http://www.instructables.com/id/SPREE_Solar_Photovoltaic_Renewable_Electron_/
For under $160 you can construct a S.P.R.E.E. to harness clean carbon-
free solar electricity to power your portable electronic devices.
Project: S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron
Encapsulator), is an experiment in alternative energy and solar
generated power.The impetus for construction was the desire to have my
cellular phone and other small electronics run entirely from free*
renewable solar energy.
The goal was to spend the least amount of money possible to design,
construct, and maintain a portable, weather-proof, small-scale solar
powered battery charger to charge any small electronics. Since I live
in Southern California, with plenty of sun, the plan is to leave it
charging on my balcony during the day, then charge my cellular phone
at night. Note: Do not place on a balcony rail like I did, that was
just for the picture.
My design was inspired from a do-it-yourself section I saw in Popular
Science. The DIY section in Popular Science was a good start, but it
lacked complete directions. I did like how article listed how much and
where to purchase components.
After reading that article, I searched other corners of the internet
and developed my own design. I then researched the project, and
gathered the parts for about $160, including taxes and shipping costs.
I have friends that own an auto shop, RPM Brakes who let me use their
multimeter, soldering iron, and they had plenty of extra connectors
around.
Check out the instructable here with pictures and movies:
http://www.instructables.com/id/SPREE_Solar_Photovoltaic_Renewable_Electron_/
step 1Gather Components for S.P.R.E.E.
The components are very basic, involving a photovoltaic panel, a
rechargeable battery, a charge controller, and the sun. You should not
spend more that $160, unless money is no object to you. Not the case
for me.
5-watt, 12-volt photovoltaic panel, $36, eBay, Solar Cynergy: PV-
SC005J17
1/4" mono plug (2), $1, allelectronics.com, SPH
DC solar charge controller, $28, allelectronics.com, SCN-2
12-volt 12-AH rechargeable battery, $40, allelectronics.com, GC-1214
10-feet of 18-gauge wire, $3, allelectronics.com, WRB-18
cigarette lighter "Y" adapter, $4, allelectronics.com, CLP-Y
200-watt power inverter, $17, walmart.com, 001088173
plastic box with split folding lids, $5, target medium bin
wood/hardware for mounting, $4, lowe's, 1x3x4, screws
This leaves about $22 for random parts, upgrades, accessories,
shipping fees and taxes.
Necessary tools: Power drill and creativity.
step 2Construct a Box For S.P.R.E.E.
I selected a plastic bin with a split opening lid worth $5 at Target.
I picked it because it was cheap, durable, easy to modify, and
relatively weather-proof. Drill plenty of holes in it to provide
airflow. I also drilled holes to add bungee cords to hold the battery
secure. And, I drilled a hole for the mono jack to go into the box,
leaving the cigarette socket outside of the box.
Be creative. Hollow out an old TV or CRT monitor and use that as your
box. Or you can make it out of bamboo flooring scraps like they did in
Popular Science.
step 3Wire S.P.R.E.E.
The wiring is very simple and intuitive. Basically, everything gets
hooked up to the charge controller.
The charge controller has a 12 volt output. This output is in the form
of a 1/4 inch mono jack. The first step involves cutting off the
cigarette lighter plug from the Y-adapter and soldering the mono plug
to the cigarette lighter socket. (Since it was a Y adapter, and there
was 2 sockets, I made 2 mono-plug-to cigarette-socket "connectors",
one as a backup) Make sure to test your connections.
Connect the photovoltaic panel to these charge controller. Insert the
1/4 inch mono jack into the 12 volt output of the charge controller.
Check your connections again.
I drilled a hole in the plastic box top, and then attached 2 wooden
boards to the top of the box. I then attached the photovoltaic panel
to 1/2 inch square wooden dowels. I then created a hinge using speaker
wire and screws, which holds the photovolatic panel secure yet allows
tilt from 90 to 180 degrees. Then I drilled another hole and inserted
the mono jack and left the 12 volt cigarette lighter outside of the
housing, but made a holster for it by using a zip-tie.
After all connections have been made ,double check them and test them
with a multimeter before connecting to the battery.
Connect the red wire to the positive (+) terminal of the battery, then
connect the black wire to the negative (-) terminal of the battery.
Note: The photovoltaic panel will charge the battery even when the
charge controller is OFF. The charge controller has to be in the ON
position to power 12-volt cigarette lighter socket.
After all connections have been made ,double check them and test them
with a multimeter before connecting to the battery.
Connect the red wire to the positive (+) terminal of the battery, then
connect the black wire to the negative (-) terminal of the battery.
Note: The photovoltaic panel will charge the battery even when the
charge controller is OFF. The charge controller has to be in the ON
position to power 12-volt cigarette lighter socket.
http://www.instructables.com/id/SPREE_Solar_Photovoltaic_Renewable_Electron_/
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