Appliances and Usage
When electricity comes out of the battery, it is in the form of 12 volts Direct Current (DC), but most home appliances are designed to run on 120-240 volts Alternating Current.  Actually, most appliances really run on lower voltages in DC, but the energy is converted from 120 volts AC to DC because AC is more efficient to transmit long distances at higher voltages.

If your home system consists of appliances that can’t be converted to run on DC, you will need an inverter to convert the electricity from the batteries into 120 volts AC. Inverters are a weak link in a system, because they are prone to failure, not 100% efficient, not easily repaired, and an additional cost to your system. 

Designing your system and appliances to run on DC, along with your keeping your battery center close to the appliance will result in a more dependable and efficient system. Lights, computers, TVS, VCRs, battery chargers, and many other home appliances run on DC and can be modified to run on 12 or 24 volts.

When you produce your own electricity, you’ll start paying close attention to where that electricity goes.  It isn’t free, no matter how cheap it is, and the less waste you have, the more electricty you have to go around.

Additional Resources:

• Fieldlines  and OtherPower - The best home-power resources on the web
• LSDiodes - good source of cheap LEDs
• LED Museum - information about energy efficient lights
• SunLionSolar - Good supply of 12 volt appliances