DIY 1,500 Watt Solar Generator

Today, I built a solar generator using used parts I found on Craigslist, at flea markets and an auto auction. Everyone knows having an emergency generator is a must, but which one should you go for? A gas generator, or a solar generator?

Since we already have a 3,500 Watt gas generator, and I believe in having both, I’ve been collecting the parts I need to assemble a solar generator we could rely on if we were to lose power, and for some reason, gasoline was not available.

Here is the list of parts I used to build my DIY Solar Generator:

+ Solar Panel (New $123.99 – No Need for Charge Controller)
+ Charge Controller (If Needed – New $11.69)
+ 1,500 Watt Power Inverter (New $150.00)
+ Deep Cycle Battery (New $63.99)
+ Battery Box (New $8.64)

The plan is to connect the solar panel to the charge controller (if needed, if not then connect solar panel directly to battery), and in turn the charge controller to the battery onto which is connected the power inverter which powers your devices.

Should you decide to order the solar panel I linked to above, you won’t need a charge controller as the panel is a 12 Volt panel, unlike mine that’s a 20 Volt panel which forces me to use a charge controller that brings down the voltage to 12 Volts, the typical charge for car, solar and deep cycle batteries.

Of course, the parts above cost more than the $150 I spent building my DIY solar generator, but the parts are new and consequently, should last longer and be more efficient than my generator.

Posted in DIY, Off-Grid, Posts, Solar and tagged , , , , , , , , .

3 Comments

  1. GREAT POST!!!! What baffles me is, it’s so simple and I can’t understand why more people don’t have one of these in their yard to prepare for the unexpected!!!

  2. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to record this video. After watching the video, I feel confident I can build my own generator… Looks like a winner to me! – Coach Paul

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