If you think I'm kidding, well I'm not. It is very possible to build your own solar panel to operate your automatic gate opener
Solar panels are basically a device that can transform ultraviolet light into electricity. Calculators use it since I don't remember when... wait... that is actually not true.
Solar panels are made of solar cells...who are the actual device who makes the energy transformation. Solar cells are cheap; but have the problem of providing low energy output.
Yes, I know... mankind sucks transforming photons into electricity, but hey... it is a numbers game.
If you look online, there is a bunch of providers who sell these solar cells as well as the solar panels... but hey, 1 or 2 days of light work that will save you some bucks won't harm anyone.
The sun’s energy is the source of all energy being used here in our planet. By garnering the energy it produces, you can cut back on your bills. You do not even have to invest too much money in order to make use of this readily available source because you can do it yourself. You can build your own electric solar panel. The total cost of the project was about 160 dollars; including the beers!
Although the current rating or amperage of each cell can vary, a single PV cell, no matter how large or small, will only put out .5 volts (half a volt). Watt output is equal to volts x amps, so for example, .5v x 1.78a = .89 watts.
Calculating the amount of cells you need:
Depending of the voltage you want, you'll need X amount of cells. For understanding purposes, think about these cells as common batteries. If you connect them on parallel, your voltage output will stay at half a volt in this case. Solar cells need to be connected on serial circuit.
Now... how much voltage does your gate opener requires?
Common voltages are 12 and 24 volts. I usually go for 24 because I could attach something else to the solar panel, such as alarms and motion detectors; but that depends.
The correct way to do it (word from an electric engineer) is to take advantage of the free energy. The solar panel is working every single second it is receiving solar light.... and you are not opening/closing your gate every time either... so a pack of rechargeable batteries comes to mind.
In this project, we will use 48 single crystal solar cells, each .89 watt and 4" square. This will make a solar panel that, with full sun, will put out 24 volts at almost 2 amps. That's more than sufficient to charge a battery supply system.
We now know the output of the panel (24v) and the size of the cells (4"), so next we need to plan the panel layout. Since we will use 48 cells, we can lay them out in a pattern of 6 across and 8 down (6 x 8 = 48).
What about power?
Well... let me tell you that this setup can provide around 40 watts. (48 cells,.. each providing around .89 watts... do the math please!)
This only means one thing; this setup can work without any help for something that consumes 40 watts... enough power to run a motor... or an electric swing arm. NICE
I'm not sure how much will be if you buy the panel already build... but I can bet is way more than 160 bucks.
Especially now that the economic recession has affected most of the US, the use of solar panels can prove to be a good way to cut back on expenses. Solar panels can also help reduce global warming since they reduce the need for other sources of electricity. It is wise to use solar energy as a source of electricity because money is not easy to earn these days
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