How many solar panels to power a computer?
Question:
Answer:
There's no simple answer. There are panels of many sizes.
If you want to do this you'd be better off with a laptop. They're engineered for low power consumption and designed to run off DC. The DC/AC converter after a solar panel is costly and reduces efficiency. And they make very low power computers for use with solar panels in undeveloped countries.
A 200 watt solar panel will cost about $1000. If you really want 300 watts you will need more than 1, but if you use it to charge up batteries and run the computer off the batteries only a few hours a day, that would be plenty big. If you only use it for a shorter time each day, a smaller panel would do.
And I agree with Bob, a laptop would be the way to go.
And if you decide to try this with wind power you can get a small wind generator exactly like the one actor Ed Begley Jr has on his house for about $3,000. My guess it that it would be good enough to run a PC 24 x 7 with reasonable wind and storage batteries of course.
And ditto on the laptop comments. They generally run off an external AC to DC adaptor that you may be able to eliminate with some luck and thus increase the efficiency of the system.
depends on the computer... and how much you use it.
You could get by supplying a low power laptop machine for a couple of hours a day with a 18 watt panel.
You'd definitely want to use a deep cycle battery. othewise you'll only be running the computer durring daylight.
Suggested the other day, by another answerer. Why not power using a stationery bike instead of solar panels or wind turbines? With a house full of computer geeks I would have an amazingly fit family.
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