They will be rated in voltage and amperage. This battery is commonly found in UPS systems for computers, adult mobility scooters, and kids ride on toys like Power Wheels. The type of battery I use is called an SLA, Sealed Lead Acid (pics 1-3). A 10w LED bulb in a lamp can illuminate a room. If you can afford a little more battery capacity then go for it! Is 10w of LED lighting bright? Yes, a modern 10w LED floodlight can easily light a driveway for example. For a simple dusk till dawn setup (on at night, off during the day), 10Ah per 10w of LED lighting is right at the minimum. It stores the power you have generated during the day. I'll cover sourcing the different parts in the next few pages. The priciest parts are the battery and the solar panel. If you're a good scrounger, you can save a bit of cash. If you buy everything new and are a thrifty shopper, you can assemble a reliable system for under $100. What I did here can be easily applied to a remote hunters cabin or other location in which commercial power is just not an option. Will this save you money? At this scale it's highly doubtful but if you're somewhere that is known for power outages every time the wind kicks up, the peace of mind is well worth it.Īside from getting off the grid, solar is a great way to get lighting in places where it may prove expensive or impossible to have an electrician run a power drop. It was also nice to have illumination without the constant drone of a generator. After a widespread power outage, places with lights tend to convey the message that there is someone home and trespassing may not be a good idea. Unfortunately we live in a world were some folks look at a power outage as an opportunity to acquire that which is not theirs. I've been playing around with solar power for amateur radio applications for over 20 years but the recent visit from hurricane Irma gave me a push to convert some of my outdoor lighting to something that wasn't grid dependent. Scaling things up so your system can get through a day or two of lousy sunlight is covered later in the instructable.īecause it's free and doesn't make noise. In this instructable we're all about keeping it simple enough so it works reliably on sunny days. Without getting into an oversized panel and battery setup, you just have to accept that on cloudy days your system may not run as many hours as expected. What limitations will a solar powered lighting system have? What to expect from one of these systems?Ī fairly reliable solar lighting system that can illuminate part of your yard without reliance on the commercial power grid. The stuff has a heavy sun resistant insulation and will last for years outdoors. For years I have been a big fan of using 12-14ga outdoor lighting cable like what's used in Malibu light setups. Gear wise you'll need solar panels, batteries, a charge controller, and cable to hook it all up with. What's needed on your part to duplicate what I have done?īasic knowledge of hand tools, power tools, electricity, wiring, and of course that ever elusive common sense. It's up to the reader / builder to adhere to any local building codes that may apply. Some places have stricter codes than others. Different municipalities have different building codes. These are all projects done by a hobbyist with a tech background. You can buy outdoor solar lighting setups that are turn key and ready to go but I've found I can build my own for much less and make it better from a utilitarian point of view. I try to lean towards the "make do with what I can re-purpose or get cheaply" mindset. I'll be covering how I put these projects together, why certain items were chosen over others, sourcing the stuff you need for the projects, and how to calculate what you need panel and battery wise to have a reasonably reliable setup. In this Instructable I'll be sharing some of the outdoor solar powered LED lighting projects that I currently have up and running.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |