[Baseball_Fan]

I'm wondering if it is possible to have a home that runs on solar powered electricity, something like a solar panel and battery. How many panels would be needed?

I think it would be cool to build a solar panel, battery, and have it run something like a window air conditioner. But how much would a solar panel cost?

I'm going to buy an acre of land in the middle of nowhere and buiild a one room cabin, where there is no electricity line. I'm trying to think of ways that I can have electricity when needed (small little college sized refrigerator, 6,000 btu window air conditioner, small 20" television set and radio).

What about windmills? How do they work? Is that something which can be made easily? What is the cheapest way to get electricity?

[Borek]

You may Google all the information you need, just try and be creative in keywords used.

First thing to consider is not the price/effectiveness of solar panell/windmill electricity generator, but weather at the place you want to use them. You need either enough sun hours per year or enough wind hours per year for these things to work.

For example look here: http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-global-maps.html

[Baseball_Fan]

You may Google all the information you need, just try and be creative in keywords used.

First thing to consider is not the price/effectiveness of solar panell/windmill electricity generator, but weather at the place you want to use them. You need either enough sun hours per year or enough wind hours per year for these things to work.

For example look here: http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-global-maps.html

Thanks for that link. I love this toy they sell - http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-devices.html

It would be perfect for those 4 or 5 day hiking and camping trips.

The only thing I don't understand is how much electricity a 10 watt solar panel or 40 watt solar panel would provide, in terms of hours of electricity it would provide. I know not all electronics use the same amount of energy, but it would be more usefull if they would state how many hours it could power a small 2 cubic foot college refrigerator, or a light bulb.

[Borek]

The only thing I don't understand is how much electricity a 10 watt solar panel or 40 watt solar panel would provide, in terms of hours of electricity it would provide. I know not all electronics use the same amount of energy, but it would be more usefull if they would state how many hours it could power a small 2 cubic foot college refrigerator, or a light bulb.

What do you mean by "how much electricity"? These panels have known power output, what other kind of information are you expecting?

[Baseball_Fan]

The only thing I don't understand is how much electricity a 10 watt solar panel or 40 watt solar panel would provide, in terms of hours of electricity it would provide. I know not all electronics use the same amount of energy, but it would be more usefull if they would state how many hours it could power a small 2 cubic foot college refrigerator, or a light bulb.

What do you mean by "how much electricity"? These panels have known power output, what other kind of information are you expecting?

For example, how many hours it would power a light, or how many hours it would power a laptop?

Telling a non-scientist that something has 80 watts is not very helpful. When I look at watts on a lightbulb, I don't look at it like how much energy is used, but how bright the light is. Same thing with an air conditioner, I don't think 7000 BTU is how much energy it takes, but how cold it gets. What is important is the practical effect it has.

[Borek]

For example, how many hours it would power a light, or how many hours it would power a laptop?

Telling a non-scientist that something has 80 watts is not very helpful. When I look at watts on a lightbulb, I don't look at it like how much energy is used, but how bright the light is. Same thing with an air conditioner, I don't think 7000 BTU is how much energy it takes, but how cold it gets. What is important is the practical effect it has.

Solar panel doesn't store energy, so you can't say how long it will be able to power something. It can power any device (assuming its energy demand doesn't exceed panel power) as long as there is enough light to make the panel work.

BTU is an energy unit.

[Baseball_Fan]

For example, how many hours it would power a light, or how many hours it would power a laptop?

Telling a non-scientist that something has 80 watts is not very helpful. When I look at watts on a lightbulb, I don't look at it like how much energy is used, but how bright the light is. Same thing with an air conditioner, I don't think 7000 BTU is how much energy it takes, but how cold it gets. What is important is the practical effect it has.

Solar panel doesn't store energy, so you can't say how long it will be able to power something. It can power any device (assuming its energy demand doesn't exceed panel power) as long as there is enough light to make the panel work.

BTU is an energy unit.

I guess my point is non-scientists don't think about energy, but about the end result. I know my 9,000 BTU air conditioner will cool the room more than my old 5,000 BTU air conditioner. But I have no idea which one used how much energy.

In the same way, I would wonder how much a solar panel + the battery that comes with it would be able to power a light or laptop. Telling me the solar panel is 20 watts or 80 watts does not tell me anything more than 80 is 4 times as much as 20. Neither tells me how long a 100 watt light can run if the solar panel + battery has a full charge. Who cares if a solar panel is even 200 watts if it can't run a light for more than 5 minutes. It is about the end result.

[constant thinker]

Borek is right. A solar cell does not store energy. It only converts it to something that is useable by electronic devices.

Once you remove the light source from the solar cell, you don't get any power output and you can't light up a lightbulb. Put the solar cell in light, you can then power said lightbulb. The solar cell, given there is enough light, will produce those 80 watts continuously.

[xiankai]

even for such end results, scientific data results in scientific units, like Joules for heat energy, lux for light energy.

I know my 9,000 BTU air conditioner will cool the room more than my old 5,000 BTU air conditioner.

not so true. it will simply cool faster, when both air-cons are set to the same thermostat setting.

that said, a fridge consumes a fixed amount of power, unless maybe u switch the temperature setting.

same goes for a light bulb. a higher powered light bulb gives out light faster, and appears to be 'stronger' than a lower powered one because by the time the lower powered one gives out enough light as the higher powered one, some light is dissipated already.

as such, i suggest you check your current appliances and find their power ratings for the specific setting you want to use, and add all the power ratings up to find the total power output you require from your future alternative energy source