100 Watt Solar Panel Kit Setup for Complete Beginners - Start to Finish!

Step-by-step guide on how to set up a basic 100 watt solar panel kit!
🔋 PARTS USED IN THIS VIDEO
• Renogy 100 watt solar panel kit - amzn.to/49eXywQ
• LiTime (fka AmpereTime) battery - amzn.to/3Svguk9
• 2000W inverter - amzn.to/3usFoso
• 150W inverter (very small, not recommended) - amzn.to/3w10EpH
• 12V car socket (for connecting 150W inverter to battery) - amzn.to/495xmVI
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Accompanying blog post: footprinthero.com/basic-100-w...
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - You can do it!
0:22 - Step 1: Connect Charge Controller to Battery
8:24 - Step 2: Connect Solar Panel to Charge Controller
13:06 - Step 3: Connect Inverter to Battery
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DISCLAIMERS
Some of the links in this video description and in the comments below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one, at no extra cost to you I may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
For general informational purposes only. Nothing in this video is intended to be professional solar or electrical advice. Please consult with a licensed professional in their field of expertise in your jurisdiction.

[@footprinthero]

PRODUCTS used in this video (affiliate links) Renogy 100W 12V solar panel kit - amzn.to/49eXywQ LiTime (fka AmpereTime) 12V battery - amzn.to/3Svguk9 2000W 12V inverter - amzn.to/3usFoso 150W 12V inverter (very small, not recommended) - amzn.to/3w10EpH 12V car socket (for connecting 150W inverter to battery) - amzn.to/495xmVI

[@suecastillo1733]

Thank you for a beautifully concise and thorough explanation of this basic system!

[@footprinthero]

you're welcome 😄

[@jamiemartin7556]

Honestly a great video for beginners, if i could make one suggestion, as an electrician who also does solar, always connect the bare ended wire to your charge controllers first, it is possible to get a shock from the panel making a little bit of energy if you touch the bare copper, then you can connect the mc4 connector after. Great job!

[@ILHunter]

This is by far the best basic explanation I have seen on You tube about hooking up basic solar. Some of the videos there are so many other components involved and it leaves my scratching my head for a beginner to solar. Thanks for this video, it was helpful.

[@demogirlsworld]

I came across your website a year ago and could not for the life of me find where I had bookmarked it. 3 days of searching and I have found your website AND YT channel. While I am only setting up fans for my greenhouse, your website was the knowledge I needed that made sense to me!

[@POW2000]

After watching this clip, I am confident that I can do this! 🙏 Thanks

[@VikkiG1970]

Thank you. Extra thanks for warning about the sparks, I would have thought something had gone wrong, so a big thumbs up 👍 😀

[@brianjessen547]

Great video! Perfect explanation for a newbie like me. I feel confident adding an inverter to my toyhauler now.

[@couerleroi1]

You're the best!! First time I ever understood, the process

[@gadgetcaches5485]

Very thorough and easy to understand tutorial! One question: What does the charge controller and inverter do? Sorry for the newby question.

[@BibiProvenceBBSmoothMusic]

Thank you very simple explanation!❤

[@letsdiscoverflorida]

I'm new to solar technology and I found this video to be really helpful even though I've already installed my first solar panel system. What a great orator!

[@footprinthero]

Thank you!!

[@nurilahi2378]

Excellent demonstration!

[@KONGNO2000youtube]

Thank you very much for sharing this very informative very easy to follow and clear tutorial about how to set up a solar panel home energy supply I look forward to seeing more of your videos like this one

[@kakes1958]

Wow! You made that so easy to understand!

[@Ms.Frankenbuilder]

Good beginner video, I tried to make a little short one for a couple friends but it wasn't too clear. Going to send them over to you.

[@ocilassolrac14]

Its great to see you laugh everytine you do a step on your instructions. 😁

[@sloppy2nds321]

Thanks for the great info.

[@kouros0]

Thank you very much for showing us how to do it

[@ashben74]

Nice and clear for a beginner like me ! Thank you.

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome!

[@explorethewonder]

Thank you so much for sharing! Very helpful and informative

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome :)

[@stevegrundy1989]

thanks a really well explained video that even I could understand

[@capnkirk5528]

Great video for beginners!

[@footprinthero]

🤠🤠

[@krope7]

Great teaching video

[@codywalls5765]

Love the info man great video

[@footprinthero]

Appreciate it!

