Our Solar Panel
A popular form of renewable energy is solar. In the image above is our solar panel with a built-in charge controller, charging our 12V marine battery.
We mounted our solar panel on pressure treated wood, with metal brackets.
We use this as an emergency power supply to charge our cell phones, provide light and power our Amateur radio. If the power outage is widespread, it is possible the cell phone won’t work because the cell towers will be out. Using our Amateur radio we can still call for help if anyone in our community needs it.
We also have a propane generator if we need more power and have an extended power outage. Propane burns cleaner, being better for the air than a gas generator and also makes it easier to maintain. Also, in a widespread, extended, power outage the gas stations won’t be able to provide gas since they use and electric pump and gas will become scarce. Propane tanks are usually readily available. We use the same type of tank used in gas grills so it is widely available.
We attached a 12v dc car outlet to the battery so we can use our cell phone car adapters and other devices, like a DC-AC converter allowing us to plug in small devices like a AM-FM radio or computer.
This is an image of a typical 12DC to 110AC Converter
This is an image of our battery
If your battery will be outside, like ours, get a “battery box” to protect it.
Battery Box
