Solar Chargers for 12 Volt Batteries

12V Battery Solar Charger

Solar charger for 12 volt battery

Here is a great guest article with tons of good information about 12v solar chargers.

There are also links for DIY energy sources.

 A really great idea mentioned in the article is using a solar charger to “trickle charge” or top up boat batteries.

Everybody knows that if a boat battery is going to go bust, it’s going to be in the middle of nowwhere, right?

BTW, my husband just bought a little solar panel charger gizmo that actually charged batteries on a dark, cloudy day! You gotta love it!

Image courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/dionhinchcliffe/2952231742/

Different Types of 12v Solar Chargers

For individuals who are interested in saving money and reducing emissions and reliance on energy from overseas, 12 volt solar battery chargers are a surprisingly simple and versatile option. If you’re interested in finding out more about solar battery chargers, please read on.

In the most basic terms, a battery charger can be just a power supply that sends electricity of a given voltage to a battery. The battery placed in the power supply, and disconnected once it’s completely charged. A 15-18 volt charger may be used to charge a 12 volt battery. The drawback to this kind of power supply is that there’s nothing to prevent you from overcharging the battery.

When overcharged, a battery’s life is likely to decrease. A seriously overcharged 12 volt battery can even lose its ability to hold a charge. However, you can use a charge controller, which will ensure that the correct voltage is used and keep the battery from being overcharged. A charge controller is just as necessary when you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, as it will allow you to connect a battery throughout the day without the danger of overcharging.

For 12 volt batteries, the most common kind of charge controller is the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) type. In simple terms, this type of charge controller functions by flipping a switch on and off very quickly. In this respect, the switch is mostly “on” when it first starts charging. The switch gradually spends less time in the “on” position as electricity is transferred to the battery, and when it’s fully charged, the switch goes off permanently. The charging process is controlled and monitored by a microprocessor chip. Since it only sends power to the battery when energy is needed, a PWM charge controller can be left plugged into a battery indefinitely. Topping up a battery in this way is called “trickle charging,” and it will allow you to ensure that a battery is fully charged for whenever you happen to need it. If you’re using a 12 volt solar charger, it’s useful to have this feature. 12 volt batteries for recreational vehicles and boats are often charged in this way, for example.

A 12 volt solar charger is no more complicated than that. The source of the electricity is the only thing that differentiates a 12 volt solar charger from an ordinary 12 volt battery charger. Of course, a solar panel is the source of the power for a solar battery charger. If you want to save money, building a DIY solar panel to use in a 12 volt solar charger is a great way to go. You can get more info by taking a look at  DIY Solar Panel.

1/2 volt and 3-4 amp solar cells are commonly used in the solar panels that you might see on buildings. Several of these cells have to be joined in order to generate the 15-18 volts needed for a 12 volt battery charger. These kinds of solar panels do come in several different voltages. Matching the voltage of the solar panel to your charge controller will allow you to create a working solar battery charger. The correct voltage is indicated by the voltage rating, which is displayed on every charge controller. If you’re not using a charge controller, it’s best to use a solar panel of 15-18 volts. However, if you are using a charge controller, it’s important to use the appropriate voltage. GreenDIYEnergy is the best guide to building your own 12 volt solar charger. If you’re interested, visit  GreenDIYEnergy Review.

Depending on the controller, the method for wiring it to the solar panel can be different. Whatever type of connector is used on your charge controller, just solder one onto the solar panel. Use the type of connector that’s on the battery if you aren’t using a charge controller. Spring loaded clamps are a good choice if you’re using a larger type of 12 volt battery. You do have the option of using electrical tape as an alternative to soldering, but soldering is a more permanent solution, and, in this case, it’s a very quick procedure. A soldering iron and solder, which you can get cheap at places like Radio Shack, are all you’ll need to do this. First, twist the wires together. Then, apply the soldering iron to the wires. Finally, touch the solder to the wires, and wait for it to melt. There are only a couple of things to be careful of: don’t burn yourself on the wires, and be sure to heat the wires directly with the soldering iron, and not the solder itself. Another great guide to building a DIY 12 volt solar charger is Homemade Energy. To read more, check out  Homemade Energy.

That’s all you have to do! Then, you can put together your own 12 volt solar charger. A 12 volt battery is the first ingredient. Then, you’ll need a charge controller with the same voltage as the battery. Next, you’ll need a solar panel that also has the correct voltage for the charge controller – you can build one, or buy one. Then, you can connect the solar panel to the charge controller, then connect the charge controller to the battery as outlined. That’s it; now, you have free power forever! What’s more, you get some serious ancillary benefits: you save money, because you don’t have to pay for the energy you need to charge the battery; you reduce emissions, as electricity generated by solar panels doesn’t pollute like electricity from oil or coal-fired plants does; and you help the country by cutting dependence on foreign oil.