Hi, I bought 50 6X6 inch solar cells, I also bought a 40 amp diode, I still need to buy a battery, and inverter and a voltage controller, could you tell answer me the following questions:) I would like t build a small panel at first, (may be 0 X 0 inch), with that I would like (or at least to try) to power my laptop for the hole day, so I wont receive a very high amperage, yet, all the inverters I saw at e-bay are rated over 400 amp, if I buy a 400 amp inverter, can I use it with such a small amperage?2) what about buying a small car inverter, will it work?3) suggestion about the battery and the voltage controller will be kindly appreciated.Thanks
I have an inverter that I use in my vehicle. It is rated for 400 amps this is it's maximum capacity. I can use it for less. It converts 2V DC to 20V AC. So Thais is all I need and may be your cheapest option. If your panels are producing a lot of amperage you may need a regulator to stop charging when your battery is fully charged.
I'm guessing that each of those solar cells is just 0.5 volt at max power, so if you make a 2-inch square panel, you will get 2 volts - not enough for the inverter. A car inverter is notoriously inefficient, but it would work if you connect it to a 2-volt battery. You cannot generally connect such an inverter to solar panels alone. The battery supplies the peak current that the inverter needs, and the panel charges the battery. To charge a 2-volt battery, you will want 36 cells, generally, which give you an 8-volt panel. You can buy an inexpensive charge controller somewhere. If your laptop will run off 2 volts directly, you can skip the inverter and be much more efficient. Or if the laptop runs of (say) 9 volts, you can use about 40 cells to get 20 volts, get the proper power plug from Radio Shack, and plug the panel directly into the laptop.
