# Help :(



## Ginnamin (Aug 1, 2016)

I am a total "Newbie" !
My question is with Solar Power.
I want to start off simple.
I want to be able to run a toaster oven, (black and decker model T032250XSB 1500 watt ), on Solar.
I know I will need a solar panel; but have no idea which one?
I know I will also need a power converter to 110v; but have no idea which one?
If anyone can help me get started I would appreciate it !

Thank you


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Think you might also need some storage batteries and maybe an inverter. I can brew up a pot of Mr. Coffee off my pickup battery and an inverter. Will run a few lights in the house for days. Meaning you would use the solar panel to keep the batteries charged up..most likely. Let us know how it works out.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

A Watchman thinks Oh Crap! (As he realizes he forgot to include a toaster oven in his preps)


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

A toaster oven is about the same as a dead short. You will need a pretty hefty inverter 3000 watts maybe? I don't know that you would want to run anything else while the toaster oven is on. I have seen large A/C units run off of solar alone, but they say that is a bad idea.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Our power used to get knocked out here more than you would think it should happen. I tried to use a battery with an inverter to run my coffee pot one time. It didn't work well.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Ginnamin said:


> I am a total "Newbie" !
> My question is with Solar Power.
> I want to start off simple.
> I want to be able to run a toaster oven, (black and decker model T032250XSB 1500 watt ), on Solar.
> ...


Ginnamin, . . .

First you will need the solar panel, . . . you will need a controller, . . . you will nee a power converter/inverter, . . . and you will need storage batteries.

The BIG question is how often and for how long do you intend to run this "toaster oven"?

You say it is 1500 watts, . . . so using pure theory, . . . that means you will be drawing 12.5 amps at 120 volts, . . . and just for discussion sake, . . . we'll say you want to use this for a straight 15 minutes.

You need to convert that into "battery ampere hours". First, . . . to go from 120 volts at 12.5 amps, . . . that converts to 125 amps at 12 volts.

All of that means you have to have batteries that will produce that much power for the 15 minutes you desire. A typical small garden tractor battery, or riding lawn mower battery, will be around 35 "ampere hour" battery, . . . meaning it will produce a stream of 35 amps, at 12 volts, for 1 hour (under perfect, ideal, conditions). Theoretically, . . . it should produce 140 amps for 15 minutes, . . . more than enough for your idea.

That would very seriously deplete your battery, however, . . . replenishing that battery with a 100 watt solar panel, . . . should take right at 6 hours of really good sunlight.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Ms Ginnamin, 

I sure hope you have a good way to protect this Toaster Oven otherwise your just temporarily keeping it for someone else.


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## acidMia (Aug 3, 2016)

dwight55 said:


> Ginnamin, . . .
> 
> First you will need the solar panel, . . . you will need a controller, . . . you will nee a power converter/inverter, . . . and you will need storage batteries.
> 
> ...


That's a great run down, for a simpleton (like me!). How are you making those calculations? Is there a chart of equations somewhere I could take a gander at?


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Ms Ginnamin,
> 
> I sure hope you have a good way to protect this Toaster Oven otherwise your just temporarily keeping it for someone else.


Hear you on that. My old Leninist chum say all he needs is his Mosoin Naggant to come take all the toaster ovens in da hood. He is he same guy who says to stop crime Lenin would have removed all the sex organs from Little black chillins at birth. Those commies can be brutal.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Dwight's got the right idea but if I may make a stab at this project. I can go into derail efficiency expectations and minimum SOCs to protect the batteries but lets keep this simple and just assume your area averages 5 hrs of good sunlight a day (central US) and get to the hardware needed if I was going to do it; actually my 1st small solar setup could barely do it.

Let's reword your question a bit to.... What equipment do I need to run a 1500 watt toaster oven for 15 minutes every evening (sun is down) and the batteries need to be able to do this for at least two years before burning out from over working them?

