Defining a Portable Solar System

A portable solar system is usualy designed as an off-grid system. On-grid systems can be identified in homes where solar panels are integrated to the household in the common grid tie wiring system. In this set-up, the house uses solar power for a percentage of its electrical power needs. This can mean supplying the lighting system or other isolated systems with minimal power requirement.

On the other hand, the off-grid type or portable solar system can be a good idea for use as back-up power system, power-recharging system or as a mobile power system. Portable systems use a solar generator that efficiently traps solar energy in its cells and then stores it in battery banks for later use.

Advantage Of Using Portable Solar Power

A portable solar generator has a wide variety of applications. It can be useful for wilderness travel, aviation and marine applications, camping and hiking activities, survival situations, search and rescue activities, and military applications.

A portable solar system is usually packaged for convenience in travel. The portable solar panels are folded while the battery and other accessory parts are secured in a carrying case.

Because of this convenience, most of the mobile power needs can be addressed by solar systems. No need to carry dangerous fuels or bulky generators; the portable solar generators can provide as much power as any small to medium size fuel-powered generators can if sized properly.

Going Technical: Solar Panels, Battery, Distributor And Fuses

Flexible solar panels are central to a portable solar system. These solar panels are rollable and foldable but do not cause any damage to the solar cells.

The solar power is put into good use using a set-up of battery, a power inverter, power distributor and other accessories. A good sizable generator unit can supply up to about 180 DC power. Using a power inverter, DC power can be converted into a continuous power source of about 150 watts. Over all, maximum power can be harnessed up to about 360 watts.

The battery is used to store and convert solar energy into chemical energy. Battery life usually lasts for about three hours and additional solar power would be required for recharging the battery after its stored power has been depleted. Full charging may require up to 5 hours of peak sunlight but most batteries can be charged using DC or power sources for a more fast charging when at home.

A power distributor is also used to distribute power out to either a DC or AC port depending on the needs of the user. Having a DC and AC port available creates a flexible source of power for a variety of electronic devices and gears. Power distributors are integrated with fuses to protect electronic devices.

A portable solar system uses ATC fuses to control the current. Without a fuse, the system would become unregulated and any spike or disturbance in the system can cause serious damage especially if the current is being supplied to a sensitive electronic device.