I have been calculating the amount of power a single solar panel that I made produces.
These calculations are helping me determine how many batteries I will require, the correct inverter to use and the total load that can be safely applied.
Based on present information I have made panels with 28 cells, each cell produces ½ volt @3amps, 28 cells are wired in series to produce a single panel, this panel produces a calculated total of 14vdc, however for some strange reason, the entire panel delivers a true measured voltage of 15.5 -16 VDC. Since there is a descripency between the calculated values and the measured values, I am going simply average it and say the panel is fully capable of delivering 15.5vdc. With this number 15.5vdc x 3amps=46.5 watts per panel.
Each panel therefore has the capacity of 46.5 Watts.
Depending on your location, you will have specific hours in which the sun gives you maximum hours of light and maximum power. Solar Isolation is the technical name given to the these solar power maps. They are available from this link.
http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-global-maps.html
What I find most interesting about these maps is that all the data presented is the worst case conditions. For Windsor, Ontario, Canada this is a 1.5 to 2.0 in winter, worst case on December 21 (when you really want to measure properly the lowest possible value do it on this date, this is when the sun is at it's lowest output, in regards again to my location)
Most collectors work optimum between +15 and -15 degrees with a direction of due south, it is this adjustment that must be done 4 times a year for each season to achieve maximum output. By doing a simple adjustment of 15 degrees once for each season you will gain output. This is what is done most with stationary collectors.
Note: The difference between an adjustable tracking motor driven collector and a stationary collector is a difference of about 5% output increase after rotation; it is questionable to spend the extra amount of time and money on an adjustable tracking system for a difference of this minute amount of extra energy unless it can be done cheap. I intend to use motors and gears from automatic glass door from cars to drive the system for tracking. I already got them and need just to build a controller and mounts for it. I think over time it may pay itself off for the extra 5% efficiency.
Back to power calculating...As stated, each panel can put out about 46.5 watts/per hour, if you multiply this times the hours of peak sun (my location is about 6 hours) from 10am to 4pm is the best window, you will get about 46.5x6= 279 watt hours per panel. This means that in one day it will produce a about a maximum of about 280 watts a day.
That's just one panel. Now I have 10 panels done, I am making a total of 20 panels when completed I should have about 1KW of solar power. Which works out to 6000 watt hours per day. However, as we move into spring and summer the hours change and with it the amount of hours per day.
In calculating loads, here are some web sites to help you.
Load calculator
http://www.altenergystore.com/cart/university/tools/load.html
And a nice web site on Solar Basics
http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-basics.html
Back to the calculations again... Now that I had this info I used the above web site to calculate the total watt hours per hour, day, week and month and with this number I could determine my total batteries needed.
I hope this helps others that are going through the same things! As I find out more i'll post my findings. Good Luck!