Assuming fair sunshine every day you'd want at least two 125 amp hr 12v batteries, 3 would be better hooked up in parallel. Since 125 amp hr batteries are hard to find go with three large deep cycle marine batteries from AutoZone. There are better more expensive ways to do this. Do not go with 4 batteries in a parallel string to maximize their life, 3 batteries max per parallel string so get big batteries.

480 watts worth of solar panels designed for a 12v system (Vmmp between 15-18v) (Voc around 19v) at a minimum to replace the .375 kwh of energy the toaster used every evening assuming no snow or rainy days.

40 amp PMW charge controller (MPPT type controller will work better but is expensive).

1800 watt continuous duty modified sine wave inverter (the cheap kind) will do the job for a resistance load like a toaster.

FYI,,, A microwave will do the same heating for about 1/3 the power.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

acidMia said:


> That's a great run down, for a simpleton (like me!). How are you making those calculations? Is there a chart of equations somewhere I could take a gander at?


Actually, . . . it's just simple electrical theory equations, . . .

Wattage is always determined by multiplying the amperage times the voltage: 12.5 amps X 120 volts = 1500 watts

Batteries are rated in Ampere Hours, . . . they will provide "X" number of amperes for 1 hour straight, . . . or some derivitave thereof.

Voltage and amperage are always inversely proportional, . . . if the voltage goes up for a certain wattage load, . . . the amperage goes down, . . . and vice versa.

Additional considerations are that the panel is rated at a certain wattage, . . . you need to know the voltage it kicks out on it's best sunlight, . . . so you can make the computations.

Batteries also again are ampere/hour rated, . . . but a 100 ampere/hour battery will not produce 1000 amps for 6 minutes, . . . it'll burn up trying, . . . "normally".

There are also little losses that are inherent in each and every "change" in the electricity. One loss is in the change from panel power to stored battery power. The next one is when it goes from stored to active 12 VDC, . . . the next is when you jump it up to 120 volts to run the toaster oven, . . . then there is the inherent heat loss that robs a bit more. Generally speaking one can get through all those little losses without a life threatening episode, . . . but just be aware that almost no electrical component follows the "exact" theoretical equation to the zenth degree.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Hey Dwight..thanks for the info on that. A fellow told me one time instead of buying a deep cycle 12 Volt battery which is guarnrteed to zonk out about the time the one year warranty runs out..to instead go to Sams and buy two six volt golf cart bateries and jump them together to make 12 volts. He claimed they were much more rechargerable friendly than the other scenario. Whatcha think?


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## acidMia (Aug 3, 2016)

dwight55 said:


> Actually, . . . it's just simple electrical theory equations, . . .
> 
> Wattage is always determined by multiplying the amperage times the voltage: 12.5 amps X 120 volts = 1500 watts
> 
> ...


Thank you for breaking that down for me


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

bigwheel said:


> Hey Dwight..thanks for the info on that. A fellow told me one time instead of buying a deep cycle 12 Volt battery which is guarnrteed to zonk out about the time the one year warranty runs out..to instead go to Sams and buy two six volt golf cart bateries and jump them together to make 12 volts. He claimed they were much more rechargerable friendly than the other scenario. Whatcha think?


Yes, he is correct.

Generally speaking, . . . if you can keep the amperage draw down where you do not create a lot of heat (warm is OK, . . . hot is not) during the transmission, . . . it is going to be better for your battery.

That is what is done in golf carts, semi-trucks, and other vehicles.

It actually is the re-charging process that generally ruins the batteries. Lighter re-charges are better on it than heavier, . . . and of course, . . . since there are plural batteries to absorb the charge, . . . the "kick" is absorbed my all of them instead of just one.

Most of us remember the 60's and 70's where we were replacing our car batteries every other or every 3rd year just like clockwork. That had a lot to do with the "generators" we used to charge them, . . . it was a significantly higher charge than the "alternator" we now use, . . . especially those first few minutes after you cranked and cranked to get that dual four barrel V8 a rumbling.

May God bless,
Dwight


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