Now what?

Hi Ben,


The panel is a 5 Inch square.
The label reads:
Siemens Solar Industries
Model Bl1414-L
Solar Electric Module
Nom. System Voltage [   6V  ]


Oh it works. After I removed from fencing and played with it (to see if it worked) it buzzed, pulsed and when I accidentally touched the contacts it gave me a GOOD jolt.


I was going by labels. The panel says "6V" information on batter (found online) says it's a 12V 21.0w/cell "designed for high efficient discharge application.. 260 cycles at 100% discharge in cycles service".

The original configuration wasn't (at least obviously) change.


I can handle that.

Say what? Currently the only "charge controller" I have is my accountant.


I have the one from the original and/or can replace if it's bad.


there was lots inside but have NO IDEA what to do with it or the circuit board everything ran through.


On/Off switch? I can do that.

Any idea what kind of AC it might be capable of putting out? Enough for lawn light(s), string of lights, 40w bulb maybe?

Sorry if this is stupid but I learned you've got to be well informed before hiring "experts" or you won't know enough to ask the right questions. I seriously considering installing solar to power my home and/or my office building. I thought this might be a cheap means of teaching myself how it all works.

Thanks for the assistance.

Earle

Depending on where you live, what region, and which season it happens to be, you can only expect a few hours per day (0 to 7) of equivalent full rated power from a PV module.
For example; the extreme of 7 hours, might only be found in the U.S., in the southwest region during the summer with the PV module aimed directly at the Sun. So given that, IF what you have is a 21 watt PV module, there would only be 147 watthours available. A 40 watt bulb might last 3.5 hours. IF you live in the southwest of the U.S. and, IF its summertime and, IF thats a 21 watt PV module.
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/atlas/

Goto this site and try: average, annual and, flat plate tilted south at latitude. Click view map and find your region.
This will give a fairly accurate, number of hours of equivalent full rated power per day from a PV module.
Play around with this a little and you can see just how much and how little to expect from photovoltaics.  Like Mr. Gorman says, "solar power ain't magic." Personally speaking, at $5.00 per watt still in the box, not installed, I can't understand how the PV industry stays afloat. To do most anything appreciable with PV one would need to acquire a loan as well as government assistance in whatever form available, or just be plain filthy stinkin' rich. That government assistance applies more so to federal moneys for commerce and industry than it does for the private citizen and state moneys but thats to be expected now isn't it. We can have the U.S. government showing favoritism to its private citizens over commerce and industry, now can we?