Residential Solar Powered Products & Information

 

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Solar Power Battery Chargers

Essentially, a solar power battery charger is a solar cell (aka panel).  Case closed, move on!  But wait...there's allot more to charging batteries than attaching cables to a panel in the sun.  A required piece of equipment is a charge controller.  This device controls the amount of energy flowing to the battery.  Power from the sun fluctuates widely even on a seemingly clear day.  Without a controller the battery can be damaged by under current or over current.  I would recommend for simplicity sake, one that is built into the other piece of equipment you'll likely need, an inverter.  A power inverter isn't involved in charging your  battery, rather how the electricity is taken from it and distributed.  It converts DC electricity from the battery to AC power which is what typical homes use at the outlet and it maximizes the output of the system.  Connected devices are also protected by fuses within the inverter.  If you have a set of batteries for your solar energy system, you probably want to have a regular AC charger or trickle charger handy.  These can be useful to top off batteries & provide diagnostic information when your utility is online.

There are obviously things to consider regarding voltages, watts, amps & the like.  Rather than re-invent the wheel, I've provided some links below that explain all the techie stuff.

Wind & Sun has an excellent page about deep cell batteries which are the kind used in residential solar electric setups. (includes charging info)

Great information about charging with solar or wind turbines (& everything batteries) can be found at the Battery University.



Voltaic DIY Solar Charger Kit for Laptops, Tablets & Cell Phones - 16.8 Watt Solar Panel with V60 Universal Laptop Battery


XC-PARALLEL Xtreme Charge Parallel Multi 12V Battery Charger

This battery charger and battery maintainer features Xtreme Charge® benefits to evaluate, test and charge two 12-Volt lead-acid batteries (VRLA. AGM or flooded) connected in parallel at the same time. No need to disconnect them before charging and no need to have more than one charger. Innovative proprietary algorithms and microprocessor controlled technology automatically selects the battery type and proper charge rate to desulfate without overcharging. Includes fuse-protected quick-disconnect battery clamps and lugs.

PRO-12-RP RediPulse12 Station Battery Charger Maintenance System

PRO-12-RP RediPulse12 Station Battery Charger Maintenance System

The RediPulse Pro-12® is designed to keep stored lead acid batteries "topped off". Up to twelve, 12-Volt batteries can be connected from a single AC outlet safely without risk of sparking between the leads. A continuous cycle of low amperage charging reverses the normal discharge rate. The RediPulse Pro-12 features optimized high frequency patented pulsing to reduces sulfation buildup. An audible alarm signals if cables are reversed. Each unit is equipped with LED lights to indicate the status of each individual battery.