Build Your Own Portable Solar Powered Back up Generator

There’s nothing worse that running out of power. We use power so much every day that it has become one of those things we take for granted. Unfortunately a sudden loss of power can send you back to the dark ages, ruining your refrigerator contents, preventing you from pumping water, and keeping your electric stove and electronic gadgets from working. A typical back up generator certainly helps, but only as long as you have fuel for it. A generator with a full tank of gas can only last about 8 hours under a light load. At that point, you’ll have to get more gasoline for it. In a camping situation, that can be inconvenient.

What about a homemade solar generator? Using the power of the sun, and some spare batteries, you can have a generator with a constantly renewable energy source. Say good bye to those trips for fuel for good.

The Parts
 
This solar generator is made of 2 marine deep cycle batteries, 2 40watt solar panels, 1 charge controller and 1 power inverter. The two 85 amp/hr batteries give you 85 hours of 2 amp usage (a simple fan uses about 4 amps/hr, so this fan would run about 40 hrs straight in this configuration). The modified sine wave power inverter is a 2000 watt device that will help you power many things: Power tools, lights, fans, pumps, you name it. It will even recharge many electronic devices. You won’t want to power just anything though. The smallest air conditioners use about 600 watts. (2-3 times that for anything that generates heat) So while this power inverter would successfully run a small portable window unit A/C, it wouldn’t run it very long. The charge controller regulates the electricity from the solar panels to the batteries. Batteries don’t like being overcharged, or undercharged. These devices manage all of that.

The solar panels on this unit recharge the batteries at about 5 amps per hour in direct sunlight. You have to figure on about 5 hours of quality sunlight per day for them. Anything else is indirect and only provides some recharging. More solar panels will recharge the unit faster. Larger solar panels will too, but they become harder to manage.

At the end of the day, many people will appreciate having a quiet back up power source that they don’t have to constantly be searching for fuel for, not to mention how clean the energy is and better for the environment.

Some Caveats

• Modified sine wave inverters – They’re cheaper, but you shouldn’t use them with sensitive electronics. It will fry them. Insist on a pure sine wave inverter instead. It’s a little more expensive, but it won’t fry your iphone.
• It’s heavy. Have you picked up a car battery lately? Try two. This system works a lot easier with a heavy duty dolly.
• Opt for using thick cables between your batteries and your inverter. 6 ga or larger. Throw in a fuse to make it fire safe.
• The dolly. Don’t use the one pictured. Get the heavier duty ones with bigger tires. That will help you roll it out across gravel and loose dirt.
• Batteries. Keep your batteries at or above 60-70% charged at all times to extend their life. “deep cycle” marine batteries like the ones shown cost about $70-$100 each at Sams/Autozone. The more batteries you have, the longer it takes them to discharge down to the 60-70% level.

Kill-A-Watt tool tip

To better understand how much power your devices use, get a Kill-A-Watt tool from Lowes or online. It will help you see how many watts an electronic device uses.

How to Build Your Own Portable Solar Powered Back up Generator

I started looking into some of the biggest solar generator units on the market, because the idea of a completely silent generator that can still run large power loads while never needing gasoline is a really cool concept. Whether you want to run a portable table saw, or go tailgating  / camping where the noise of a standard generator would just be irritating, we will show you how to build a solar generator!

After seeing what was available, I found myself wanting to design my own for a number of reasons. For one it will be a lot cheaper, Two I can add several features I wanted to add that were not built in to the manufactured units, and three, because it will be a really fun project. By building your own, you will learn all about small off-grid solar setups, and also be able to fix the individual components if you ever have problems with it down the road.

For comparison, here is a popular manufactured unit. It is nice looking package, and if you don’t care about cost it might be a good option for you, especially if you are not really the maker type.

As of this writing, the unit is selling for $1999.95. It includes a 1250 Watt Ac inverter with a 1500 Watt peak surge capacity. It includes two 30W panels.
The solar generator I am going to show you how to build will cost half the price, include a 2,000 watt / 4,000 watt peak AC inverter, a 100W solar panel, a high quality true deep cycle AGM battery. I also will add extras, such as integrated LED flood lamps, a high current port for attaching jumper cables, and some others.

Main Components for our Solar Generator

I selected the components listed below based on the quality of reviews, as well as price and features suitable for this project.

Rugged Pelican Case 1620

I selected this case for our solar generator because it is waterproof / weatherproof, has rugged several sturdy handles as well as rolling wheels. I unit will be quite heavy once complete, so I needed something that can take a lot of abuse!

