In today’s world preparing for an emergency is a must and using the sun’s free energy is the knowledge that can give you and your family an edge if and when a situation ever should develop. It makes so much sense to understand Solar power and how it can be harvested easily with a few parts and be put together when you’ll need it could be critical. What are the different types of Emergency Solar Power Kits?
- DIY Solar Battery Backup Kit-Portable Emergency Solar Power kit uses-Solar Panel-Solar Charger Controller-Inverter-Battery-Hardware-Cables- a Backboard sized to attach components
- Solar Panel Kit-same components-sold together-expandable
- Solar Generator Kit-Solar Panel that charges a portable generator
You don’t need to be a technician to build a small Solar power system to store away to be used in an emergency. The components and what job they do are easy to understand and the system can be expandable for more power if you desire in the future.
DIY Solar Battery Backup
The components you’ll need for a 200-watt system are: 
- 2 -100-watt Solar Panels
- A Solar Charge Controller
- DC Inverter
- A 100 Amp Hour Lithium Battery
- Hardware & Cables
The small DIY Solar Battery Back-up system can be used off-grid or as an emergency backup power system for preparing for any power problems that might develop in the future.
Adding power to your list of emergency preparedness items like stored food, water, and first aid equipment makes a lot of sense, and building a small solar system can put you in touch with an unlimited amount of energy harvested from the ultimate source, the Sun.
Once you gain this type of knowledge, as I did with the right parts, and how they work together, you can add an upgraded version for more energy as you need. This DIY solar battery backup system is easily expandable because the components are laid out in the system giving you ready access to swap the components as you expand. Using a Solar Generator would put limitations on this emergency power system while this one gives you options to grow and produce more power.
If you want a bigger 24-volt system then you can easily swap out components especially if you oversize some of those components at the start when building it for the first time. If you use a 24-watt Solar Charge Controller or MPPT (An MPPT solar charge controller is a smart electronic device that looks at the power output of the solar array which is feeding power into the charge controller and looks at the battery collection which is needing charging and matched the voltage and current to utilize the utmost output of the solar array). then all you’ll need to do is swap out the Inverter and the Battery which can be done very quickly.
- Mount the components to a piece of plywood that will keep them exposed and easy to swap. Keep the size of the mounting backboard specific to the Components just slightly bigger so that the whole thing can be lifted and moved easily and stored away in a closet for when you need it. Lay the whole thing out arranging the components with enough space, so that they can be wired together before attaching it.
- Attach the Solar Components on the backboard with screws, mounting tape, or Velcro.
- Start at the Inverter and wire the system together with the gauge wire that comes with the components starting with the Inverter’s negative and positive cables (if the system is fuse then attach the Inverter to the Fuse Box) use tape or heat wrap any exposed cable.
- Wire from the Fuse box to the Charge Controller
- Use the appropriate fuse for the Controller-just multiply the number of amps by 1.25 and that will give you the size of fuse you need so if the Controller is 20 amps you’ll need a size 25 amp fuse.
- Add the Positive and Negative lines coming out of the Controller with an XT 60 connector with MC4 adapters that will connect any Solar Panel limited by the 200 watts of that can pass through the Controller.
- Add a Bolt-on Fuse at the battery-the size is determined by the size of the Inverter which is 750 amps divided by 12 volts x 1.25 =78 amps or an 80 amp-100 amp fuse Because Inverters are subject to electrical surges you should step up the fuse size a little to a 100 amp Bolt-Fuse on the battery. If you have a 1500 amp Inverter the calculation will look like- 1500 amps /12 volts = 125 x 1.25= 156 amps.
- An option for using XT 60 Connector with MC4 Adapter is to simply run the Solar Panel Cables directly onto the Charge Controller.
Make good solid clean connections at the Battery and cover any bare wire once you are connected to the Battery check the Charge Controller which should read the Battery voltage. Then fire up the Inverter that should have an operation green light. Finally, hook up to your Solar Panels tilting them to find the best most efficient point of sunlight.
