If you have a simple off-grid setup with just one panel or even a few solar panels and several batteries, the other vital ingredient is a charge controller that regulates the power going from the panel to the battery and shuts off power input when the batteries are fully charged.
This makes the process of running your own power station almost maintenance free.
When you are starting up its best to buy a medium-priced controller so that you can add a few panels and batteries to the mix before having to upgrade. The HQRP 20A Solar Panel Battery Charge Controller / Regulator 12V / 24V 20 Amp 300W with PWM Type of Charging 
If you do not mind spending an extra $75, you can buy an MPPT circuit solar controller — these are more elaborate than normal charge controllers. The voltage of the solar panel changes with time of day and temperature. The optimum voltage for battery charging changes as the state of charge of the battery. The MPPT charge controller matches these voltages and can result in 30% more efficient transfer of power. This means good MPPT solar charge controllers can reduce the number of solar panels needed by up to 30%- a tremendous benefit. Even if the excess panels are purchased, benefits are realized in a Grid Tie system because more electricity can be sold back to the grid. While only a small part of system price, a MPPT solar panel charge controller can leverage the rest of the system to better performance.
If you are starting with several small panels then you might try the Sunforce 60032 30 Amp Digital Charge Controller
the main function of charge controller is to stop you frying your batteries by overcharging them once they are already full. But they also input the power at a steady rate.WARNING: one comment below mentions that they connected their Sunforce Charge controller to a setup with too much solar power incoming, and it “fried straight away.”
6 Responses
most stuff is available in the UK Veronica… controllers as discussed here and v.large batteries (as used in caravans/leisure vehicles) can even be bought on Ebay! :-)
@Nzinga Have you considered alternative payments I know there are some companies that will charge what you would have paid per month on water heating bills.
Utility company turned my electricity off. Have a generator, but hate the noise it makes. Wish i could go solar. Been wanting to unplug for some years now. Looks like i’m forced to now. Just so expensive to get it (solar panels) installed. Low-income, and will have to find a way to heat my home without the aid of local utility co. Thanks for your newsletter & all your great advice. Love, Nzinga.
How I wish we had companies in the UK who provide/install batteries for solar. At the moment we can only make use of solar energy during daylight, – but it is at night we need it most.
I really like the idea of dump loading the excess power once the battery is full. I’m suprised all manufacturers don’t use this feature – especially after reading the comment about the sunforce getting fried! It’s so frustrating to look at a display of 0.0w on a sunny day that you know could be providing enough power to heat water, cook, operate a pump, or washing machine or something
My sunforce fried right away. The small cannot handle real solar panels, to many volts.