Jun 30, 20222 min read

Portable Solar Power System for Home & Garden, A Cart

Solar power is totally portable and doesn't require a shore connection or the power grid to function. A solar panel, a battery, and a charge controller may be installed on any vehicle to create a compact mobile power plant.

Solar trailer — Construction, disaster assistance, outdoor activities, and other forms of operations in distant areas frequently employ solar trailers. Enclosed trailers may include additional room for storing tools and equipment as well as a small office.

A towable trailer may provide electricity for job sites and sizable outdoor events, while a garden cart can serve as a convenient charging station or portable power center for picnics, backyard chores, or parties.

This 12-volt solar system on wheels is fully operational and entirely off-grid. It may be easily charged by rolling it out into the sun when you need electricity anywhere. While a DC power strip contains ports including a USB port for charging phones, laptops, and other gadgets, an AC inverter provides outlets for connecting tools and power cables. The choices may be simply expanded to accommodate more AC outlets or DC connectors.

To provide AC or DC power wherever within walking distance, a cheap garden utility cart may be equipped with a rigid solar panel and a few other pieces of equipment.

This system's module is a 100-watt, 12-volt, crystalline solar panel with an output amperage of up to 8.5 amps. The actual cart is a sturdy metal utility cart with inflated tires of the kind that is frequently available at home and garden stores. For solar conversion, a cart with a flat bed and detachable sides works well. Removing the sidewalls enables you to construct outside the bed area while keeping a low profile for stability. The metal-mesh bed makes it simple to bolt down the structural sections and system components.

As long as the alternative cart is laterally stable and can easily support 200 pounds, you are free to use it. This project is almost entirely configurable, including the system capacity, individual components, the system structure, and the module angle, which you should tailor for your region. In order to offer some weather protection, you could also add a tiny roof behind the panel or hinged plywood doors to the simple wood construction shown here.

A straightforward solar charging station's circuit is rather simple. The charge enters the charge controller through an integrated fuse after leaving the module. A 12-volt deep-cycle battery is attached to the charge controller's terminals.

A power line from a DC connector resembling a cigarette lighter is connected to the battery's output terminal. The DC plug is connected to an AC inverter with an AC connector and a USB port.

If you don't need to transport a battery, you may forego the cart or trailer and instead use a portable charging kit to transport the solar to the battery.