DIY: Given a solar panel and an electrical outlet, how do I power a fridge using solar with grid backup?
See http://gregable.com/2007/09/apartment-solar-what-is.html
I want to buy a solar panel and some other device X that will let me smoothly power appliances from X. X will use power from the solar panel first, and then from the grid if there isn’t enough. I don’t want a battery system due to the costs, if there is too much power from solar, I’ll just waste it in this system. What is X that I would need to buy or how would I build X?
Some of the answers so far pointed out that my plan is a bad one for cost reasons. I’m well aware that it isn’t going to save me any money. Leather seats in my car don’t make it go faster either. Still, I’m interested in playing with the technologies in a bigger way than a little toy car or something. The DIY part is the main interest, not the saving money or environment.
Related posts:
August 7th, 2009 at 6:58 am
2n2222 is right about the power you could get from the panel not being enough for what you want.
There’s also the fact that you need an inverter to convert the DC from the PV cells to AC for the fridge and that everything between the inverter and power point is mains voltage and therefore deadly.
There’s also the need to have the grid connection completely shut off during a power outage so that you don’t accidentally feed power into the grid while someone is fixing the power lines (otherwise you may end up killing a maintenance worker and getting charged with manslaughter).
August 9th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Easy enough.
To start off I would like to clear somethign up.
A group of solar cells make a solar module.
A solar panel is more then one solar module mounted together to make a panel. Example: Four 100 watt solar modules mounted together makes one solar panel.
A solar panel can be an array but normally there are more then one panel in an array.
So you need
Solar modules
combiner box
DC voltage Disconnect breaker and or fuses
Grid Tie inverter
AC disconnect breaker
Point of entry disconnect
breaker to put in the homes main switch breaker box.
.