Solar Photovoltaic Panels
Low voltage (12v) panels are getting hard to find.
Right now the problem is finding them. In 23 years of selling solar panels, it has never been this hard for me to buy panels from suppliers. Many manufactures are not making low voltage panels that used to be the anchor of their business. They are being made, but they are hard to find because the supply is not meeting the world-wide demand. If an order is placed today, they might not hit the dock for 18 or more months. We all thought the problem would be temporary as Germany is grabbing all that they can find, but China, India and Africa are turning to solar more every day, as their needs are great.
Learning about the many aspects of solar takes some time so you must take the initiative to learn all you can when you decide to include solar in your emergency preparedness plans. Real Goods, and Back Woods are a great place to start. Vegas Trailer Supply has several educational links on their solar pages. Also, more tips can be gleaned by searching the archives of "Solar for Emergencies".
Articles mentioning the use of solar PV panels for emergencies.
Used to generate power for lighting, refrigerators, fans & cooling, communications, battery charging, entertainment, pumps & more!
Photovoltaics (PV): Providing critical electrical power when the electric utility is down.
Backup power is critical in many emergencies. Gas Generators are noisy, smelly, costly and dangerous (pouring fuel into hot engines, carbon monoxide poisoning, theft). PV is quiet, non-attention getting, and constant. Backup power can be critical for minimal lighting, refrigeration, fans, street lighting, traffic control, security systems, critical computer functions, medical equipment (oxygen machines & refrigerating medicine) and communications until electrical service is restored. Low voltage RV-type fluorescent lighting is safer than flame lights. The American Red Cross advises that all flame sources such as candles, oil lamps and kerosene or propane lanterns should NOT be used during emergencies.
PV (photovoltaics) have been used for 15+ years for disaster mitigation and recovery in Florida due to frequent hurricanes. FEMA and FSEC (Florida Solar Energy Center) are working together. (See Links Page for more information and links.)
As you can see, this site is dedicated to help you create a safer environment for your family should you have to endure the terrible events of a natural or man-made disaster. Perhaps one of the least understood aspects of preparedness is that if you are better prepared for emergencies than your neighbors, you will be in a position of being able to help them. If you aren't spending all of your time just trying to survive yourself, you will be in a position to help your fellow man in their trials and troubles that disasters and emergencies inflict.
Be careful of buying used panels. Unfortunately we find that many of the single used panels on the market are actually stolen from bus stops, signs on the roadway, and other unfortunate souls.
Books-n-stuff
Blog Topics:
Panels on the Web:
Typical low voltage emergency systems. A small emergency solar power system would include such things as; solar PV panels, a charge controller, fuse, disconnect, deep cycle batteries, automotive wire, RV type lights, a 12 volt socket, a small power inverter to run small 120 volt AC items, flashlight battery charger, 12 volt TV, etc. Larger systems should be considered to run more powerful appliances like solar refrigerators. Batteries are dangerous so study up if you are not familiar with them.
Most panels on ebay are too small to do much of anything. If you are new to solar, please investigate your needs thoroughly and take the time to learn about the many aspects of solar power. This site is not dedicated to teaching you about solar power, as there are many good sites on the web that handle that topic well. There is a learning curve when it comes to understanding solar power. Often, my customers expect more out of a panel than what it will actually deliver. Also, my "Introduction to Solar" class lasts about 3 hours, and that is just a start! You will need to learn all you can about batteries too. Exciting, huh?
