Solar Power Generator & Storage System
Emergency power backup, Portable power unit
Full Circle Shelters has developed a fully self contained and portable solar generator to add the comfort of A/C lighting and small appliances to our models. You can use this unit as backup power for your home or office, a stand alone power system for a small cabin, camper or tent, or as a portable work site power unit.
This solar power generator system consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity, a battery box with charge controller to monitor the pv panels' charging of the storage batteries, and an inverter that converts the battery direct current to regular 120 volt alternating house current. All of these parts are sized to work together in balance to provide a safe and reliable power source.
Features of our system and what is included
(2) 145 watt solar panels for a total output of 290 watts.
Total wattage output per day of 1450 watts in 5 hours of full sun
Total wattage output per day of 2320 watts in 8 hours of full sun.
20 amp solar charge controller
Inverter-1500 watts continuous output(3000w surge) capacity
3 standard 120v outlets and 1 5v USB outlet
Complete wiring harness to connect all parts
Rolling sealed box for batteries, inverter and controller
This system DOES NOT include batteries. Batteries can be purchased locally. This saves the cost and hazards of shipping heavy batteries and saves you money right from the start. You will need 2 deep cycle 12 volt group 24 batteries. They are the correct size for the battery box and will provide a total of 150 to 200 amp hours storage.
Full Solar Generator & Storage System
Includes: 2 solar panels(145W ea.), 20A charge controller, 1500W inverter, full system wiring and battery/control box. Full price includes shipping in the contiguous 48 states.
$ 2575.00
Full System Details and Function
Electric Power with
No Gas.....No Smell.....No Noise
This system functions as...
a portable building work site power unit. It will run a variety of normal power tools such as a circular saw, drill, etc. When using this unit while working in the sun it will continuously recharge as you are working. Then at the end of the day it will serve as a backup power source if needed.
a stand alone small cabin power source. Using the items that require the most power during the sunny hours will insure sufficient recharge for the batteries to then power your lights and mini refrigerator over night.
a backup power source for your home or office. When the power goes out simply plug in the critical items you must keep running. Then unplug and let the sun recharge your system once the power has been restored.
What the parts of the system do
The inverter determines how large an A/C load you can run. This can be 1 large item such as a saw or well pump or several small items in combination such as CFL bulbs, cell phone charger and a laptop. The total load must be within the output rating of the inverter.
The batteries determine how much total electrical power you have available. When you deplete the battery storage, the batteries will need to be recharged from the sun again before you can draw additonal power from them.
The solar panel output determines how long it takes to recharge the batteries when they are depleted. They will also provide power if in the full sun while you are working, without drawing down the batteries.
The all important electric formula
Amps X Volts = Watts
Wattage is the total measure of electricity used. Your current local utility sends you a bill each month for the kilowatts (1000 watts) of power you have used. One kilowatt or 1000 watts can be produced or used as various combinations of amps and volts, but the total power is still watts. Examples are an appliance rated for 8.33 amps at 120 volts is using 1 kilowatt per hour, and an electric motor running on 12 volts at 83.33 amps is also using 1 kilowatt per hour.
Electric loads and the formula
Watts / Volts = Amps
This is important because battery capacity is normally stated in Amp/Hours. An example: a 150 amp/hour battery will deliver power as 1 amp for 150 hours or as 10 amps for 15 hours or as 100 amps for 1.5 hours. Using this formula you can find the wattage rating on the label of the appliance you need to run, then divide this by the voltage and arrive at the number of amps this will draw from your battery. Now divide your battery amp/hour capacity by this amp draw number and you will know how long the item will run before the battery is depleted.
All of this assumes that you were to drain the battery down to 0% of its capacity. This is something you should never do. This can damage your battery and prevent it from taking and holding a full charge again. For long life, your batteries should never be drained below 80% of their capacity. This is called depth of discharge (DOD). The normal and recommended practice is to not regularly drain below 50% DOD.
Battery Capacity Ratings and DOD
This section shows how much power is in the battery and what work it will do for you. Assuming a battery is rated at 12 volts and 150 amp/hours, we can use the formula to calculate the total energy stored in this battery.
150 amp x 12 volts = 1800 watts total battery capacity
We are going to only draw out a portion of this capacity.
1800 Watts x 80%DOD = 1440 Watts available
1800 Watts x 50%DOD = 900 Watts available
This is how much power you have available at 80% and 50% DOD. Using the 80% DOD total number of watts, the chart below shows what can be run and for how long.
| Appliance | Watt/hours | Run hours |
|---|---|---|
| 4.6 CF mini refrigerator | 100 | 14.4 |
| 20" LCD TV or monitor | 50 | 28.8 |
| Microwave oven | 1000 | 1.4 |
| Laptop computer | 25 | 57.6 |
| 60W standard light bulb | 60 | 24 |
| 13W CFL bulb | 13 | 110.8 |
| 12Amp circular saw | 1440 | 1 |
This shows the running time for each individual appliance. Normally a combination of appliances and various run times for each will need to be calculated together to find how long your battery will power your needs. This also does not include any input from the solar panels as you are using power during the daylight hours.
Solar Panel Output & Recharging
Two 145 watt solar panels have a combined output of 290 watts per hour.
Our solar panels have a rated output of 18.7 volts and 7.75 amps
18.7 volts x 7.75 amps = 145 watts per panel(290w for 2 panels)
If you use power down to the 80% DOD you need to replace 1440 watts of energy in the battery to be fully recharged.
1440 watts / 290 watts per hour solar output = 4.97 hours of full sun minimum recharge time.
The Inverter
The inverter is the piece of equipment that changes the batteries' 12 volt direct current to 120 volt alternating current for running household appliances and tools. Inverters are rated in watts continuous output and watts surge output. The continuous rating is the maximum watts output that the inverter will sustain. The surge rating is only for starting motors and other very temporary high loads. The inverter used in our system is rated at 1500 watts continuous and 3000 watts surge.
Our system functions as a whole
Total continuous watt output rating is 1500 watts.
Total battery capacity available at 80% DOD is 1440 watts.
Total recharge time in full sun is 5 hours.
This is a balanced system and can be fully recharged in less than one day of full sun.
Solar power systems are good for us and our country. Renewable energy offers independence, comfort, safety, and security to your family. It makes you and your family part of the solution, not part of the problem. Solar power systems produce no noise or toxic exhaust fumes and do not use fossil fuels in producing electricity. We should turn to the sun to revitalize our economy and to clean our environment.
Full Solar Generator & Storage System
Includes: 2 solar panels(145W ea.), 20A charge controller, 1500W inverter, full system wiring and battery/control box. Full price includes shipping in the contiguous 48 states.
$ 2575.00