Solar Power Applications
Solar power for sheds, garages and outbuildings

It is very easy to add power to a shed or garage or indeed to any building remote from a mains supply without having to worry about installing lots of cabling, often a time-consuming and expensive businsess. The answer is to add a 12v charging solar power kit consisting of a solar panel or solar panels, a 12v leisure battery and an inverter if you want 240v available. You can then run low energy lighting or even 12v lighting and have power for tools whenever you need it. The solar panels will charge the battery up again when it isn't in use,solar panels come in sizes from 5 watts upwards and start from around £35,if its for ocassional use a 5watt solar panel would be fine to keep the battery topped up,if its used daily a 20 or 30 watt panel would most probably do the job providing your energy needs arent too great,if you find its not quite large enough, it is easy to double-up at a later date.
A little about what we do ....

CPS Solar are UK based stockists of a large range of solar panels and ancilliary equipment for domestic and professional use. Typically our panels are used in applications for caravans and boats and in many other locations where a mains supply is not reliable or is otherwise unavailable. Our panels will supply clean, renewable power with outputs ranging from small panels offering maintenance-level trickle-charges to larger solar panels designed to replenish energy whilst the battery is actually in use.

All our solar panels are guaranteed and most are fully weatherproof so they can be left outside all year round.
A charge controller to protect the battery in summer is recommended for solar charging if the panel is more than around 10 watts. Generally, any solar panel above 5 watts can be used for charging a leisure battery, the more powerful the panel, the quicker it charges your battery of course! Our most popular solar panels for caravans and boats are currently the 10 watt and 20 watt monocrystalline panels. Conveniently sized and very easy to connect to your battery and maintain they are usually large enough to cope with most demands. We also sell smaller solar panels for use charging smaller batteries ,running small motors and pumps etc.. For more information please visit our online shop via the links on this page.
Is solar power viable in the UK?

The answer to that is a resounding "yes". You do not have to live in a hot or sunny climate to be able to use solar panels effectively. Solar panels that are made up of crystalline cells will also give some output under varying degrees of cloud cover! Their output does depend on the intensity of the cloud but generally output is between 10 and 60 percent of what the panel will ouput under full sun. In summer we often get days of 12hrs + of sunshine, even in winter it averages from 3 to 5 hours most days so just make sure you allow  for the winter months when choosing your solar panel.
Different types of solar panels

Basically there are three different types of solar panels currently available;
Amorphous silicon solar panels, sometines called non-crystalline or thin film silicon are great in sunny weather and the cheapest form of solar panels currently available. The downside is they usually don't perform so well under cloud and they are the largest type of solar panel, If the intention is for mainly summertime use and space isn't a problem, these are a good panel and will save you a few ���s.
Crystalline solar panels such as polycrystalline which is sometimes called multicrystalline are a much better all-rounder. They work much better under cloudy conditions and  are smaller in size.
Monocrystalline are slightly better still, the downside with these panels is they are generally more expensive but if you want a panel for year-round use they an excellent purchase.

Most of the panels we sell are the monocrystalline, as are most of the solar battery chargers we sell.
Potential uses for solar panels

There are literally hundred of different uses for solar panels and there are currently two different types on the market,there are water heating solar panels usually known as solar collectors and there are electricity generating panels known as photovoltaic panels,we specialise in photovoltaic solar panels,the water heating solar panels are generally used for either heating water for the home or heating a swimming pool,photovoltaic panels can be used for literally hundreds of different uses,from charging batteries in an mp3 player to powering a whole building,we regularly sell photovoltaic solar panels to customers with caravans and boats as these are ideal for keeping 12v batteries charged when on site or out at sea with a minimal outlay.
How to make a solar array

A solar array is made up of multiple solar panels connected together either in parallel or in series. Conventionally they will charge a 12v battery or a bank of 12v batteries. The current produced will be the average of all the solar panels connected and you can connect as may as you like to get the correct output. A solar array can always be added to and made larger over time as needs (or the savings you see!) grow. To view our impressive range of solar panels and solar plate please click the links on this page to view our online store..
Remote battery charging

