Educational videos from the altE staff on everything from what is a solar panels, how to troubleshoot a solar panel to how to size solar charge controllers and inverters.
Ever wonder what you can power with a 100W solar panel? Over 1.2 million viewers have…and now they know the answer! Watch below as we explore: How much power a 100-Watt solar panel will generate What size deep-cycle battery and…
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We are often asked what the difference is between monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels. Monocrystalline Solar Panels A couple of things stand out right away with their appearance. This is due to how solar cells are made. The monocrystalline solar panel is…
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3 FACTS ABOUT SOLARWORLD SOLAR PANELS In a recent post, we shared 3 cool facts about Kyocera solar panels. We are here today to share 3 cool facts about another great brand, SolarWorld solar panels. Fact #1 SolarWorld has been manufacturing solar…
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What is a diode? A diode is designed to let current flow in one direction. If you’re familiar with plumbing, a diode is the electrical equivalent to a check valve. There are two purposes of diodes in a solar power system – bypass diodes and blocking diodes….
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In the demo below, we show what happens when you point solar panels at different angles from the sun. Video Transcript So what I’ve got here is one solar panel, it’s a 5W 12V panel, and I’m measuring the amps –…
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You might have seen the DIY solar series we’ve been doing where we’re showing different ways to wire solar panels that are mismatched. See different watts & different volts and amps. Depending on what is different, there’s different ways that you should wire them; in series…
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Effect of tilting solar panels The angle that you select to mount your solar panels will depend on a few factors. If you have got just a straight grid-tie solar system that is going to be on your roof and your…
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Probably the question we most often get is, “How much solar does it take to power my 2,000 sq ft home?” The answer is always the same. “I don’t know. How much power do you use?” The power usage for different…
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Are you interested in designing an off-grid solar system? Here are the 6 steps to get you started. Precursor: Trim Your Power Use You will probably not be surprised to learn that designing a power system to run an off-grid…
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In our demo below, we show how you can wire your solar panels differently to help minimize shading. Ideally, each solar panel should have its own charge controller to achieve maximum performance. But if that is not an option, see what our…
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