Dont/Cant work alone?when you buya asolar panel you mUST GET bATTERIES, voltage regulators and many else stuff?cant they just work directly? or can i use normal batteres like Car batteries?The one who Really knows 0 pts. thanks
It is a system, you can get a small scale panel that can do things like charge cel phones and ipods. The type of system I have installed on my home needs a converter that turns the dc current that is produced by the panels into ac current to run in my home. I don't have a battery system because I'm not off the grid. When I'm generating more electricity than I am using I sell it back to my utility and at night when I'm not gernerating any electricity I buy it back again. Basically my meter runs backwards durning the day and frontwards during the night.
You do not need batteries unless you want power at night, you don't need a regulator unless you'll be using your panels to power anything other then what the voltage of the panels is (ie 2v panel = 2v llight bulb) 3.You can use them directly or you can use car batteries (though deep cycle batteries are better).
They can supply a current on their own, but that is not very useful. A battery allows you to store that current so that you can use it at night or when clouds are blocking the sun. the voltage regulator makes sure they do not provide more power than the battery or whatever else you hook it up to can handle. Most places that sell solar panels will have these items to go with them. You will probably want a battery with a larger capacity than a car battery.
