Building a Home Solar Power System

• 1). Place the batteries in a clean, dry area and wire 10 of them together in parallel fashion by connecting their same polarity terminals together with battery cables. When finished, all positive terminals will be connected, and all negative terminals will be connected on 10 batteries. Repeat this procedure on the other 10 batteries. The end result is two 10-battery banks. Connect the final two terminals on each bank to the reverse terminal on the opposite bank, in series. The negative terminal will go to the positive terminal on the opposing bank. The result is a massive 20-battery bank, divided into two 10-battery units. Connecting batteries in parallel will increase the amperage and connecting them in series will up the voltage. The bank will produce hundreds of amp-hours at 24 volts, and the wiring terminals are connected by a simple bolt clamp turned in a clockwise direction to tighten.
  
  
• 2). Mount one or several solar panels near the battery bank in direct sunlight. Sizes and styles of solar panels determine the mounting that is possible; the average roof is an ideal location, especially if it is at a low pitch and facing South. Mount them to the roof by driving bracket screws into the roof, using a tar patch or sealant to protect the hole from leaks. Several panels can be wired to each other in the same fashion as the batteries, and the voltage/amperage can be raised to the proper value by connecting a few panels in parallel, then series. Connect the last open wires to a charger and then to the battery bank. The charge should "over-volt" the batteries by 10 percent or more, to provide an adequate charge in a short amount of time.
  
  
• 3). Install the inverter by wiring it to the main terminals (last open) on the battery bank, opposite the charger. This allows the batteries to be charged on one side and discharged on the other, giving an even "flow" of electricity to each cell. The inverter should ideally be a "true" sine wave style, which will not damage sensitive electronics like computers. The inverter will take in 24 volts of D/C power and convert it into 110-volt (120 standard) of usable A/C home power. Wire the output of the inverter to the main fuse panel of the home, using the weather-rated electrical cable. The main fuse panel will have a primary input terminal (usually at the bottom) that can be switched over to the inverter output by turning the terminal screws counterclockwise. Once the heavy primary wires are released, the inverter wires can be connected.
  
  
• 4). Test the acid level of all batteries every week of the first two months of usage, and every month thereafter with a dropper style acid tester. The correct amount of electrolytes are determined by the ratio of acid to water, which should be 33 to 40 percent. Bad cells should be removed and replaced for servicing, as one bad cell can damage other cells of the bank.