Can you create a 220 electrical current with solar power?

Answer 1

I work for a company that provides turn-key solar power systems for homes and for commercial use. I can say with 100% assurance that we can, and do, create 220V power from solar modules (Technically, homes are 120V, not 110V; or 240V, not 220V). Actually, one of the inverter companies we use can produce 120V, 208V, 240V, and 270V AC - other companies do even more voltages.
The most common practice in the industry is to NOT use batteries but to tie directly into your existing home/business electrical panel using what's called "grid tied" inverters. The inverters pump out current whenever the solar modules are receiving sunlight...whenever the solar modules aren't producing enough power to meet your needs your local power company grid provides the rest - all automatically and without any interruption in power.
To get my terminology straight, the smallest to largest "items" are: cells-> modules-> arrays. Solar cells (in the inch range) don't put out much voltage, but an entire module (a few square feet) does put out a decent amount (we often use 208watt, 28.5volt modules). We then hook them up in series which increases the voltage, usually between 300-400volts DC. Again, this is pretty much standard in the industry. And any reputable solar company will help you choose the proper amount of solar modules to provide the amount of power you need, from a few percent of your bill to 100% of your bill.
Involving batteries adds a large initial and ongoing cost that really isn't needed except in rare cases (for example, if you're in a remote area and don't have access to grid power).
Solar modules (aka photo-voltaic modules) typically have a 25 year warranty on them, and they're expected to last about 40 years. Inverters are warrantied 10 years and are expected to last 15 years. In California, all companies that install solar systems are required to warranty the entire system for 10 years. That's a pretty good set of warranties if you ask me! That being said, there is obviously an impact to the environment in manufacturing solar modules. However, most experts estimate the effects of the manufacturing/transportation/installation, to be canceled out in about 10 years. That means that you've got 5 years on the inverter, and up to 30 more years on the modules where you're essentially 100% green. Oh, and home users can have a system pay for itself in about 10 years, commercial users in as little as 5 years, depending on usage. Maximum payback time if you have really cheap electricity or bills is up to 20 years - but that's not exactly a lifetime. Most people are closer to 7 or 8 years.
I could go on and on about this stuff, and I'm just the computer guy at the company. There are so many good things about solar that, to me, it just makes a whole lot of sense...and it's only getting better.
Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a soap box, I just wanted to straighten out a few things.

Answer 2

Folks are mostly right.

Solar Cells are very low voltage devices. Like flashlight batteries. To get higher voltages, you have to cascade many, with some resulting hazards caused by the voltage.

And solar cells only generate DC, and their output varies with the level of sunlight, and the angle if they do not track the sun, which takes power itself for the motors.

Trees have a better system, but no one so far has emulated it in Solar.

As noted, you need to have many many many batteries, deep cycle rechargeable, to make it work for nights and cloudy days.

To get AC, you use an inverter, and you can get about any voltage and frequency you want, for a price, and prices, and half a price for taxes!

Inverters are expensive and heavy, but if you want 220, it is readily available, Big industrial plants get 3-phase 220/440 off inverters to keep them going in electrical outages. Just costs!!

So the answer is, talk to an engineer or engineering firms, and you can get whatever you want, Just have lots and lots of money if you plan to go wholly solar powered, at this point in time!! Especially at 220 volts and currents to run all your house, and garage, and tiki lights, etc.

And remember the manufacture of the solar cells involves pollution!! You don't get it all free!!

Answer 3

220 Volt Inverter

Answer 4

Kathie is 1/2 right. You need an invertor not just a transformer. Solar panels produce DC power, household current is AC.

Answer 5

Yes. Solar power is beyond anything you can imagine. Someday we may have solar power stations circling the sun, sending electric power back to earth by lazers or something.

Solar flares generate so much power in the sky over Canada, in the form of the "northern lights", that if it was harnessed we could EASILY meet all the electrical needs of the continent for the whole year!

The future is unlimited!

Answer 6

Yes. 220 volts only describes how the power is carried, not what the total power is. Solar cells are usually designed with lower voltage but major solar power grids are feasible. This about one for California... http://www.buzztracker.com/permalink/32690/37986879/High-Voltage-Solar-Power-Controversy with 900 megawatts of renewable power.

Answer 7

I know, you want to plug in your electric dryer to the solar panels.

You can create any voltage you want from solar panels if you know how.

Do the math first, what all this stuff costs would pay for the electricity you use for the rest of your life.

Sure this isn't what the green living people want to hear, but thats what it looks like, just like those who envision a corn cob getting stuffed into the gas tank of the car for driving with ethanol, they don't see the truck load of corn that it takes to fill one gas tank.

Quit dreaming and get real.

Answer 8

Yes;
But you will need a heavy duty set of batteries in order to store the DC current from the panels.
After that you will need DC to AC converter and you are in business.
I am assuming you are speaking of US 60Hz. power
If not I am certain that other voltages or 50 Hz are available.

Answer 9

Yes. You can use an inverter, but 220 is normally used for heavier loads and heavier loads will require a very large system. Make sure you size the system right.

Answer 10

Yes it could be done but you would need a lot of solar cells. I am not sure that if u covered a large house would be enough. Also there is the problem of storage batteries for cloudy days and night. U would need a large converter.