since 1996 THE ORIGINAL
How to Make a Solar Power Generator for less than $300

Simple!

Me in 2009 with the original $300 solar power generator I built in 1996. NEW! A Mirror Site with a Shorter URL: www.how2solar.tk

Using parts easily available from the internet (see helpful links) and your local stores, you can make a small solar power generator for $250 to $300. Great for power failures and life outside the power grid. Power your computer, modem, vcr, tv, cameras, lights, or DC appliances anywhere you go. Use in cabins, boats, tents, archaeological digs, or while travelling throughout the third world. Have one in the office store room in case of power failures in your highrise. I keep mine in my bedroom where it powers my cd player, turntable, lights, modem, laptop, and (ahem) a back massager. I run a line out the window to an 8" x 24" panel on the roof. This is the smallest simplist set-up practical for daily use. It saves me about five dollars a month off my electric bill. Plans for larger systems can be found here ( along with how to make a solar panel, a wind turbine, install them, and other neat stuff).

1. Buy (or make) yourself a small solar panel. For about $100 you should be able to get one rated at 12 volts or better (look for 16 volts) at an RV or marine supplies store or from Greenbatteries Store.

Powerfilm R15-300 Rollable Solar Panel - $ 98.47 This 300 mah (approx 5 watt) solar panel comes with a cable that can connect to a battery or various other devices. The internal batteries of your wireless electronics can be charged by connecting the PowerFilm® Rollable Solar Panel to your device's 12V cigarette lighter adapter by using the optional (not included) RA-2 Female Cigarette Lighter Adapter is required for your solar panel.

2. Buy yourself a battery. We recommend rechargeable batteries from these green companies: Greenbatteries Store and Batteries.com. Get any size deep cycle 12 volt lead/acid or gel battery. You need the deep cycle battery for continuous use. The kind in your car is a cranking battery--just for starting an engine. Look for bargains, the cheapest ones should cost about $50-60.

3. Get a battery box to put it in for $10. (This is good for covering up the exposed terminals in case there are children about If you going to install the system in a pump shed, cabin, or boat, skip this.)

Xantrex XPower 1500 W/60 AH BATTERY - $ 336.00
From: GoGreenSolar.com

3. Buy a 12 volt DC meter. Radio Shack has them for about $25.

4. Buy a DC input. I like the triple inlet model which you can find at a car parts store in the cigarette lighter parts section for about $10. This is enough to power DC appliances, and there are many commercially available, like fans, one-pint water boilers, lights, hair dryers, baby bottle warmers, and vacuum cleaners. Many cassette players, answering machines, and other electrical appliances are DC already and with the right cable will run straight off the box.

5. But if you want to run AC appliances, you will have to invest in an inverter. This will convert the stored DC power in the battery into AC power for most of your household appliances. I bought a 115 volt 140 watt inverter made by Power-to-Go at Pep Boys for $50. Count up the number of watts you'll be using (e.g., a small color television(=60 watts) with a VCR(=22 watts), you'll need 82 watts. Cheap inverters of many sizes can be had online from Lanes.

6. Use a drill to attach the meter and DC input to the top of the box.

7. Use insulated wire to attach the meter to the wingnut terminals on the battery. Connect the negative (-) pole first. Only handle one wire at a time. Connect the DC inlet to the battery in the same way. Connect the solar panel to the battery in the same way.

8. Close the lid (I use a bungee cord to keep it tight). Put the solar panel in the sun. It takes 5-8 hours to charge a dead battery; 1-3 hours to top off a weak one. It will run radios, fans, and small wattage lights all night, or give you about 5 hours of continuous use at 115 volt AC, or about an hour boiling water. This system may be added on to with larger panels, inverters, and batteries.
Options: A pop-up circuit breaker may be added between the positive terminal and the volt meter. Some of you will want an ampmeter as well. The panels I recommend have built-in bypass diodes, but I recommend charge controllers for people who have panels without diodes. Another option is a voltage regulator, which is not necessary for a system this small, but a larger system would require one.

NEXT: Make Your Own Solar Panels (click below):

Technical specifications for this solar power generator, some solar links, and more about solar power.

Tired of the high cost of of solar panels? Hate cloudy days? Try optimizing your panel this way.

A Spanish language version of this webpage can be found here.

A Russian language version of this webpage can be found here.

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Copyright Boa Boy Press 1996, updated 2008, 2009, 2010. All rights reserved. Free for non-profit use.(That doesn't mean you can republish it under your own name, please.)
Created by Phil Heiple. Listed in Green Business Directory and Alternative Energy News.
Rated #2 in the Top Ten Alternative Energy Sites. And rated #4 in the Top Ten Solar Panel Sites. Thanks!

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