How to safely use an inverter in an off-grid solar power system

Power inverters convert 12 or 24V battery voltage up to 230V mains voltage to power appliances that need this. For this reason, they are commonly used with off-grid solar power systems at festivals, and in remote locations. This blog post shows how to ensure that they are used safely.

Solar Tracker Platform - for solar cookers and bee's wax extractors

This simple single axis tracker is based on a design by Stan Wells. It will follow the sun from dawn to dusk. It uses two solar panels at right angles. If there is any difference in the amount of sunlight falling on these, it drives a motor until the difference is eliminated. Its a simple feedback mechanism.

Jam Jar solar powered light

This post describes a LED light kit that can be put inside a used jam jar along with a solar panel to provide a few hours of light in the evening - or as an 'electronic candle' during power cuts. 

Power, Cable Size and Fuses

This post shows how to use power to work out the current and then the cable size. It also shows appropriate fuses for the size of the cable used.

DIY Solar Box Cooker - Build Instructions

This article outlines the design of a simple solar cooker for use in the tropics. It is relatively simple to build with readily available materials. It is based on the ‘Heaven’s Flame’ design by Maria Telkes. The design will have to be adopted to have a sloping glass front depending on the latitude of the place of use.

How to run a fridge with off-grid power

One of the challenges of off-grid living is how to power a fridge. This blog post looks at our experiment on hacking a freezer to work as a fridge that uses very little energy.

720 Watt Solar Power System for an shed / summer house /outbuilding

Here are some photos of a DIY 720-watt hour solar power system. This provides LED lighting, charges phones, e-bike batteries, drills, runs power tools, and boils a small travel kettle.