Understanding Parts of a Solar Energy System Overview of the individual components required to assemble a solar power system and produce free electricity from the sun for energy independence.

• 1.       Solar Panels which generate the electricity,
• 2.       Charge Controller to control battery charging,
• 3.       The Power Inverter that makes 220 volts AC from the batteries to run your appliances,
• 4.       Storage batteries which store the excess power for use when the sun is weak or not available,
• 5.       AC generators for back-up power.

For electricity from the sun. You will need one or more Solar Panels, a Charger Controller, a Power Inverter, and of course, Batteries.

The first component needed is one or more Solar Panels. They supply the electricity and charge the batteries. A very small system could get away with a couple 80 watt panels but figure at least 4 to 8 for a small to medium system..

 A Charge Controller. is needed to prevent overcharging of the batteries. Proper charging will prevent damage and increase the life and performance of the batteries.

The Power Inverter is the heart of the system. It makes 220 volts AC from the 12 volts DC stored in the batteries. It can also charge the batteries if connected to a generator or the AC line.

Last are the storage Batteries. They store the electrical power in the form of a chemical reaction. Without storage you would only have power when the sun was shining or the generator was running.

A Solar Power energy system can be used by anyone to supply all their electrical needs, provide back-up power, or even just as a supplement to the normal electrical grid connection to a utility company. It is ideal for remote locations where power is unavailable or too expensive to hook-up to.

Solar Panels The Solar Panels tutorial will give you a simple explanation of this most basic electric power generator for solar energy systems. Fixed, Adjustable, and Tracking type mounting systems are also covered. Getting power from the sun's energy is not only Free, but it's Fun to setup a solar energy system and be your own utility company

Charge Controllers This device is necessary to protect the batteries from over charging and supply them with the proper amount of energy to promote long battery life.

Power Inverters The power inverter converts your storage battery power into the 220 volts AC that runs your appliances. It is the heart of your solar energy system. Unless you only run 12 volt DC appliances you will need a power inverter to supply your AC.

Storage Batteries Without Storage Batteries to store energy you would only have power when the sun was shining or the generator  as running. Here we discuss 4 major categories of   batteries for solar power systems. The batteries in your system are very important. The care & feeding section of this tutorial is a must read to ensure long battery life and good performance.

AC Generators Even the largest Solar Energy System would not have enough power for many consecutive days of no sun. The AC Generator tutorial will tell you what size generator you'll need