Solar powered generators produce no greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution. The energy used to manufacture a solar power system is small compared to the energy generated by the system and is paid back many times over the life of the system. These solar powered generators are rechargeable from the sun’s energy, helps reduce electricity bills and provides no noise pollution making it extremely environmental friendly.

A solar powered generator is a device that converts solar energy into electrical energy. This principle is called photovoltaic power. Since consumption of nonrenewable energy sources on earth such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, and propane has reached staggering amounts, alternative energy sources such as solar power are being utilized by more and more people. Some use solar generators to be earth friendly, some use them as an emergency resource during power outages, some use them to reduce home utility bills, and some use them as an off grid source of power in remote areas.

A solar powered generator comprises of several parts. First there is the apparatus to collect the solar energy from sunlight. The common collector of light is called a solar panel, or photovoltaic cell.

The next component stores the collected energy until it is ready to be used and this is usually a deep cycle battery made for continuous use. The common voltage of such a battery is 12 volts and the battery should also have a volt meter to measure the incoming and outgoing electricity. Electricity is either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). The energy collected from the solar panels and distributed to the battery will be DC. However, most appliances use AC power so the solar generator will also have an inverter that converts the DC power to AC to supply power to household appliances.

A solar powered generator may be so small that it can only power a couple of items at a time such as a laptop or TV. Or, it may be a large, advanced system that powers an entire building.