[@user-rp1vu1gk5u]

this helped alot. my first setup for garage I bought two power queen 100amp 12volt batteries, renogy 700watt inverter, lion energy savanna solar charge controller and three lion energy 12volt 100 watt panels. subscribed.

[@mikeworley2158]

No torque screwdriver?

[@user-rp1vu1gk5u]

@@mikeworley2158 hmm no just plain screwdriver. quick question. both the inverter and charge controller cables should be hooked up positives to one battery and negatives to the other battery?

[@freemanedeh8832]

I would always recommend connecting the negative terminals first to avoid sparks.

[@4098operry]

Ok 100watt solar is done. How and where to add fuses/breaker to it, at what amp. I love your explanations i will follow you and build one🎉keep them coming

[@mvakleko]

Yes exactly this is the important step. Everything he already did has been repeated. We need guidance on fuses, how to size them and when and where to use them.

There are easy charts on line. Simple to follow and understand. Gives you wire size, fuse size, breaker sizes.

[@vitogriffin8902]

Bus bars, fuses, breakers etc aren't really necessary for this size setup. Sometimes people still prefer to use that stuff, but the battery has a management system, the charge controller has management, and your inverter has management and likely at least one fuse. That's why on all the 100w kit diagrams you don't see fuses and breakers on there. If you do want to add more fuses then there's a few different options and many people on KZbin have detailed videos. Will Prowse is kind of the man when it comes to solar so I'd recommend starting there.

[@tejanikerroumi9633]

Yes good question

[@user-gi3xj8nz3s]

Awesome 😎 keep up the good work

[@loristephens3016]

Thank you for a very clear explanation. Could you discuss the battery powered emergency chargers (ie jackery). I'm looking at a 500W one. I have a small 300W kettle. If I lose power again, like last winters ice storm, I could heat water for coffee, soups, etc. How long would the charge last? They have built in solar panels, do they work? How long if it's cloudy? I could really use some advice, other then the companies line. Thank you.

[@RS_]

Great video! Is there any difference what type of battery to use?

[@proplockfistanterlis]

Thank you for this - can you also do a video on how to connect more than 1 solar panel to another please.

[@EEProposalDevelopmentGayCookso]

I will use my set-up for camping (phone charge, bucket swamp cooler,, etc). Do I need the inverter you use, or is there a less expensive option that will be adequate? I'd prefer an inverter with a 12v cigarette lighter plug. Where do you connect the female socket cig lighter if you don't recommend an inverter that already has one? Finally, are there other LI batteries that you recommend besides the one in the video? Thank you.

[@mavirek]

Superb explanation. Thank you. My question is can I get away with hanging a solar panel in the window (heavy sun for 1/2 the day) or laying it on the roof (2/3rds of a day of sun), and connect that to my Bluetti EB3A portable power station (to top it off). Then I could let the Bluetti do all the brainy stuff for input from the solar panel, and output to my appliances. Right?

[@asfawaraya8498]

You maken it so easy I like it thank you if you don’t mind put the price on it

[@ogrocha]

HELLO THANKS 4UR SOLAR KNOWLEDGE, ? IF I HAV A CAR BATTERY CHARGER CAN I CHARGE BATTERIES WITHOUT THE SOLAR PANEL

[@georgeseriani2482]

Mg watt in has a mold of broker built in so what kind of solar panel should I get it will take 109wTts but I like the powerness 80 watt panel

[@Samplays465]

Is there a way to check the battery percentage??? Also how much watts light or fan we can use with a 10 Ah battery???

[@abyidicula2009]

Hi is that okey to use 1000 w inverter and 50 ah battery in the 100 w solar panel ?

[@stevenshircliff393]

Great video. You can buy a cheap precharge resistor and eliminate the spark.

[@footprinthero]

Thank you! And appreciate the tip 👍

[@Blah-blah-sure]

Ok im trying to learn. Question, why dies a solar setup with an inverter, and solar conroller need a battery?And does the solar panel replenish the battery?

