Solar punk

Here is how you get to beams of sun —> hot cup of tea, sans fossil fuels.

1️⃣ Sun → Panels
: The photons hit the panels and we get clean, steady DC power. Think of it as sunlight distilled into electrons—no moving parts, just real magic.

2️⃣ Panels → Charge Controller
: Before that power touches the batteries, it takes a pit stop in a solar charge controller (I’m swapping the bundled one for a standalone unit from Harbor Freight—easier to dial in). The controller’s whole job is to baby‑sit voltage and current so we don’t overcook the batteries. PWM or MPPT, the concept’s the same: it’s the bouncer at the door.

3️⃣ Charge Controller → Battery Bank
: From there, the electrons flow straight into the batteries where they hang out, waiting for their moment. This is our little energy savings account.

4️⃣ Battery Bank → Inverter → AC Outlets
: When we need “wall‑plug” power, the inverter flips that stored DC into household‑friendly AC. Suddenly your string lights, laptop, or bilge pump (MarSci perks!) can run off pure sunshine.

That’s really it—panels, controller, batteries, inverter. Four hops. Plug‑and‑play once it’s mounted and fused. If you can wire a car stereo, you can wire this.

I’m forever tweaking gear so I can explain it better (occupational hazard of a marine scientist slash mom slash chaos‑tamer). If anything here feels murky, drop a question—I’ll chart a clearer course. 🌊✨