Lighting options for shed with no electrical.

[boggen]

Very true... Like I said previously, the key is to minimize the draw-down so that usage doesn't leave you below the threshold where it will freeze easily, and then be sure to get it topped right back off when the sun is up again. This might well mean spending more money for lower draw lights, installing more batteries to provide a larger "base" of power, and even installing a cut-off system that will shut everything down once voltage drops to a certain level.

On the other side, there may be a need to for more / larger charging components to ensure that it will a) support a larger battery farm or b) recharge in less time during the winter months.

as i said skiddish about battery / batteries and solar power. it solar panels and battery / batteries can work. but you start getting up in cost fairly quickly. not to mention issues in life span of batteries and solar panels. just like you would with a generator. there PRO's and CON's to each.

generator, to me for a shed area, would more likely be better used. so one can use a power tool throughout the day and night to work on something, and also at same time power some lights. a solar panel and battery / batteries only have so much, before you run out and are dead.

most generators i see, do have a 12V vs 120V plug in. to run some LED lights. or just run regular 110V lights, and go with the LED version of light bulbs vs regular light bulbs.

 

[farm guy]

Hi All,

I would like put in my next 2 cents. As for as the life span of solar cells, the good quality ones come with a 25 year warranty to deliver at 80% of their rated power. Two, a good deep cycle battery drawn down to around 50% depth of discharge then recharged should last between 4 to 8 years assuming it is hooked to a good charge controller. Bottom line, if you get good quality parts, size your system for the amount of sun you get, you should have no problems. On a side note I would advise LEDs because of the watt to lumen pay off. You get a a lot of light for not a lot of power consumed! You can get a good 20 watt solar cell off Ebay for around $50.00 US and it has a 25 year warranty! If you want a VERY good site to bone up on batteries go here Deep Cycle Battery FAQ this guys do this for a living and have lots of good info concerning deep cycle batteries. I went here to size my system, I learned a lot about batteries! Bottom line I would go solar, But you need to decide how much light you need and how long to you want it on. Based on that information you can size your system.

Just my 4 cents.

Farm Guy

 

[farm guy]

I've been watching with interest for my own building that's in the trees, I've concluded there are many and varied solutions, none perfect.

For that reason I had to place the solar cell for my buck barn 75 feet away from the barn!:mur: But it is in now and works fine! :cool2:

 

[JamesHW]

I think solar is probably the way to go for lights and maybe a radio, etc. But if you have an active stream nearby maybe micro hydro could be an option? I have a dam I'm restoring down the hill from my home site where I want to build a little rustic cabin for changing and storage and am considering a little hydro electric setup to provide lights.

 

[Travelover]

Hi All,

I would like put in my next 2 cents. As for as the life span of solar cells, the good quality ones come with a 25 year warranty to deliver at 80% of their rated power. Two, a good deep cycle battery drawn down to around 50% depth of discharge then recharged should last between 4 to 8 years assuming it is hooked to a good charge controller. Bottom line, if you get good quality parts, size your system for the amount of sun you get, you should have no problems. On a side note I would advise LEDs because of the watt to lumen pay off. You get a a lot of light for not a lot of power consumed! You can get a good 20 watt solar cell off Ebay for around $50.00 US and it has a 25 year warranty! If you want a VERY good site to bone up on batteries go here Deep Cycle Battery FAQ this guys do this for a living and have lots of good info concerning deep cycle batteries. I went here to size my system, I learned a lot about batteries! Bottom line I would go solar, But you need to decide how much light you need and how long to you want it on. Based on that information you can size your system.

Just my 4 cents.

Farm Guy

+1. You can pick up a 20+ watt solar panel and controller off eBay, a size 27 deep cycle battery from Walmart and a few LED lights (eBay, Amazon) and you are off to the races for a couple hundred bucks. Many of the controllers even have a low battery shut off so if you forget and leave the lights on, it won't discharge the battery to a level that will damage it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160843694586?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300733021682?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Get about 10 of these and mount to a board.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200716750996?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

 

[farm guy]

I think solar is probably the way to go for lights and maybe a radio, etc. But if you have an active stream nearby maybe micro hydro could be an option? I have a dam I'm restoring down the hill from my home site where I want to build a little rustic cabin for changing and storage and am considering a little hydro electric setup to provide lights.

