help me solar-energy-man!!

[kibrun]

hi all,
i'm trying to build my own solar energy system. the thing is, i don't have any idea how i knew (long time ago since i was 10) that the energy from the sun can be converted to electrical energy. i've been trying to access to some practical design methodology for this purpose but they usually just gave me the overview of their system and bla bla.. so can anybody help me by supplying one complete architecture? i'm looking for a system that can handle about 4 fluorescent light (40 watt) continuously ON for about 6hrs.
or if that is too hard, i can settle down with a smaller power output. what i'm really looking into/ asking here is the complete way on how to design. all the considerations, formulas and calculations, schematics and etc.

i hope i'm not asking too much (i'm started to feel like a dork). anyway, this is kind of like a desperate cry for a person that is going to be off to a very remote place

 

[flatulent]

two halves

You can simplify this by considering your systm in two halves. The first uses a solar array to charge a battery. The second uses the battery to power the lights.

You first deal with the second half. Determine the total charge on the battery (amp-hours) required to power the lights. This determines the battery capacity and the charging capacity. You could simplify this a bit by using 12V light bulbs as used in automobiles.

The second half determines the size of the solar array and the charging electronics. Since the sun makes an angle with your array you cannot just multiply the time the sun is up and the array power. A oonservative estimate is 6 hours equivalent at full output. This should give you the array capacity required. The electronics keeps the battery from being overcharged.