Thursday, January 11, 2018

Renogy Solar Panel Review – 100 Watts Monocrystalline





I installed a 200 watt solar panel in my home in May 2016. Since then I have been researching solar panels. I think I am becoming a solar energy enthusiast to say the least. This a Renogy Solar Panel Review. I believe that solar energy is the way to go when it comes to being energy efficient. After installing my first Solar Panel and reading a few solar panel reviews, there are a few things that I look for. I believe anyone who is interested in buying a solar panel and is not a solar panel “expert” will benefit from this review of the Renogy 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel. In this article I also have a review of the Renogy 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel Starter Kit.

The 100 Watt rating on the solar panel refers to the peak power that the panels can out put when placed under direct sunlight. It is the ideal case. In reality you will not get this peak power all through the day. If you have direct sunlight for 5 hours, then the solar panels will ideally output 500 Wh of power.

This means you can use the solar panels to ideally supply 500 Watt hour of power to your battery or to any direct current load that may be connected to the panels. In my own case I bought my solar panels to charge my 200Ah battery. It is more realistic to assume that the panels will only supply 80% of the max power rating even when you have an almost ideal situation. If however there is some shade, some cloud or your placement does not allow for adequate sunlight to your panels the amount of power outputted will be affected.
Full 100 Watts

From my research I discovered the the 100 Watt Renogy Solar Panels is known for its high efficiency. Several satisfied customers claim that they have been able to measure between 98 and 120 Watts output!. You will need a solar charge controller that measures power outputs to get the reading from your panels or learn how to do it with a digital multi-meter. Here is a good tutorial on How to measure the power output of your solar panels. These Solar Charger Tutorials are quite helpful for anyone who is new to the solar energy world!

Here is a video that will show you how to test the outputs of your solar panel.
What can it do? How long will it take to charge my battery?

The 100 watt Monocrystalline Renogy solar panel like most is shipped ready to charge a 12 volt battery. If you have a 24 or 48 volt battery array, then you will need to buy 2 solar panels for a 24v battery array and 4 panels for a 48V array. You will also need a solar charge controller to protect your batteries against over charging, depletion at night and terminal reversal (that is when you connect the battery terminal wrongly). The Solar Charge controller does not come with the panels. However, if you choose to purchase the Renogy Solar Panel Starter kit, the Solar Charger is included!

The panel has diodes pre-installed in its junction box that also protect your batteries from being discharged when the sun goes down. This means that even without a solar charge controller, the Renogy Solar panels will never discharge your batteries.

So how long will this 100 Watt Panel take to charge your 100Ah Deep Cycle batteries? Here is how to calculate the duration.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

To Increase Your Chance of Success, Get Into an Industry You Know




The more experience you have in your industry, the more you know about the products, services, competitors, suppliers, channels of distribution, customers, and opportunities. The less you know about your industry, the more you have to learn things through trial and error, just like we did with our motorhome. And with limited experience, you often burn through your passion, tenacity, relationships, and money before you gain traction. You can only survive so many crashes on White Bird Hill before you self-destruct and become a statistic in the business failure column. Hence, the more you build on what you already know from your own experience, the greater your probability for success.

Below is an example of an entrepreneur utilizing his expertise of an industry to launch a company, followed up by useful tips for aspiring entrepreneurs about leveraging their own knowledge.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

7 Incubators That Can Help Your Startup



The idea for early-stage companies to share facilities in a business incubator became popular in the late 1970s. In 1980, approximately 12 business incubators were operating in the United States. These incubators offered startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses the support, expertise and tools necessary to succeed in increasingly competitive markets. They're also driving high return on investment doing so.

A popular Connecticut study entitled Business Incubation: A Key ingredient to Economic Growth and Recovery, argued business incubators as a “best value” in economic development, based on low program costs and a high return on investment to communities. The ROI of public investment was calculated at $4.96 for every $1 of public operating subsidy.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Is This The Year That You Start Your Business?



Are you ready to turn your ideas and aspirations into business success? To make it as an entrepreneur, you not only need a great concept, but you also need courage, energy and determination. To help you decide whether you’ve got what it takes, take the quiz below. I developed these questions so prospective business owners can decide whether it's time to launch.

Answer each question in writing as completely as possible. Your responses will allow you to evaluate your motives, goals, skills and experience, and can even be used as the basis for your initial business plan. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. The objective is to help you find a path to fulfill your dreams.