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Q:What are the differences between the the various solar panel connectors and how are they chosen?
A:
Module connectors are typically connected together with external, exposed connectors. Most solar modules sold today come with MC connectors on the back of the module - MC for 'multi contact'.
There are 2 different types of MC connectors. Older connections were commonly MC Solarline 1, which is a non-locking connection. MC Solarline 2 is slightly different in that it is labeled 'DO NOT DISCONNECT UNDER LOAD', and offers a tab-and-slot mechanism to lock the connection more securely. MC2 connectors can be unlocked by hand, although there is an additional sleeve offered for MC2 connectors that requires an unlocking tool in order to separate the connection. The extra sleeve technically makes this a 3rd type of connector, although it is essentially an MC2 connection.
The primary requirement of all solar connectors is that they meet the NEC Code, specifically article 690.33.
01-08-2010
by Larry L
Category: Solar Panels
Q:I am looking for lighting that can be used to accent building features at night. Do I want spot or flood? Are any of the solar lights bright enough?
A:
The choice between solar spot light and solar flood light in this instance is a matter of preference. If you want a more focused beam of light that illuminates a building feature or flag, use a solar spot light. If you are looking to provide general ambient lighting that diffuses light, use a solar flood light. Solar lights come in a variety of outputs and wattages depending on the amount of light you are looking for and the size of the space you are illuminating. If you want simple ambient lighting, the smaller contained systems work well for most home settings. However, if you are attempting to brightly light a sign or large building, solar commercial lights that have higher bulbs and larger solar cells may be what you need. The price range on these items can really vary depending on lighting specifications.
12-15-2009
by Kathleen L
Category: Solar Lights and Garden
Q:we are interrested in solor film panels. and would like to know how much voltage out put they have say per foot?
A:
Thanks for your question. Thin film solar panels have a lower efficiency output (6-8%) versus that of conventional PV modules (11-18%). When you ask about voltage per foot, I think what you really want to know is wattage per square foot. Wattage=volts X amps. A good way to think about this is like water in a pipe system. Volts are the force or "pressure" of the electrical current, and amps is the volume of current. Watts is total electrical output. To answer your question then, thin film panels generate between 6-8watts per square foot. By comparison PV modules produce 15-20watts per square foot.
11-23-2009
by Art C
Category: Solar Panels
Q:How much would it cost to install 30,00 panels to the Grid? How would I begin?
A:
30,000 panels or 30,000 watt system?
30,000 panels would be an industrial sized solar array, generating roughly 6MW of power and would cost upwards of $15 million. A 30 kW system, although still quite large, could be deployed on a warehouse roof or on ground mounts. For the solar panels alone, it would cost you roughly $2.50 - $3.00 per watt or more depending on the efficiency of the modules. With the installation costs, which can vary widely throughout the country, and other requisite solar equipment to run the solar array, the per watt price may be in the $5.00 - $7.00 range. Consequently, it would cost $125,000 or more for this size installation. Currently there are a whole slew of federal and state rebate programs to help bring the installer's cost down, as much as 50% of the upfront costs. Most homeowners in the US achieve 85-100% of their requisite power needs by installing a 5 - 7 kW system. The cost for this would run between $20,000 - $30,000, but would receive federal tax credits and state, local or utility rebates.
11-11-2009
by melissa
Category: Solar Panels
Q:I'm looking to put together a system that can output 120V 10amp, Max 1200W. what do I need?
A:
I am assuming this is not a stand-alone/off-grid system, but simply how many panels will output this much energy? Watts are instantaneous power, and Watt-Hrs are like your car's speedometer. How fast are you going if you're travelling at 60mph? Watt-hrs is as important as instantaneous power.
If you need 1200 watts all at once for 24-hrs/day, then you'd need six 200-watt rated panels and these would only output this much energy during peak sun hours. So the next question is 1200 watts for how long? If you're connected to the grid and just want to offset 1200 watts of AC, then 1 panel could generate 1200 watt-hrs of energy with 6 hrs of sun.
That's the beauty of being ‘grid-tied' - the grid is essentially your battery. When you're not using that 1200-watt bulb, you're sending that energy to your account! We would be happy to help you spec a system.
11-06-2009
by JayS
Category: Solar Panels
Q:I have a lance camper and would like to use the sun to charge the battery the camper is fully self contained what size do i need?
A:
The size solar panel you need depends on several questions:
- The size of your battery, or batteries in amp hours and voltage.
- How your batteries are wired: If they are wired in parallel, or series affects the voltage and may require you to get a high voltage panel or two smaller ones to wire in series.
- How quickly do you want the batteries to recharge.
For an example, let's say you have a 100amp hr battery @ 12volts, and you want to recharge it in 5 hrs. You would need a 12v 230w panel to charge it in this time frame, b/c Watt=Volts x Amps. So 230w/12v= 19 amps of output per hour. 19amps multiplied by 5, gives you 95amps and your 100amp battery would 95% charged.
If you want to find the specs on your batteries and contact us. We'd be glad to walk you thru the sizing process to fit your needs.We also carry Prepackaged RV kits that are good solution options that compatibly charge most rv and marine systems.
11-02-2009
by DonP
Category: RV and Marine