More and more people are switching to solar when it comes to generating their own electricity, as the cost of solar panels becomes more reasonable than ever before. However, there are dozens of different types of solar panels around, which may make you wonder what type is the best for your situation.
In terms of wattage, a 100-watt solar panel falls within the medium range. The majority of solar panels you can buy to run anything useful in your home will be the 100 watt unit. We take a look at what you can run using this panel.
A 100-watt Solar panel produces around 600 Watt-hours of energy over the course of a day. This is enough to run a fan for 10 hrs, a 30-watt tv for 1o hrs and a laptop for 8 hrs through a 30 Ah battery. A 100-watt solar panel can also recharge a 300wh power station in 4 hours and 500-watt solar generator in 8.5h.
How much power does a 100-watt Solar Panel Produce?
A 100-watt Solar Panel is a key component in establishing an off-grid solar energy system. It can be used in a 12-volt battery system or be connected with a solar charge controller and inverter to generate 110V AC power for home use.
A 100-watt solar panel can produce around 500-watt hours in the course of a day of full sunlight. This is of course with more than 6 hours of good sunlight conditions.
A 100-watt solar panel does not really produce 100-watt of power. This is because of how solar panels are rated. Solar panels are rated according to their capacity to produce electricity under specific conditions.
This is usually done in a laboratory where the Panel is flashed with 1000-watts of light. In the lab, there will be no overcast from clouds and the angle of incidence will be highly optimized.
The rating is given in watts, and the higher the number, the more electricity the panel can generate. Factors that affect a panel’s rating include its size, the angle at which it is installed, and the amount of sunlight it receives.
What Battery for a 100-watt Solar Panel
A 100-watt solar panel can produce 5.5A with direct sunlight. In 6 hours this should be around 33 ah. This should fully recharge a 30 ah is lithium battery or a 55 ah AGM battery pack that can be discharged up to 50% of its capacity.
So you can choose a 30 ah lithium-ion battery, two 30 ah SLA batteries, or one 55 Ah AGM battery to use with your 100-watt solar panel.
Always Make sure to add a Charge Controller
The purpose of a charge controller is to keep batteries from being overcharged or discharged. They do this by regulating the flow of electricity from solar panels, wind turbines, or water power, to batteries.
This is important because if batteries are overcharged, they can be damaged and will not work properly. If batteries are discharged too much, they will also be damaged and will not work properly. Charge controllers help to prolong the life of batteries by regulating the amount of electricity that flows to them.
Match it up to an Inverter
With 600-watt hours of power, you can run various devices on this system. An inverter will convert the direct current to an alternating current that can be used by appliances that you run in your home.
With a 500-watt Inverter, you can run any appliance rated 500 watts or lower.
How long will a 100-watt solar panel run my device?
A watt-hour (Wh) is a unit of energy. It is the amount of energy needed to power one watt of power for one hour. Watt-hours are used to measure the amount of energy used by electrical devices.
To get the Watt-hour of a device you multiply the wattage by the no. of hours you intend to run the appliance.
Considering our 600-watt hours:
| Appliance | Wattage | Running Time |
| Fan | 60 | 10+ hrs |
| Light Bulb | 5 | 100+ hrs |
| TV | 30 | 10+ hrs |
| Laptop | 50 | 8+ hrs |
| Water Filter & Cooler | 70 | 8+ hrs |
A 100-watt solar panel can also recharge a 300wh solar generator in 4 hours and 500-watt solar generator in 8.5h.
What is the Best 100 Watt Solar Panel
There are two types of modules that you can find on the market. A single rigid module and foldable panels. A rigid module is perfect for off-grid solar systems. It has advanced encapsulation material with multi-layered sheet laminations to ensure excellent performance in harsh weather environments.
- Dimensions: 32.5 x 26.4 x 1.18 Inches
- Weight: 13.2lbs
It has a durable aluminum frame with a built-in blocking diode and features easy hook-up cables that connect to a charge controller or batteries.
A power junction box or electrical junction box is used to connect the solar panels to the rest of the electrical system and protect the wiring from weather and other environmental conditions. Without a junction box, the system would be vulnerable to shorts and other electrical problems.
To install you mount the panel through drilling holes on the edges. Some come with mounting brackets that allow you to mount on your shed, RV or boat.
Foldable 100-watt Solar Panels
A foldable unit is a multi panelled unit that is covered with fabric preferably oxford cloth to make it waterproof. The foldable solar panel is an excellent choice for portable use it is lightweight and folds for easy transport.
| Dimensions(unfolded) | 71.2×16.5×0.9 in |
| Dimensions(folded) | 16.5×15.1×1.7 in |
It has an 18V DC output, for charging DC devices. It can also charge various electronic devices such as cellphones, PSP, MP3/4, GPS devices, etc with a USB port. It also has a Type C port that can charge new Macbook and Android smartphones like S9/S8 etc. It also comes with different size connectors that should be compatible with solar generators.
To mount this solar panel you can place it on the ground and support it through the kickstand on the back. This offers the best angle for maximum sunlight absorption.
A foldable 100-watt solar panel can be twice the price of a single rigid module.