For recharging 12v batteries while away from home, for example in a caravan, boat, chalet, etc. solar panels are the ideal tool. They will help replace the energy as you are using it and if left connected whilst you are away, will fully charge your battery, ready for the next time you need to use it. A charge controller is recommended though if you are using solar panels above 10 watts, to ensure the battery doesn't boil dry or suffer damage in summertime.
Solar panels and LED lighting

The major benefits of led lighting is that it uses such little energy and  very bright LEDs are now available, on par with their incandescent counterparts but using just a fraction of the energy. This means that average sized batteries can be used which allow the leds to run for many hours. A perfect scenario would be to use solar panels to re-charge the battery and because the LEDs have a low power consumption, small solar panels are likely to be all that is required.
Solar panels for boats

If you have ever suffered from the battery on your baitboat going flat whilst it is in use you will know how annoying this can be,being miles away from home with no hope of recharging it means it cant be used for the rest of the day,very frustrating! However, with the advent of technology it is now possible to charge your baitboat back up again at the waters edge relatively quickly with the aid of a solar panel,solar panels are devices which give a high electrical charge when faced at the sun but most will also give a charge in daylight conditions,they are perfect for recharging batteries in remote locations and absolutely ideal for recharging baitboats,we have a wide range of solar panels in stock designed specifically for this task,they come fitted with connections to fit either directly to your baitboat as in most cases such as the AT microcat and standard baitboat or directly to the battery such as the AT procat range of solar panels.We have panels in stock for all baitboats including the angling technics range, microcat, standard baitboat and procat, also the viper and lakestar, as well as many others. They are all available in the solar panels for baitboats section of our online shop.
Photovoltaic solar panels for homes

Unfortunately adding photovoltaic solar panels to homes is currently a very expensive venture in the uk,costing on average £8 - £10k,however it is possible to start small and start saving on energy bills today,solar systems are such that they can always be added to,you simply add more solar panels and batteries as you can afford them,many people start small with the smaller sized solar panels,such as 20 watt and 40 watt solar panels with one or two leisure batteries,these are perfect for lower energy use and with an additional inverter can be used to provide lighting in conservatories,summer houses and even bedrooms. A small starter system could cost from as little as £250 -  that shouldn't break the bank and you can start saving the earth! Every little helps, so please call us or visit our online shop to see what is available.
Vehicle battery charging - don't suffer a flat battery ever again!

If you own a classic car or perhaps a second vehicle  that is only used occasionally you will most probably have suffered from the annoying problem of having a flat battery from time to time,connecting a solar panel to the battery will stop this from happening,providing the solar panel can be placed in a sunny position it will keep the battery topped up all year round,ready for when you need to use the vehicle next,a solar panel of 3 to 5watts is ideal for this task and not too costly,we usually have them available from £30,the solar panel can be either connected through your gig lighter socket if its constant live or by croc clips direct to the battery,dont suffer this problem again,click one of the links above to view our massive range of products.
Solar power for sheds and garages

If you have ever had the problem of using power in a remote place such as a shed at the bottom of a 100ft garden, a remote solar power kit that uses solar panels to replenish the energy used is the answer. These consist of a large battery, an inverter and a solar panel or panels. The inverter will enable you to run 240v devices such as low energy fluorescent bulbs and also run power tools such as jigsaws and drills etc..The battery will then be topped back up the following day by the solar panel or solar panels. If your energy needs are high, the solar panels can be joined together in parallel to provide more energy and thus recharge your battery more quickly.
What is a solar array ?

A solar array is a bank of multiple solar panels, usually 12v solar panels .Lower voltage panels can also be used if they are wired together in series to give a voltage of between 16v and 24v. The solar array is used to charge either a 12v battery or a bank of 12v batteries and electricity can then be used from the bank to run electrical devices in the home or business.