Kreiger 2000W / 4000W Peak AC Inverter
 
This unit should be able to run nearly anything that you could normally power off an standard 15 Amp wall outlet. It also comes with a mountable remote power switch that we will be mounting into the side of our case, as well as heavy 2 Guage battery cables and main fuse.

Renogy 100 Watt Solar Panel & Charger Kit

This kit includes a very high quality 100w monocrystalline solar panel as well as a 30A solar charger that is matched well for our needs.

Optima Blue Top 8016-103 Battery
 
This AGM battery is a deep cycle battery, which means we will be able to discharge the battery somewhat further during night time use or during short high power loads without shortening the normal life of the battery.  Another advantage of this battery is that it has both standard top posts as well as threaded posts for easier connections. One other important feature is that the battery can be mounted and used in any orientation, which is important considering our solar generator may get stood upright or laid in different directions during normal use.

DIY Portable Solar Generator – Step by Step

It is amazingly easy to build a DIY portable solar generator. You don’t need to be an expert to make one. Anyone with some interest in setting up new things can enjoy it well.

Building portable solar generator of your own will save a significant amount of your money, apart from buying a fresh one. Out in stores, you have many full-fledged solar generators, but they are pricier.

Here I would like to tell you how to make a solar generator using parts from your local stores, in help of diagrams and graphics. To build a DIY portable solar power generator is not a tough job, anyway. It doesn’t contain any complex technologies. Even a beginner can quickly learn how to build it up and get it ready for converting sunlight to sustainable electricity.

Essential Required

Portable Solar Panels
Solar  Charger Controller
Battery Pack
AC Inverter
12V Cigarette Light Adapter
Digital Voltmeter
Cables & Wires
Clamps and Screws
Compact Case

Before moving on to our tutorial, see our graphical representation of a typical portable solar generator below.

It will give a quick idea on how components of a portable solar generator need to be laid out.

There is actually no difference between portable and stationary solar generators, despite size and capacities of their parts.

A portable solar generator is often fixed into a case, which is friendly for travels. Regularly, a briefcase or cart-style is chosen for portable solar generators.

Nonetheless, while making a DIY portable solar generator, you don’t need to integrate all parts in a case.  If you are comfortable, you can leave it run of the mill, not perfectly fixed inside a box.

In that case, you can skip the case or find a case or box to fit in the fragile parts only, like battery and inverter. You can leave solar panels, wires and cables outside.

Step 1 – Purchase Parts

As you can learn from the above graphic, we are talking about building a 150W portable solar generator. For this, I suggest you to buy the parts in the below specifics. However, as per your power requirement, you can change the specifications. Links to the Amazon pages with matching products are also given in the table.

Step 2 – Integrate Parts to the Case

If you wish to build the generator inside a case, it is time to integrate the parts. Commonly, battery, inverter and voltmeter are fixed inside the box, leaving solar panels outside.

Make sure you have bought a case that is big and sturdy enough to carry the loads of the above components. Fix them one by one in the box or case and put holes to draw the cables out to solar panels. Integrate the required output ports as well.

See the diagram on how to do the wiring of a DIY portable solar generator.

Step 3 – Connect with Solar Panels

If you have big solar panel, it is always nice to put it outside the case, not built into the outer of the case. It is also a good option to let you place the solar panel away from the rest of the device so that you can grab as much as power in sunny days. For this, you should buy long cables and wires.

Step 4 – Test the Device

As you can see, there is no complicated task in building DIY portable solar generators. If you follow the diagram above, it is quite simple for you. As you have done, you can now test the generator. Place the solar panels in sun and get the generator ready for action.

Final Thoughts

It is all about making a DIY portable solar generator. The job doesn’t include any complex steps. Everything is quite simple. You have all the parts readily available on Amazon. All you have to do is to buy them and piece together into a unit to make solar energy.

A portable solar generator is a good idea to store power for your use while going out on a camping, outing or outdoor party. It is also highly reliable in case of any emergency. If the grid power remains cut for many days, the only power option you can survive with is nothing, but solar. Hope you have enjoyed this tutorial, make your comments below.

DIY a Lithium Ion Battery Solar Power Generator for Under $400

o most of us, solar power still seems like a thing of the future. Yeah, we know some people live off the grid with them, and some folks can afford to line their roofs and heat their pools with them. Not most of us.

But it turns out that you can generate real, usable solar power in your very own home (or wherever), and it'll cost you less than $300. What's the catch? Oh, nothing. You just have to build the generator yourself.


1. Buy Yourself a Small Solar Panel

For about $100 you should be able to get one rated at 12 volts or better (look for 16 volts) at an RV or marine supplies store or from Greenbatteries Store.