[@trolldoll968]

What kind of inverter would one use for a 14x38 shed

[@daktrdre]

hey, why do you in this video connect the positive first, yet in others, using "shunts" you're doing it in the opposite order ? : )

[@MrBritrider]

I’m really new to solar power. I’m going to take a chance asking you if what I want to do will work. I have a shed that is not wired for power. I considered running a line to it and still may. First of all, do you normally need a permit for hooking up solar panels in a shed? Ok, so I have a portable generator that I keep in my shed ready for emergency power should we need it. My problem is keeping the battery charged up since there are no outlets to plug in a trickle charger. The battery in my generator is a new just bought 12V 18 Ah water filled that has maintenance caps to add distilled water as needed. Secondly, there are no lights in the shed as expected. I could buy for example the Harbor Freight 100W Thunderbolt Magnum solar kit that includes (4) 25 W panels, a controller, cables and two LED lightbulbs and hanging sockets. Would I be able to keep my 12V battery charged at say 12.6 volts and in a very rare occasion turn on my two bulbs? Let me stress that it’s very rare that I would access my shed in the dark and if I did it wouldn’t be for too long. Will the controller supplied in this kit be able to maintain a steady charge without fear of over or under charging? With this kit will I be able to accomplish all this? I apologize for being long winded but I needed to explain my unusual circumstance that I have not seen or heard mentioned on KZbin.

[@awolfx7947]

Yes that would work just fine. As long as you don't drain the battery too much, obviously the solar panel won't charge it as fast as the generator would

[@user-rp1vu1gk5u]

what if youre using two batteries with inverter and solar charge controller.

[@sluggodna]

I couldn't believe how important the batteries are. I bought 4 18amp 12v batteries to run with my system. They are not deep cycle. I was always out of power. I blew two charge meters. .. I should have just spent the extra 100 bucks for the 100amp battery. I also blew the Diode in one of my panels. . I ran the batteries in 12v. Red, down the line. Black , down the line. . The terminals aren't screw, or prong like car battery. Clips like speaker wire connection.

[@Basith-lq1mt]

Hello, I am really interested in buying a setup for 100W, I wanted to do data logging for my panels, is it possible to buy just the panel and a data logger? cause I don't need the energy produced just want to know how much my panel produces hourly and daily

[@footprinthero]

You would need to connect the panel to something, otherwise it's not gonna output any power. Your best bet would be using a charge controller with data logging. You could use the setup described in this video and then add the Renogy BT-1 Bluetooth Module to it. The BT-1 works with the charge controller in this video and then lets you connect it to the Renogy app and log data. Or you could buy a charge controller with built-in bluetooth such as the Victron SmartSolar MPPT, which connects to the Victron app and also does data logging. Best of luck!

[@Blah-blah-sure]

Whats the purpose of the battery in this? And with this system how long would your lsmp last? And thanks.

[@awolfx7947]

Collect energy. Otherwise the solar panel has no place to store the power.

I have 10 100w. Renogy panels, 100am. CC. 3 200Ah lithium batteries, 2200w inverter. All wires, breakers, fuses, for sale. 2800 for all. I live in Florida, Orlando area.

[@arthurmatej3703]

What type of program you used to check daily wattage output for solar panel test?

[@footprinthero]

I use a Victron SmartSolar MPPT charge controller in my tests. For this exact setup you could buy the Renogy BT-1 Bluetooth Module and track solar production from your phone using the Renogy app

[@jazzcanada2001]

Hi Alex! I am a bit confused....I just purchased a Jackery 1000 Solar Power Station/Generator, and 2 Renogy Solar panels. I bought the 8mm Power Adapter Cable in order to hook up the Solar Panel to my Jackery. Now, I am confused....do I still have to buy the Ampere Battery and those cables for the Solar Panel? I am not knowledegable about all these....I just had the intention to buy the Solar Panel to charge my jackery....I apologize I am a 65 year old woman and without experience on all these.... Please let me know soonest....Thank you....

[@johnutpatel4982]

Just plug the solar panels into the back of your unit

[@jazzcanada2001]

@@johnutpatel4982 thank you so much…

[@johnutpatel4982]

Your welcome

[@sarahdjimenez3702]

Do you have to have a battery to charge the solar panel?

[@awolfx7947]

You want to charge a solar panel?

[@tyronvandermerwe2367]

So you reverse the same steps to disconnect the system?

[@awolfx7947]

Yes, negatives first

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

I did this with the 200-watt kit. The only difference is another panel and connectors for the panels.

[@radon4380]

What can this set up run

[@occamraiser]

Not everyone uses LiPo batteries. It is worth considering that most lead acid batteries have 'car battery' connectors.

[@-Vargass-]

Only thing seems off to me is i was told to always connect negative first but yah good video

[@footprinthero]

Thanks! Yeah I've looked into connection order multiple times over the years and different sources say different things. I've never gotten a conclusive answer.

