I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to use a solar panel or perhaps a 12V battery along with some wiring and crocodile clips to create a UK plug outlet. My goal is to power devices like a phone charger or a hair dryer off the grid. I understand that a typical UK plug has three wires, while crocodile clips only have two (positive and negative). However, I'm not experienced in this area and don't want to risk safety, so I'd really appreciate any guidance on this!
2 Answers
To make something like this work, you'll need an inverter since home power is AC while batteries are DC. Basically, inverters convert the DC from your solar setup into AC power for appliances. If you're serious about solar, consider getting a solar battery setup with a charge controller, or look into portable power stations from brands like EcoFlow or Jackery. If your main goal is to charge phones, that's pretty straightforward; you can use a 12V socket with a USB adapter. But be warned, hair dryers are a whole other beast—they need a hefty inverter to run!
You can definitely charge a phone since USB devices use DC, which makes it easier. Just remember that any appliance you'd usually plug directly into a wall, like kettles or microwaves, runs on AC and doesn’t work directly from a battery. So it's all about what devices you're looking to power!
Exactly! Just make sure any solar setup you're looking at is rated properly for the devices you want to use.
Yeah, hair dryers can consume around 1300W, which means you'd need some pretty substantial panels to support that. For just charging phones, though, using a basic solar charge controller with a USB output is definitely the way to go!