I came up with FREE method of having a very small backup power setup.

I owned a small solar car battery tender charger (for keeping car batteries topped off when in storage).

I also owned a duracell jump start pack bought when I had a car that had a battery drain problem (short somewhere). It has 17 amp Hours, a built in DC jack and light.

So, I connected up the solar car charger to my jump starter.

I can now charge phones, AA and AAA batteries direct from the DC port on the power pack... that gets charged from the small solar panel. I also am getting a DC fan.

I could use an inverter, but you lose about 50% of your power with those.

So, if all hell breaks loose, I can have batteries for LED flashlights and a handheld fan and other misc items. A bigger fan for 100 degree weather.

I'll probably get a very small dc refrig later once I upgrade the solar panel and add a 100 ah battery.

Not much, but better than having nothing in a worst case scenario. 

i think its a cool idea 

I looked into this also, the problem you will find is if you do any more than cell phones or small battery's, it will not recharge on any real capacity. Meaning you will most likely be using more than it can recharge. For the dc fridg. you will require a real panel. I found a small DC fridg. that would run on one panel but it was NOT cheep. 

http://www.altestore.com/store/Refrigerators-Freezers/Solar-Powered-Refrigerators-Freezers/c639/page/1/sort/3a/


$1 per watt solar panels 

Thanks for that link! Good one.

I plan on going to a 600 watt setup. Hopefully, the tax breaks are still in place for solar when I get to it.

I may up my schedule.

My little cheapo setup is just for a last ditch effort to have some kind of small electronics until I get my 600-800 watt solar array worked out.

If I go with the cheaper per watt panels I'll have to get an MPPT charge controller. Still thinking on that.

My biggest concern is still air conditioning. I have a problem with heat (drops my blood pressure and knocks me out). So I need some kind of ac. Still looking at various options including moving out of Texas when/if I can. 

My little cheapo setup is just for a last ditch effort to have some kind of small electronics until I get my 600-800 watt solar array worked out.

Another idea is buying the LED solar yard lights when you find them on sale. We have about 5 now and plan on putting them out in the yard during the day then bring them in at night for indoor lighting.

 

We use the solar yard lights for safe indoor lights when electricity fire out. I beefed mine up by replacing the batteries with the best rechargeables. 

I have 5 of those very lights, given to me for Christmas. I haven't used them yet, they are just sitting in the garage.

Guess they could be used to charge AAs as well. 

I just got a nice bonus from work last week so I'm going to use some of that to start my solar experiment.

1. 100 Ah UPG AGM battery.
2. 1600 watt inverter (big, but for expansion later)
3. #0 AWG cables for the inverter and battery
4. ANL fuse b/w batter and inverter cable.
5. Battery charger.

I will always need batteries and an inverter so these experimental items can be used later.

My intent is to see how long I can run 5000 BTU AC or Fan or Swamp cooler on a 100 AH battery. Keep in mind that you should go below 50% charge on even a deep cycle battery so it doesn't die early.

This experiment will tell me exactly how many batteries I will need.

Next step is to get one 180 watt panel and a charge controller and see how much juice it really provides given tree coverage, etc. I plan on using some reflectors to maximize it.

The charge controller is my big decision. Do I just get a cheap PWM 10 amp controller for my experiment, or go ahead and get the 50 amp MPPT controller. I guess a small controller would also make a good back up so it wouldn't necessarily be a waste of money when I expanded.

I also plan on testing with various DC chargers I already have. inverters waste a lot of power.

If I really get somewhere with all this, I will seriously consider getting one of those DC refrigerators mentioned earlier. 

The charge controller is my big decision. Do I just get a cheap PWM 10 amp controller for my experiment, or go ahead and get the 50 amp MPPT controller. I guess a small controller would also make a good back up so it wouldn't necessarily be a waste of money when I expanded.



It's sounds like your plan is expansion, so I would get the 50 amp if funding permits. 

My intent is to see how long I can run 5000 BTU AC or Fan or Swamp cooler on a 100 AH battery. Keep in mind that you should go below 50% charge on even a deep cycle battery so it doesn't die early.


Can't wait to hear the results.. 

I've always wanted to build a small wind mill or 3 using salvaged vehicle alternators and salvaged batteries .... Anyone ever try this...... Seems like a cheaper way of sustaniable energy just haven't researched to heavily yet 

I've always wanted to build a small wind mill or 3 using salvaged vehicle alternators and salvaged batteries .... Anyone ever try this...... Seems like a cheaper way of sustaniable energy just haven't researched to heavily yet

That would be cool!

Unfortunately, the part of Texas I'm in doesn't get enough wind to bother doing that.

Frankly, my area's biggest source of alternate energy could be harnessed by putting generators on all the unused exercise bikes. Fatty power. 

I'm trying to find some kind of DC plug that detects when the battery is getting low and automatically shuts off power.

If something like that doesn't exist it should

Accidentally draining the battery all the way can kill it.

I found many charge testers, but none that have a plug as well, and an auto shutoff.

You engineers need to make one if they don't exist. Business idea there. 

Got my 100 ah battery today.

VERY heavy, yet compact. Figured it would be bigger.

I also received an excellent enclosure for several batteries (for expansion).

Just the start, but I'm on my way with the project.