I found portable solar panels used for boats etc. and was wondering how I could effectly use them for my home instead. If you have used them in the past, please tell how they worked (good or bad).
well i highly dout that solar panels ued for boats and rvs will work the same for your house, because your house requires more energy to run then a solar power can give.
portable panels are too small to be much use for a modern household. A panel appx 20 inches square might supply a laptop computer... but it won't keep your refrigerator running.
I think you'd be disappointed. But you might be able to take an RV, park it close to your house in the sunshine, run an extension cord from your house connected to a small fan and run the fan for free. I don't think it's worth the expense of the RV, but that's me. If you have the money, flaunt it baby, flaunt it.
from what i have seen and heard the portable panels you are talking about are not big enough for home use unless you create a specific outlet to use them on such as one for cellphone charger or other small use items. Just my semi-educated guess.
Most people think all one needs is some solar panels to make power. It doesn't usually work that way. On a boat it is easy because most boats use batteries and DC power. If all you want to do is make DC power, you will need a battery to hook your portable unit / units to. You can then use the battery to supply power to something that uses battery power. You may need a voltage converter if the device is not 2 volt. To use the power you get from solar panels for AC power like your house has, you need a regulator, inverter, and controller to change the DC output from the panel (s) to AC and then control the power into your electric system. You also need a unit from your electric company installed. A decent minimal solar system for an average house may cost around $5000 - $0,000. It will take many, many years to pay back. For a full-use system with generator, it will probably take $30,000 - $40,000 IF you don't use it for air conditioning. If you live in an area where you have a lot of cloudy days, it will take many, many, many, many years to pay back. The reason everyone isn't using solar power is because it is not cheap and has not been cost-effective for most situations. Most Americans would not like it's inconvenience at times. It is not new science. It is in use many places and well known. It is great for some applications and as fuel and electrical power cost increase it will be used more. Don't believe the media and hollywood. They are not interested in truth. They are just interested in making you believe their way. Study and learn.
