Assembling a Solar Generator: How to Harness the Sun for Power when you Need it Most

This 126-page textbook includes the following chapters:

• CHAPTER 1:  INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 2:  IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
• CHAPTER 3:  ENERGY EFFICIENCY
• CHAPTER 4:  GENERATOR PARTS
• CHAPTER 5:   SELECTING THE INVERTER
• CHAPTER 6:  THE BATTERY BANK 
• CHAPTER 7:  THE SOLAR PANELS
• CHAPTER 8:   THE CHARGE CONTROLLER
• CHAPTER 9:   WIRING THE GENERATOR
• CHAPTER 10:   SAFETY
• CHAPTER 11:   ASSEMBLING A SOLAR GENERATOR
• CHAPTER 12:   A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS
• CHAPTER 13:   MAINTENANCE
• CHAPTER 14:  TROUBLESHOOTING
• FIGURES & TABLES
• INDEX

You will learn how to pick the right charge controller.  How and why you would select a certain size inverter (and what the heck is it), getting the right solar panel, sizing your battery.  We also walk you through the wiring system, letting you know how to safely select the proper type and size of wire and fuses, and how to connect everything together.

And if that’s not enough, we even take a pictorial walk through a “real world” example.  Listing all the parts, giving you prices and where to buy them (this 400-watt generator can be built for less than $300), then showing each step in its construction.

The narrative is personal, simple, non-technical and easy to follow.  A perfect project for a DIY enthusiast, a science classroom, or anyone who just wants to watch a movie while everyone else sits in the dark.

We also give guidelines on how to design and build a larger system capable of:

• running your furnace for several days when the power goes out in the winter
• running a sump pump to keep your basement from flooding
• keeping your food cold and/or frozen during a prolonged summer power outage
• or powering a complete room in your house

Solar generators make little or no noise when running, give off no fumes (so you can use them indoors), and are simple to build and maintain.