A 100W solar panel is often suitable for small electronic devices such as charging phones, laptops and powering LEDs. When it comes to TVs the power consumption is usually a bit higher compared to laptops and LEDs. Ideally, you also need consistent power flow to avoid interruptions. Here we’ll explore how far a 100W solar panel can take you when it comes to powering a TV or a monitor equivalent to a standard TV.
The short answer is yes, a 100W solar panel can be enough to power certain TV models or monitors. But when it comes to large TVs with big screens 100W might not be enough. It is also important to know that there are more factors coming in to play than just the size of the solar panel. Things such as consistent power supply, weather, batteries or a power station and more also matter depending on the setup.
Factors to consider
The answer to this question depends on factors such as:
- Is there a battery or power station that can store energy?
- For how long should the TV be powered at a time?
- How consistent is the sunshine (i.e. is there a consistent power supply)?
- What voltage level does the TV require and does it use AC or DC?
- If AC is required the voltage level is typically higher (ex. 120V) and an inverter is needed (power stations usually have inverters built in). This means that you get slightly less than 100W due to the inverter consuming a few percent of the generated power.
Note that there can be more factors to consider such as the usage of a charge controller and an inverter unless these are already built into the power station or battery storage system.
If Energy Storage Is Used
If we assume that an energy storage unit such as batteries or a power station is used, then a 100W solar panel can absolutely run a TV. In this case the power station would have to be charged and if it can deliver 100W or more (it almost definitely can) that will be enough to run a TV.
In this case the TV will be able to be powered as long as the batteries don’t get drained. As an example a TV consuming 50W could run for, in theory, 40 hours using a power station capable of storing 2000Wh. However in practice there is always some power loss due to inverters and more so a more realistic expectation is probably around 36 hours depending also on the efficiency of the equipment used.
An example of a power station
If Energy Storage Is Not Used
Energy storage is typically very necessary in order to power devices reliably from solar power. If however energy storage is not used for some reason the possibilites of running any device, not just a TV, is reduced. It is however not impossible and could work under good weather conditions. Good conditions are especially important in this case since you would need consistent sunshine for the solar panels to generate power continuously without interruptions. This also means that the TV won’t be powered during the night or evening when the sun sets.
Additionally a 100W solar panel would not be able to run a TV consuming close to 100W or more due to some expected power loss. In comparison, when a power station is used you could power a TV consuming more than 100W as long as the station can deliver enough power.
AC vs DC-powered TV
Regular TVs used at home are typically AC-driven and they tend to require a higher voltage level such as 120V which is common in the US, or 230V found in Europe. This means that an inverter is needed, but in many cases these are already built into power stations.
On the other hand, DC-powered TVs commonly used in RVs and camper vans usually require a much lower voltage level, for example 12V. This could mean that less equipment is needed and the TV can be run (in theory) directly from the solar panels. But, important things to consider here is that that would require matching the output voltage of the solar panel with the TVs required voltage level. Sufficient current is also necessary so that the TV can be powered under full load. Stable sunlight would also be needed as mentioned previously. Most importantly, there could be a safety risk of running the TV directly from the solar panel if no voltage regulator is used. Again, using a power station handles all of these problems regardless of if the TV is AC- or DC-powered.
Conclusion
A 100W solar panel can in most cases run a regular TV, especially if an energy storage unit is used. In that case the solar panel is used to charge the power station which in turn is able to deliver consistent power for several hours. Powering a TV, or anything for that matter, without a storage unit is probably not practical since the power flow will most likely fluctuate too much. A need for a voltage regulator would also be necessary.