2. Buy Yourself a Battery

We recommend rechargeable batteries from these green companies: Greenbatteries Store and Batteries.com. Get any size deep cycle 12 volt lead/acid or gel battery. You need the deep cycle battery for continuous use. The kind in your car is a cranking battery—just for starting an engine. Look for bargains, the cheapest ones should cost about $50-60.


3. Get a battery box to put it in for $10.

(This is good for covering up the exposed terminals in case there are children about If you going to install the system in a pump shed, cabin, or boat, skip this.) Buy a 12 volt DC meter. Radio Shack has them for about $25.


4. Buy a DC input.

I like the triple inlet model which you can find at a car parts store in the cigarette lighter parts section for about $10. This is enough to power DC appliances, and there are many commercially available, like fans, one-pint water boilers, lights, hair dryers, baby bottle warmers, and vacuum cleaners. Many cassette players, answering machines, and other electrical appliances are DC already and with the right cable will run straight off the box.


5. Invest in an Inverter.

If you want to run AC appliances, you will have to invest in an inverter. This will convert the stored DC power in the battery into AC power for most of your household appliances. I bought a 115 volt 140 watt inverter made by Power-to-Go at Pep Boys for $50. Count up the number of watts you'll be using (e.g., a small color television(=60 watts) with a VCR(=22 watts), you'll need 82 watts). A variety of cheap inverters from 100 watts to 3000 watts can be had from Lane's Professional Car Products. Type "inverters" into his search bar.


6. Attach meter and DC input.

Use a drill to attach the meter and DC input to the top of the box.


7. Use insulated Wire to Attach the Meter to the Wingnut Terminals on the Battery.

Connect the negative (-) pole first. Only handle one wire at


8. Close the Lid

I use a bungee cord to keep it tight. Put the solar panel in the sun. It takes 5-8 hours to charge a dead battery; 1-3 hours to top off a weak one. It will run radios, fans, and small wattage lights all night, or give you about 5 hours of continuous use at 115 volt AC, or about an hour boiling water. This system may be added on to with larger panels, inverters, and batteries.

That's quite a project that'll kill an idle Sunday afternoon—and power a good deal of your electrical equipment. And save you a bunch of money. Happy solar building.

UFO Lithium Power Generator 1500 Review – Portable Solar Panels Enough Energy Storage?

UFO Power Generator is a portable power generator created by the team at 4UFO, LLC. The generator promises to help your family survive when the electrical grid goes down.

 

Let’s review the UFO Power Generator 1500 system and see if it is the ‘magic bullet’ protection against power failures, blackouts, outside threats or a crumbling electric grid.

What is the UFO Power Generator?

The Patriot Power Generator is a portable power generator that uses a solar panel to generate electricity. The Patriot Power Generator is an extension of the Power 4 Patriots system, which was a guide created.

The company has been associated with its fear-based messages and tactics for propaganda-like approaches. To entice you or educate you, buying the Patriot Power Generator 1500 from 4Patriots describes how hundreds of attacks have been launched against the American power grid in the last four years and it is best you have some sort of energy to power your devices and useful electronics. They also claim that terrorists from ISIS, Iran, Russia, and North Korea are actively attempting to sabotage the American power grid on a near-daily basis – whether this is a bit too aggressive or not, portable power units are a growing trend due to the increasing demand in going off grid or even just having simple backup power storage ready.

If terrorists don’t scare you, then UFO Power Generator at least promises to help you save money off your utility bill. All jokes aside, emergencies are not easy to prepare for but in some cases you can get practical and even tactical use out of having a portable and mobile generator to power up your daily devices and units.

Let’s take a look at how this power generator claims to work.

How Does the UFO Power Generator Work?

The UFO Power Generator claims to work by combining a solar panel with a portable power generator. Here’s what’s included with your purchase:

37.5 pound generator that arrives fully charged and ready to go
100 watt folding solar panel with cells made by Bosch
25 foot solar panel extension cord
That’s the system. UFO Power Generator also throws in a bunch of other survivalist tools unrelated to power generation. You get food survival kits, for example, a Survival Spring Personal Water Filter, a multi-tool, and a pack of playing cards.

To use the system, you set up the solar panels on the ground or vertically. Then, plug the panels into the portable power supply. Once you have something that needs to be charged, plug your electronics into that power supply to keep them charged.

There’s also a “Platinum” package that includes a second solar panel along with a carrying bag.

The generator itself features a rechargeable lithium ion battery. When it’s hooked up to your solar panels, that battery will steadily recharge itself. 4Patriots makes a big deal that this battery is superior to a lead acid battery, although in reality, almost all electronics use lithium ion batteries today – so it’s not really an advantage over other generators.

