Choosing your solar gear
What to look at before you buy panels, a battery, a charge controller, an inverter, a generator and wiring, and the traps to avoid.
Before you shop
The calculator gives you the size of each part for your project. With those numbers in hand, the guides help you pick the kind and spot a good deal.
The main parts
Battery and panels first: the battery's voltage and the panels' power decide the charge controller and the inverter.
- 1Lead-acid, AGM or lithium: which battery should you buy?The short answer, all three side by side, and a comparator for the prices you see in store.
- 2Choosing solar panelsRigid, flexible or bifacial, on the roof or on the ground, and a tool for the right angle for your location and season.
- 3Choosing a charge controllerMPPT or PWM, reading a “100/30”, and a tool that checks your series wiring before the cold fries your controller.
- 4Choosing an inverterFrom the small modified sine wave inverter to the 120/240 V all-in-one, and a tool to find the size you need.
- 5Choosing a generatorQuiet, contractor or propane, and a tool for the size and the gas it will burn per day and per month.
Wiring and safety
Once the parts are chosen: the wire that connects them, and the fuses that protect that wire.