Solar Panel Outdoor Fountain
How can I make or buy a solar powered grounded outdoor electrical outlet?
I would like to have a few outdoor outlets that can power some of my outdoor tools and a fountain. Can I do this with one of those small solar modules? Or does this already exist? I’ve seen small solar panels along the highway that power the emergency phones. Would something like this work?
Unfortunately, your best bet is to either use an extension cord, have a gas powered generator, or truck-mounted inverter. Power tools need a lot of power, more than would be supplied by any panels you could transport. The cost would also be very large. Panels cost about $4 a watt now, so to power a 500-watt (1/2 hp) skilsaw, you’d need $2000 worth of panels. They would completely fill the bed of a shortbed truck. If you had a higher-powered tool, you would need to scale up accordingly.
The only situation I can think of where solar panels make sense for tools is a remote worksite, where eventually the panels will go on the house or building, anyway.
The emergency phones are basically cell phones, so all they need from their tiny solar panel is a little bit of power to keep their batteries topped off. Probably less than a watt is needed.
The link below is a device that uses solar to charge batteries, and could give you a low-power outlet for a short amount of time. Short is the key word. I would not expect to power a computer for more than 20 minutes on that thing.
Nirvana Solar Water Fountain at www.Solar-Eco.co.uk
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