UFO Power Generator Features

The UFO Power Generator comes with all of the following features:

• -2000 life cycles, which means you can charge your UFO Power Generator from empty to full 2,000 times
• 
  
• -Charge your generator in multiple ways, including through the attached solar panels or through a conventional electrical outlet. You can also charge it using wind turbines or other sources of energy.
• -3.5 hour charge time, which allows the UFO Power Generator to go from 0 to 100% in 3.5 hours
• -Holds a charge for up to 1 year
• -Up to 1,500 continuous watts of power, which is why we sometimes see the product listed as the Patriot Power Generator 1500. 4Patriots claims this is enough power to run a cell phone, tablet, laptop, radio, lights, small appliances, and “critical medical devices”.
• -2 x 120 volt AC outlets, 4 x USB outlets, 1 x 12 volt DC outlet, 1 x 12 volt Anderson Power Pole outlet (used to power emergency radio and CB units)

Wholesale Lithium-Ion Portable Power Generator and Portable Solar Power Solutions

More cool portable solar power solutions are hitting stores. Well, here comes up a Canadian start-up called Growing Greener Innovations with a serious  Yeti 1250 alternative. Branded as UFO 1000 – probably a Green Engine – the portable power solution looks a big competitor to the top-tier UFO Yeti mainly for two reasons; lithium-ion battery and the resultant lesser weight.

Fine, like the Yeti series, UFO 1000 is basically a powerful portable storage system with solar option. Simply, it means you can take it anywhere you go and grab sun energy to charge it. Or you can recharge it from wall or car sockets. The project is actually seeking crowd support on Indiegogo. As of now, it has collected around $4,000 from 12 backers out of its $40,000 goal with one month left.

Well, being a Goal Zero Yeti 1250 alternative, as you know it mainly stands out with a lithium-ion battery that is cleverly expandable too. Fine, you can stack up additional battery to the bottom of the machine as easily as you refill gas tank. Moreover, it weighs just half of the industry leader’s, thanks to lithium-ion.

Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Alternative: GRENGINE 1000 Generator

Coming to specs, UFO 1000, as its name suggests, is a 1000Wh portable power generator. Of course, this output is sufficient to use the machine to run wide range of your gadgets, toys, tools and appliances. A unit of the stackable lithium-ion battery produces up to 1200 Watt hours of energy and you can add up an extra unit to make it simply two times powerful than its Yeti counterpart. It gives you 1000 charging cycles, by the way.

You can power up the generator with solar panels at 120 watts or a car socket at 48 watts. Moreover, on top of the generator, you have got a pretty large LED emergency bar that is removable as well. That means in case of emergency you can detach it from the main body and light up your way.

Coming to ports, you have UFO 1000 with 4 AC power outlets, a 12V DC charging outlet, a pair of 3 Amps DC outlets and 4 USB ports. In addition, it has got a car jump starter and an LED display to show battery and power indications. That also lets you quickly switch between input and output functions.

Design wise, GRENGINE 1000, as a Goal Zero Yeti 1250 alternative, certainly does well. It keeps very handy and stylish look in multi tones – grey, silver and green. At a glance, it absolutely  feels stronger and durable too. You have got a solid foldable carrying handle for easy moving. Meanwhile, its size and weight as compared to Yeti 1250 is really outstanding. It weighs just 24 lbs while its size goes at 11” taller X 13” longer.

What Makes it Special

Smart UFO Yeti 1250 Alternative

Goal Zero’s flagship Yeti 1250 has been one of the best sellers of portable power industry. It is a fact we don’t have many rivaling products to Yeti on shelves. The team behind GRENGINE 1000 has certainly come out with their machine as a direct rival to the market leader. As you know, a set of features absolutely make their claim true. We are going to get 1000Wh portable power pack with a light and long-lasting lithium-ion battery.

Stackable Battery Packs

It is indeed yet another revolutionary feature with UFO 1000 as a Goal Zero Yeti 1250 alternative. As of now, we are only familiar with portable power solutions with limited battery units. This one stands out the current market leaders with a cool option to expand up the battery unit with stackable battery packs. As per your need, you can increase total storage volume and enjoy unlimited source of portable power anywhere.

Highly Portable and User-friendly

Compared to many leading portable power systems including Yeti 1250, UFO 1000 is quite lightweight and portable. With just around 25lbs, carrying it will never go to hunt you during outings. Added with solar panel, you can take it anywhere with no worry about run-out of your gadgets while camping or taking an outdoor party. The carrying handle on top of the machine makes you grab it smoothly.