You should see an amp reading on the Charge Controller. Check the system by adding a load by plugging an appliance into the Inverter. Also, check for any heat by feeling around the cables near connections. The longer you run the appliance you should see the battery recharging by the Solar Panel replacing the energy used by the appliance. If so, the system is working. You can make smaller solar-powered systems using components that will create fewer watts that you can keep at your campsite or home or in the trunk of your vehicle.
Emergency Solar Power Kit
Many American citizens live in areas of the country where they can be affected by natural disasters multiple times per year. From wildfires on the west coast, floods, hurricanes on the east coast, or tornados in the heartland, it’s safe to assume that if you’re reading this, odds are you’ve been personally affected in one way or another by a natural disaster or know someone who has. I lived on the east coast and lost my home to Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
We spent days with no electricity and water because of the damage done to the grid. One of the things Jersey coast is known to have an abundance of is sunshine. Back then Solar Power wasn’t available so victims turned to gas generators but then gas became unavailable.
So I’ve seen the incredible potential of solar power systems and how they have improved and mainly how the cost has come down. We definitely could have used some power for basic devices like small pumps or even lights which could have made the clean-up faster instead we used fuels like propane and gasoline.
We talked about small Solar DIY Solar Power Battery systems but there are small Emergency Solar Kits that are available for sale at great prices. They are easy to assemble and can easily be carried to campsites and set ups at picnics anywhere you go. You find a popular Solar Power Kit which includes all the components needed to harvest 100 watts of energy from the sun that would do away with fossil fuels or electricity WindyNation 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit + 1500W VertaMax Power Inverter + 100ah AGM Deep Cycle Battery for RV, Boat, Off-Grid 12 Volt system.
Solar Generator Kit
How about an even easier way to go bringing the power of the sun with you to the beach, fishing, camping anywhere with Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 1000, 1002Wh Solar Generator (Solar Panel Optional) with 3x110V/1000W AC Outlets, Solar Mobile Lithium Battery Pack for Outdoor RV/Van Camping, Emergency
Professional MPPT technology provides faster solar recharge rates. The Explorer 1000 can be quickly recharged within 8 hours by connecting two SolarSaga 100W solar panels together with an adapter cable(package included).
If connecting only a single panel, the approximate recharging time is 17 hours. It is also possible to recharge from AC outlets and 12v vehicle accessory ports. The time for full recharging is approximately 7 hours from an AC outlet or 14 hours from 12v carports.
This Solar Generator Kit can power up to 1000 watts fringing the indoors outdoors wherever you go or can be used for Emergency Preparedness adding the power of this unit along with the portability all at a medium price at a higher level of solar generators on the market today. Take advantage of this unit while you can I don’t see any other Solar Generator Kit that does what the Station Explorer 1000 does in this price range.
All these quality systems use basically the same components we talked about in the DIY Solar Battery Backup system that you build yourself. The Solar Generator Kit has the 
components built inside all ready to deliver the sun’s energy to consume.
2 Jackery SolarSaga 100W Solar Panel can be bundled together with the Solar Generator to give you more than enough power than you need for camping or powering rooms up in your house until after the storm is long gone.
- Portable and compact: Weights only 22lbs, it is carry-friendly with an easy-carry handle.
- The LCD screen with charge/discharge data and battery life status.
- 4 different ways of charging
- Green outdoor power solution: Efficient solar charging with MPPT built-in makes it a solar generator for outdoor recreations. Charge the battery to full for around 8 hours by connecting two SolarSaga 100W with an adapter cable (package included).
- Multiple output ports: Two USB-C, two USB, one DC carport & three AC outlets (with the pure-sine wave). Going off-grid and being able to power your cameras, computers, communication devices, and also a CPAP and electric grill.
The secret of Portable Solar Power is that it is no longer a secret with prices of components coming down you can build the complete system at about half the price of what it cost to buy an Emergency Power Solar Kit or better yet a Solar Generator Kit.
Building it yourself you can make it as big as you want as long as you are familiar with how the components work together to convert the sunlight to energy.
Apartment dwellers in urban areas can use small solar systems where you couldn’t possibly run a fuel-type generator. They won’t emit anything but pure clean Solar Power all you need is a small space for the Solar Panels to absorb natural sunlight. Small enough systems that can be stored in closets at home or the trunk of your car just in case of an emergency or portable power will always be available
JimGalloway Author/Editor
