Solar Bundle Buying Guide

Solar Bundle Buying Guide

How Much Does a Solar Bundle Cost?

Let's start with solar batteries. Massive ones which are usually used for homes such as the Tesla Powerwall Battery start at around $7,000. However, you can get a better price range for outdoor batteries since these offer lower capacities. Unlike whole-house power packs, outdoor batteries like deep cycle caravan batteries are often used to run a handful of appliances, they are available in types that are known to be wallet-friendly.

Cheap batteries usually include traditional lead-acid batteries like AGM batteries. You can get these for a few hundred dollars starting at $100 but if you're willing to invest a little more, the best type to go for would be the lithium iron phosphate batteries. These are called LiFePO4 batteries for short and have been gaining a lot of popularity lately.

For one, these batteries do not explode nor catch fire. This is a plus for user safety, while the composition also boasts an integrated battery management system (BMS) that optimises the battery cells for superior performance. Another function of the BMS would be to protect your battery from common issues like overcharging and short circuits to extend its lifespan.

This kind of lithium battery is also considered a deep-cycle battery. A single LiFePO4 would give you a longer runtime compared to a conventional battery of the same capacity without the additional weight. They're perfect for outdoor trips with an extremely portable form and are typically priced at $700 to $3000 depending on the specs.

When you buy solar panels, they are likely to jump up in price when laid out in arrays. A single panel could cost $100 to $299.99 However, if you require multiple of them, your total expenses will likely reach a thousand dollars.

Now let's put these two together. Solar panel and battery packages are mostly priced at $1000 and up. The overall cost varies depending on the brand, type of items, and of course, material. They're not exactly cheap but are typically a good deal considering that you won't have to buy a separate solar power battery and panel anymore.

Can I Connect a Solar Panel Directly to the Battery?

The ideal way to connect solar panels and batteries would be to use a solar charge controller in between. This way, you get to make sure that you can avoid overcharging your battery and that the energy generated by your solar panels is regulated before it goes into your power pack. While there are setups that don’t require this, it’s still the recommended way when it comes to this power pairing.

A solar regulator can either be a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller or a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) regulator. MPPT is pricier since it's the more effective one, but it doesn't necessarily mean that all setups should go for this. It would still depend on which is more suited for the kind of solar system you have.