My First Solar Project...Looking For Tips

[jdlev]

I'm a tinkerer, and have been fooling around with things like the arduino for a while. I figured I'd apply what I know and build some solar panels to dip my toe in the water with alternative energy power. I'll be honest, I know next to nothing about solar power and the components required, but I'm a quick learner.

Since it's my first project, I was planning on using some cheap panels - either harbor freight panels or kits available on ebay.

HF has a kit 45w kit available for a pretty cheap price ($140) What type of batteries would you guys recommend for something like this, or should I just try and plug it into my home power system? What components would be required?

If the HF kit is garbage, are there any cheaper kits you guys recommend to use as a learning experience that would provide 'decent' but not whole house power?

[solar pete]

I'm a tinkerer, and have been fooling around with things like the arduino for a while. I figured I'd apply what I know and build some solar panels to dip my toe in the water with alternative energy power. I'll be honest, I know next to nothing about solar power and the components required, but I'm a quick learner.

Since it's my first project, I was planning on using some cheap panels - either harbor freight panels or kits available on ebay.

HF has a What type of batteries would you guys recommend for something like this, or should I just try and plug it into my home power system? What components would be required?

If the HF kit is garbage, are there any cheaper kits you guys recommend to use as a learning experience that would provide 'decent' but not whole house power?

Hi jdlev and welcome to Solar Panel Talk.

Please no links for newbies. Thing is from the way your talkin I would say you need to stop, and do a bit of reading on the subjects e.g do you actually want to build a solar panel or make a small solar system? Start out reading up in the sticky threads about designing a system if thats what you really want to do, cheers

[Sunking]

I'm a tinkerer, and have been fooling around with things like the arduino for a while. I figured I'd apply what I know and build some solar panels to dip my toe in the water with alternative energy power. I'll be honest, I know next to nothing about solar power and the components required, but I'm a quick learner.

Since it's my first project, I was planning on using some cheap panels - either harbor freight panels or kits available on ebay.

HF has a kit 45w kit available for a pretty cheap price ($140) What type of batteries would you guys recommend for something like this, or should I just try and plug it into my home power system? What components would be required?

If the HF kit is garbage, are there any cheaper kits you guys recommend to use as a learning experience that would provide 'decent' but not whole house power?

Stay away for Harbor Fright. The box is worth more and has more uses than the panels inside of the box.

[bcroe]

I'm a tinkerer, and have been fooling around with things like the arduino for a while. I figured I'd apply what I know and build some solar panels to dip my toe in the water with alternative energy power. I'll be honest, I know next to nothing about solar power and the components required, but I'm a quick learner.

Since it's my first project, I was planning on using some cheap panels - either harbor freight panels or kits available on ebay.

HF has a kit 45w kit available for a pretty cheap price ($140) What type of batteries would you guys recommend for something like this, or should I just try and plug it into my home power system? What components would be required?

If the HF kit is garbage, are there any cheaper kits you guys recommend to use as a learning experience that would provide 'decent' but not whole house power?

I think you could learn a lot tinkering with an HF system. It comes with a control and some decent lights; the supports
for the panels are almost useless & you'll need some kind of battery. But when you want to get practical, the HF goes
to the old toy dept. By the way, want to buy some used HF panels? Bruce Roe