How to Hook Up Solar Panel to Battery | Inverter Diagram

Well, the hard time comes up when you don’t know how to hook up solar panel to battery if that is 12 volt. Why is that hard? It’s not hard. But it has to be followed by some steps of processes.

Solar power is the most reliable and cleanest renewable energy form that provides the power supply in your home or business. The panels that are known as solar-powered photovoltaic panel converts the sunlight to electricity rather than heat. By using the solar panel, not only can you reduce your electricity bill but also air pollution. 

So you are saving the environment and your money too. While installing the solar panel, you may face problems in connecting the solar panel to the battery.

No worries, you will get clear instructions in this article about how to hook up solar panel to battery.

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How A Solar Panel Works – The Ultimate Step By Step Process

The solar panel works with the photon, the energy released from the sun. The panel comes with solar cells that come in two layers – positive and negative. The photons get attached to these solar cells and knock down the electrons from the atoms.

When the electrodes are stuck on the layer of the cells, the electrical circuit gets formed. By flowing through the circuit, electricity is generated. You can get a good amount of power if you have more cells with panels.

The electron flow produces direct current electricity. As the business and home use alternate power, you can use an inverter to do the conversion. If you have a battery, you can store the excess energy that is left unused, and you can use it later, so if you invest in a solar panel. You will not have to give damn care to the grid as you have your own electricity and don’t have to spend extra bucks.

How To Hook Up A Solar Panel To 12v Battery

If you are thinking of installing a solar panel to 12V battery, then you are on the right track. You will get enough power supply to make connections and use them. Before installing, you have to know some important features of a solar panel.

Size and layouts:

Though the solar panel comes in the same size, you have to get the perfect size and panels for the use. For home use, you have to use 65 X 39 inches, and for commercial purposes, 77 X 39 inches is best. The roof layouts are flexible than the narrow panels. You can use them on roofs and vents.

Depth and weight:

You have to use the panel that weighs 40 pounds, and the depth is 1.4-1.8 inches. The commercial solar panels comes in 1.8 inch and weighs 50 pounds. The weight and depth plays vital role in producing energy. 

Power watts:

If the panel is in good condition, then it will produce enough power. To know the wattage, multiply the length and width of the area and divide the panel wattage.

Cells:

The solar panel cells transform the sunlight to electricity and stay attached to wiring. The efficiency of the solar panels comes in 15-18%.  

Charge controller:

This controller improves the performance and increases protection in the charging rounds.

How to Connect a Solar Panel Battery:

For home appliances, using solar power as clean and reliable power energy is getting popular.  All you have to do is connecting solar panels to house wiring properly. By this, you can reduce the electric charge in a large amount.

  • Take professional help to install a solar panel on your roof. For home use, you may need twenty 250-watt panels to run the appliances.
  • Install batteries for the panels. Try to wiring solar panel to 2 batteries.
  • Connect the panels to the inverter to the battery. The inverter converts the solar power to consumable power; it means DC power to AC power.
  • To transport the DC power to the inverter, connect the wire to the circuit breaker from the battery. Keep an electrical jolt connected to prevent an overload of solar power.
  • Link the inverter to the AC fuse box of your home. Your home appliances are ready to get smooth and clean power.  Keep the AC generator and power inverter connected to get extra electricity in case of an emergency.

How to Use Solar Panels to Charge Batteries:

Charging batteries with a solar panel is the best way to use clean energy. To use this energy, you have to install the charge controller to help adjust the voltage, or else the solar energy will produce more power than the battery capacity.

To install a solar panel system all by yourself, you will need:

  • Solar panels
  • 12-volt battery
  • Battery charger
  • Power inverter
  • AWG cable
  • Container
  • Mechanical carts
  • Electrical tape
  • Drill
  • Screwdriver
  • Cable cutters
  • Wrench
Step 1:

You have to charge the battery with the charger and keep it enough charge to connect with solar panels to generate electricity.

Step 2

Place the batteries after full charge in a container. Line up the positive and negative in one row.

Step 3

Make jumpers from AWG cable. From 2 AWG cables, you will get 100 Amps. Cut the cable length by measuring the terminals and add mechanical lugs.

Step 4

Make some holes in the container lid for the wires. You can connect the cables to the inverter and charger.

Step 5

Place the panels in the proper place by facing the sun.

Step 6

Now connect the 12V battery and charge controller with the cable

Step 7

Calculate the charge controller and connect it to the panel with the mec4 connector

Step 8

Now start the inverter to check whether it is working or not.

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12 volt Solar Panel Wiring Diagram – Easy Process To Follow

To wire the 12-volt battery to 220-watt panels’ solar panel system, you have to:

  • Before wiring your volt system, you have to calculate the load and watt-hour of the appliances you will use.
  • Take four 220 watt panels to connect with 12-volt battery wired to a 24-volt system. If you use a 24-volt system, then you can use less wire at a low cost. You can change the volt system from 12 volts to 24 volts by wiring the negative and positive panels to make them one panel.
  • Next, connect the rest positive and negative panel to a charge controller. You can use 30 amp fuse between the connections.
  • The wire goes to the battery from the charge controller. You have to set up the batteries into 12-volt banks.
  • From the battery, you can connect the positive and negative cables in the 12-volt inverter. The positive cable will through the 150 amp or 200 amp fuse.
  • From the 12 volt inverter, you can plug in the appliances you want to use. You can use a battery tender to keep the batteries charged.

What Are The Advantages? – The Use of Power Bank Solar Charger 

You can use the power bank solar charger to charge your mobile, laptop. This solar charger is easy to carry, and you can use it in any place, anytime. You have to charge by following the Power bank solar charger instructions. The solar charger comes with a cord to charge. To use the solar charger, you have to charge it either in the sun or with the charging cable. The wire comes with a USB port.

FAQ:

Q.1: Can you connect a solar panel directly to a battery?

Ans: It works but not recommended. Because the solar panel can produce more energy.

Q.2: How many solar panels does it take to charge a 200AH battery?

Ans:  You can use solar panels as much as you can to charge a battery fast.

Q.3: What size solar panel to charge 12V battery?

Ans:  Normally, a solar panel size comes in 65 inches by 39 inches, and it can charge 12 V battery with 100 watts.

Q4: How long to charge a 12v battery with a 100-watt solar panel?

Ans:  It takes 12hours to charge the battery with a 100-watt 12v battery and 18 v solar panel.

Q5: How do you use a solar charger?

Ans: after using all the battery power, the solar charger will come to rescue. Just plug in the USB cable from the charger to mobile or laptop. Open the solar panel and place it under the sunray. Wait for your device to get charged fully.

Read More: Best Solar Charger For Trolling Motor Battery

Conclusion:

The solar panel produces electricity by converting the sun’s energy using the photoelectric outcome. With the panel’s help, the power is measured as voltage and transferred to the battery as DC. 

You can use the current by converting it in AC to run the home appliances. Thanks to the solar system to make the use of solar energy conveniently.

 All you have to know is how to hook up solar panels to battery to get the current smoothly.  I hope you have learned the process already through this article. Go for the solar system to save energy and money at a time.