can install both a wind turbine and solar panels together. You can use the same power inverter and batteries with both solar and wind and this setup can give you the best of both worlds. If it is sunny and calm, the solar panels will provide most of the power and if it overcast and windy or at night the wind turbine will take over.

Using either or both of these systems can provide enough electricity to enable you to pull the plug and start living off grid. They will let you take your first step towards completely pulling the plug.