For years now, the military has been using a portable solar energy power station to provide energy for their mobile units. Recently, these invaluable systems have become available for civilian use for camping or in the event of emergencies. Being able to supply electricity during power shortages, typical in emergencies, is a real lifesaver and an aid towards recovery efforts.
The size of the portable solar energy power station needed depends on the situation and the amount of power that is required. A small unit can be used to supply light to an area. If the need is to supply enough power for refrigeration, lights and to drive water pumps, a larger portable solar energy power station will be required. They could provide anywhere from 240 watts all the way up to several thousand watts of power. The only drawback is that the bigger the unit, the bigger the battery pack required.
It is usually quick and easy to set up portable solar energy power stations. It is best to use different units of different sizes to perform different functions. For instance, one unit may be established to provide electricity for lighting. Another larger unit can be used to supply power for refrigeration while a still larger unit can be set up to power water pumps in the event of major overflow.
Portability Is Proportional To the Size of Battery Pack
Since drawing power directly from the solar panels of a portable solar energy power station is useless and would defeat the purpose of portability, the power needs to be stored in batteries. Also, because the power generated and stored is direct current, an alternating current converter is a necessary add-on device. Electrical devices are plugged into the converter and as power stored in the battery is used, the battery is recharged by the solar panels.
It is All About the Batteries
The batteries are the main contributor to the weight of a portable solar energy power station. The other parts, such as the charge controller and solar panels add some weight, but not as much as the batteries do. In order to power more devices the portable power station will require a larger battery pack. Small portable solar power units come with a small battery pack and will power a light or radio for a few hours. Larger more powerful portable solar power units are mounted on a trailer with the battery pack and a mast where the solar panels are mounted on.
It should be realized that regardless of the size and reliability of the portable solar energy power station, they will never work without sunshine. There may be enough power remaining in the batteries once the sun goes down to operate some devices or equipment, but without sunlight, once the batteries are discharged, you will have to wait until daylight to restore power. Still, it helps to have a portable gadget at the side which comes handy in times of emergency.