[@keesverhagen9227]

Between cars for starting help you also need to connect to each other the positive first. And second the negative poles.

[@adamsisernik4556]

🌞 2x480W series panels (Vmp: 37,10 lmp: 12,95) are charging Lifepo4 battery (48V 11,7kWh 230ah) via Victron 150/35 charger ... ⚡ LiifePo4 battery is charging Ecoflow Delta pro via solar xt60 input (max input 150V 12A 1600W) ... 🌞 2x480W parallel panels (Vmp: 37,10 lmp: 12,95) are charging Powerstream (max input 55V, 600W) panels too ... ⚡ PowerStream, conected with Delta pro, is charging house and Delta pro too, with excess energy from Powerstream. ⚡ Delta pro is charging household appliances AC output 💪 Problem situation: In the morning the LifePo4 battery was dead because it had been charging the Delta pro during the night. When the two panels started charging the battery via the Victron charger (approx. 100W), the Delta pro went wild and started to overheat. I turned off the Delta pro. What could cause a malfunction in Delta pro?

[@SteffenBoserup]

Nice setup ;-) The problem is that both Your Delta and the battery are oscillating , You were not supposed to put them on the Mppt port - anyway, I understand what You want to do, so here's the explanation. When You have used all available power in a Lifepo4 battery, the BMS will shut it down to protect it from total discharge. In the morning, the Victron will turn on the BMS on your empty battery, and send the limited amount of solar power to it. The second the Delta see, that there's a bit of power to get, It will take it instantly, and thereby shutting down the BMS again. This will happen repeatedly, and very fast, until the electronic in some of the electronic releases the magic blue smoke. A solution to this problem could be to install a low voltage shutdown between the Delta and the battery, and make it turn on when the battery has reached a certain limit (80 percent?), and shut off below 20 percent. The second solution is to disconnect the battery with a switch between the Delta and the battery, and turn it on whenever needed. I own an Ecoflow River, and are using he first option, and it worked for me - the second is also an option, but if I enjoyed manual labour, then I would have a hand cranked generator attached to my home, and not an expensive solar system..... Good luck ;-)

[@adamsisernik4556]

Very thanx for the answer. What is Low voltage shutdown? Link please👍 I will look for some 48v shelly sweetcher??

[@Basith-lq1mt]

How to get in touch with you?

[@footprinthero]

Leave a comment here and I'll see it :)

[@johnbontoft8548]

i need help with this solar panel i need 100 w on the back open circuit 22.5v max power 18v mono_si barcode YHSR2103252660 MADE IN germany SO NOT SHURE IF ITS 100W

[@anthonybassiesamura4420]

Please start back to step one please

[@footprinthero]

Rewind is always an option..

[@dutchminer247]

Use philips please...

[@ArtsShadow2]

Use a resistor, no sparks.

[@footprinthero]

Good to know!

[@donbrloks3959]

You can also use a 12 volt test light from the ring terminal to stud on the inverter. It will come on bright and immediately fade out showing charge is complete.

[@wyatankurtis8679]

🤗 Promo>SM

[@07roadking43]

How would i lengthen the wiring so i can place the controller inside my RV ? What kind of cable is it ? Thanks! Great video !!!!!

[@chahh1866]

Note ALWAYS DO the Negative 1st !!! VIP

[@claydo364]

Ok boy wonder 🤭🤭🤭..MY you,beaut scooter consumes 6000watts in a hour..So what would be the purpose of a wee,little 100 watt solar power panel going to serve🤔🤔..ar ha🤣🤣🤣🤣..ya pea,nut😁

[@romanianguy20]

A small spark my gosh 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@AXNJXN1]

Very unsafe/risky (electrical) guidance here. Should ALWAYS use a catastrophic cut off switch. Always... Second, to use a LiPo, you require a shunt. This is not a 'complete' formula for beginners.

[@AlyoshaKm]

Seems like a fantastic simple explanation for people getting started. Please explain why it’s unsafe, where a catastrophic cut off switch should go and what it does, and what a LiPo is, and the rest of your criticisms. Thanks

[@Urge38]

ALLWAYS start with battery negative.

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

ALWAYS connect positive first and negative second when connecting, and the reverse when disconnecting. You should NEVER connect positive last, always connect positive first😊

[@SmallCrotch]

Connect the wire to the controller then connect the plug. Saves any mishaps.