A typical solar panel produces 80 to 230 watts of direct current, depending on the intensity of the sunlight and the angle the sun makes to the panel. More than one panel can be used in parallel to provide greater wattage, and panels can be mounted on adjustable mounts to point directly at the sun and produce maximum energy.

For systems installed on moving vehicles (RVs, trailers, boats) it is best to have the panels mounted flat on top of the vehicle, for minimum air resistance (you may need more panels to make up for lower efficiency).

Protects the battery by stepping down the panel voltage to a nominal 12 Volts, controlling the charging rate and cutting off loads if battery voltage drops too low, limiting the battery voltage between11.7 Volts and 13.7 Volts. This is important because over-charging or over-discharging the battery will reduce its service life.
 
Charge controllers come in different sizes, rated in Amperes. If you expect to add more panels later, ask to have a controller with a high enough capacity to support the maximum number of panels.

A deep-discharge battery, capable of repeated charging to full capacity and discharging to half of full capacity (standard automotive batteries are not suitable and will fail very quickly).

More than one battery can be used for greater capacity.

Converts 12V DC from the battery to 115V AC. Most electrical equipment will work with 'modified sine wave' inverters, which are less expensive than 'full sine wave' inverters. If your equipment is sensitive to the quality of AC power, you need a 'full sine wave' inverter.

The term "off-grid" solar is often confusing to many. It's not really at all. "Off-grid" simply means a solar installation creating electricity for your use where the electrical utility is not accessible. It can provide power for your home, cottage, hunting camp, boat, trailer, RV.

The flip side of "off-grid" is, of course, "on-grid" solar installations. Those are ones where the electricity you generate is sold directly to the power utility for use by everyone. You don't use the power directly, but you do sell it for a very good price. For more information check our section on Solar Power as an Investment.

But back to "off-grid".
A properly designed and installed solar system can provide Alternating Current (AC) for all your electricity needs. The differences between a system designed for your year-round house, your weekend cottage your RV, trailer or boat are strictly size and cost.

Our systems are designed to meet your present and anticipated needs. We don't just sell packaged systems - we know you are unique and a system must be designed for you.

A solar system has four main components: Solar Panels, Charge Controller, Deep-discharge Batteries and Inverter. Working together the system converts sunlight into 115 Volt AC electrical energy.

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