Price and Availability

As you know, UFO 1000 portable generator is currently seeking crowd funding on Indiegogo. All could custom and with customized wholesale price, you can book a unit of the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 alternative. The company expects to start shipping the device by January next year. Go here to make your contribution to bring into life this dream project and ensure your unit.

Final Thoughts

UFO 1000 portable solar power generator shows us how portable power industry tends to change over in coming years. So far we have many models of portable power solutions in form of chargers and generators. But added with state-of-the-art features, they are going to do well and turn out to be great alternatives to the gasoline-devouring generators and as a result to drastically cut down CO2 emissions.

Most leading portable power solutions are equipped with lead acid batteries that are hefty and not friendly for portable use. Here come these types of innovative products that merge all new features and facilities to realize wonderful portable power solutions. The UFO that we don’t know when to hit public market could be contributing much to the raising popularity of campers and businesses towards portable solar solutions.

Wholesale Wireless Solar Charger Solis XR Touts Dual Induction Coils

Wholesale Wireless Solar Charger Solis XR Touts Dual Induction Coils to Free you from Tangled Wires as you Roam Around

Portable solar power industry is growing rapidly. There is no limit for creativity in designing new products. It is here comes Dawan Global with an awesome wireless solar charger with dual induction charging coils. Branded as Solis XR, the product also features dual USB ports to let you juice up gadgets with no induction facility.

The power pack cum wireless solar charger presently seeks crowd fund on KickStarter. Dawan Global expects to realize the amazing solar charger by early next year. You could back Solis XR on KickStarter here. By the way, as of writing this, the project has collected around $500 from 10 backers out of its $15,000 goal. And you have one month left to support the project and ensure a unit with an offer.

Simply, the wireless solar charger is the realization of long-cherished dream of campers. It lets you skip the tangled wires from your backpack as you make for an outing. If you have got a phone with induction-based charging it comes out to be a wonderful piece in your survival kit. Just spread out the solar panels and place your phone on one of its induction bases to get access to unlimited sun energy.

Wireless Solar Charger: Solis XR Portable Solar Charger

Specs wise, the Solis XR wireless solar charger is definitely a worthy product. First of all, it sports a pair of 1.5 watts solar panels that you fold over the middle power pack after use. And inside the durable power pack comes a 10,000mAh polymer battery. And over the battery pack, you have the induction coils.

In addition, you have a tiny LCD display on top of the power pack to show battery status. As you know, it has a pair of 2.1A universal USB ports on the side and an outlet for charging it from wall. The product overall weighs at 10 lbs and its dimensions go at 3.5 X 6 X 0.7 inches and 12 X 6 X 0.7 inches when expanded.

First Wireless Solar Charger

Yes, we have come across variety of solar chargers, but Solis XR is really special as a wireless solar charger. Considering it as a camping solution, it really looks a unique stuff. You can go out with no worry about tangled wires. Certianly, that gives you more freedom in your outings. Plus, it also comes out to be a nice solution for daily life. Wherever you are whether an official trip or work place, no more worry about the woes of wires.

Handy and Ideal Camping Solution

The Solis XR wireless solar charger is very handy and durable. Weighing at just 10 lbs and with small size, you can carry it anywhere. Indeed, it is quite handy that you can fold the panels over the power pack to turn it to a tiny pocket-sized gadget. When you find your phone or tablet running out of juice, just unfold and place it in sunlight. If you don’t have an induction-based phone, just connect it with USB cable for recharging.

Highly Efficient and Innovative

Dawan Global has designed its wireless solar charger with a number of advanced features. It claims that it has included high quality components to set up the solar charger. Well, it has concentrated on making use of fine quality battery, highly efficient solar cells, lightweight design and finally the exclusive “cut the cords” feature. Of course, Solis XR is to change the way we have been using a portable solar charger for camping and outings.

Price and Availability

The Solis XR wireless solar charger is currently available for pre-order on KickStarter. You have different offers for the product with a starting price of $60. The team Dawan Global plans to start shipping the product by early next year. Go here to KickStarter to pre-order a unit of Solis XR solar charger.

Final Thoughts

This dazzling wireless solar charger is indeed made for everyone. With its unique wireless charging feature, it is certainly an awesome solution for campers and hikers. Moreover, it is a wonderful choice for every lifestyle. Getting outdoors, you no longer need to worry about your phone or tablet getting ran out of juice. You can either store some energy in Solis XR from your wall outlet or easily get it charged from sun to ensure you have enough power all the time around.