!#1: Portable Solar Panels For Camping Compare: October 2011

!: DIY Portable Solar Panels For Camping - Free Energy From the Sun

Have you ever thought of bringing some of your electronic gadget on camping trips? Most people don't because they know it is hard to find a power outlet on camping sites.

There is a way you can generate electricity while on camping trips. You can do so with Do It Yourself (DIY) portable solar panels.

A solar panel is basically made from multiple Photovoltaic (PV) cells soldered together in series. PV cell has a tendency to generate an electric current when exposed to direct sun light.

To make use of the current, you will need a charge controller. The charge controller will take the electric current from the solar panel and use it to charge a deep cycle battery.

The number of battery units required will depend on your energy needs on the camping site. For a small family, 4 to 6 units of battery will be more than sufficient.

Since a battery will only stored Direct Current (DC), you will need a component known as a power inverter to change the DC to Alternate Current (AC). Since most electrical appliance run on AC, you can now use it with the electricity from the power inverter.

A DIY solar system is quite portable due to its relatively small size. The biggest component would be the solar panel. If you can find a way to make the solar array into a foldable unit, the panels can be easily stored in the back of a van.

When at the camp site, all you will need to do is setup the solar array making sure it is facing the sun and hook up all the components. After a couple of hours, you will have free electricity which you can use to power your electrical appliances.