12 Volt Solar Power: A Do it Yourself Guide (Simple Living)
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If you can do it happily, 12v is the simplest and cheapest way to go.
Happily?
Well, I was looking at water pump situation a few years ago, and it was probable that it would be cheaper to go from 12v at the solar panel to 120 in the wire, and then, if I had to HAD TO have that 12v pump, back to 12 volt at the pump.
Gack!
The problem is wire size. Distances you don't have to think much about if you have 120AC--10 gauge extension cords are more expensive than 14 gauge, but nothing like having to buy a hundred feet of something the size of automotive starter cable--one each way.
That said, lights, anything rechargeable, anything whose native voltage is 12v DC (or that come with a cord to recharge in the car)--like a lot of radios, laptops, small stereos, even fair-sized TVs, are fair game. There are refrigerators that run on 12 volt--small, intended for the car and so probably serious power gobblers, annoying but very low-power chest refrigerators (Sundanzer), and some high-dollar two-door "all the comforts of home" ones (SunFrost). The Sundanzer might, depending on how much sun you get, on a 75 watt panel.
The book gives more ideas, like using a rechargeable motor from a 12v drill to power a sewing machine. And seems to think that an automotive battery isn't a bad first step. People in the US tend to run towards us screaming, "no, no, that's a really horrible idea."
One of my heroes, Ben Law, has been 12 volt only for years. He wrote the introduction to the book. And there was a guy in Texas with a now defunct newsletter who was promoting it (and methane), [...]
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12 volt, simple, but....
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