The issue is they only store direct current or dc power. Direct current holds it polarity constant. If you supplied direct current to standard electronics you would short circuit them. To power standard household devices you need AC power or alternating current. Alternating current switches polarity at a rate of 60 cycles per second. It would be impossible to manually switch the polarity of the direct current system without a circuit system known as an inverter.
By using a dc to ac power inverter system you can now open and close the positive and negative flow of current at a rate of 60 times per second. Essentially creating an alternating current which will now allow you to use your stored dc power to operate standard household electronics.
]]>DC to AC Power Inverters take direct current from a battery and inverts power into alternating current or standard household current which allows you to power household items. Many mobile systems such and trucks and recreational vehicles use power inverters to power electronics off their batteries.
]]>First we will start with a actual panels, the amount of panels you will require will be directly related to the amount electronics or power you require and the amount of solar exposure in your geographic area. All solar panel vendors should have the statistic for solar exposure in your area. This information will help to determine the complete wattage of the panels you will require.
The second component you will need to have is solar charge controller. The solar charge controller will regulate the voltage output you will be using in your system. You the most part you will be using a 12 or 24 volt power bank, so you will need to set your charge controller accordingly. You will connect the solar charge controller to your panels and to your direct current power bank.
All the solar power that your pulling will be then used to charge your power bank. This will most of the time be direct current battery bank. Depending on the amount of wattage you are acquiring through your panels you will want to make sure that the battery bank is large enough to take full advantage of all the current you have. The last thing you would want is to be pulling in more power then you battery bank can handle. Solar panels are very expensive but automotive batteries are not, therefore if your panels can keep ten batteries fully charged you would want to only have four.
The last component of your system will be your DC to AC power inverter. Your will need a dc to ac power inverter to invert the direct current you will have in your battery bank to standard ac current used with your household devices. The size of the dc to ac power inverter will be directly related to the amount of electronics you are looking to run or the overall amperage of the desired system.
]]>As far as where to setup the inverter, using trucks will have a compartment for this type of equipment. Usually within 6 feet of the battery. If the truck does not have a designated area to install your power inverter then you will want to install it as close to the direct current as possible, hopefully within 3 to 6 feet. If you install further then that you might start to lose efficiency from the inverter and you wont be able to use the full listed continuous wattage of the AC supply.
]]>How inverters work?
Alternating current changes its polarity 60 times per second (HZ) send power through the circuit one way and reversing another therefore it can hold a high 120 volt output. Direct current is more simple only sending power in one direction, which is ideal at low voltage outputs. Because of the nonflexable current it will not function properly at higher voltages that U.S. electrical systems require. Inverters take a dc power supply and increase the output voltage with the use of a step up transformer to properly run your devices.
]]>