Hi James,

If you do in deed set it up PLEASE post some pictures and info about it! I have a seasonal spring that fills my pond next to my shop. It drops 75 feet over a 330 foot run. The supply pipe is 4" corrugated and that could be something I could use for charging in the winter to help my solar cells. :thumbsup:

Thanks


Farm Guy

 

[brokenknee]

I think solar is probably the way to go for lights and maybe a radio, etc. But if you have an active stream nearby maybe micro hydro could be an option? I have a dam I'm restoring down the hill from my home site where I want to build a little rustic cabin for changing and storage and am considering a little hydro electric setup to provide lights.

Hydro would be interesting, but no stream available, even if there was, freezing would be an issue in my climate. I think I will end up going solar.

There is a 30X90 slab not far from the shed that is still standing. If/when I decide to put up a shed there I will look into the cost of running power to it.

The slab is not in a location that would be my first choice. I will have to weigh the cost of running power to that location verses to the cost of a new slab.

Thanks for all the input, all have had good ideas.

 

[JamesHW]

Hi James,

If you do in deed set it up PLEASE post some pictures and info about it! I have a seasonal spring that fills my pond next to my shop. It drops 75 feet over a 330 foot run. The supply pipe is 4" corrugated and that could be something I could use for charging in the winter to help my solar cells. :thumbsup:

Thanks


Farm Guy

Not to hijack the OP's thread, but I'm at least a couple of years away from actually restoring the dam, but you know I will be sharing pics and discussions on my work as it progresses. The dam was breached some years ago as a result of neglect following some logging and the subsequent skidding of logs over it which stripped away the natural covering that prevented erosion. This allowed the stream to bypass the concrete wall that faced the sand berm that makes up the dam. I am still in the process of clearing all the brush and saplings, which with only a few weeks a year and no mechanical access, is slow going. Interestingly, in researching micro hydro I came across the image below here which if you removed the water wheel and pipe, almost exactly matches in topography the low side of my dam, including the flat area that is adjacent to the stream. By my observations, the water flow in the picture is somewhat less then what I believe my stream consistently produces year round.

 

[Boeing]

I have a 24X40 steel shop with no electricity. I bought a diesel generator....DEAFENING. Sooo...I built a shelf for a deep cycle battery, a 5 watt (too small) solar panel which I screwed to PVC and onto the roof. Then....used 14-3 house wire with key-less fixtures and boxes with house switches. I put 5 lights overhead on 2 switches to give me light. (I did this incase I EVER actually have electricity) I tried 50watt incandescent bulbs (12volt) and they killed the battery fast. I found LED bulbs but they are way expensive. Sooo. I bought 15W Flourescent bulbs...great light, small current draw. Don't know how they will work in winter. When I am away I use a jumper cable to the tractor battery so the little 5 watt panel keeps it up too. I'm currently in the market for a much larger solar panel....80-100 watts, a second battery in series and maybe an inverter for small stuff. I hate firing up that loud generator.:2cents:

 

[meburdick]

100W panel on eBay: 100 W Watt 100W 100Watts Photovoltaic PV Solar Panel Module 12V RV Boat | eBay

I've also read up on how to build your own panel from solar cells that you can buy in bulk as "seconds"... Like this: 1KW Nearly Whole 3x6 Short Tabbed Solar Cells for DIY Solar Panel Best Value!! | eBay

$90 for second quality panels that I have to put together and will likely get enough to do 750-800 Watts, or $100 more for one fully assembled and warrantied. By the time I build a box to put them in and get all of the wiring, that $100 is likely cut in half. I wouild most likely buy the fully assembled ones.

I would get LED lights and place just a few. I would also build a "bump-out" on the shed where I could install deep cycle batteries with a 12V inverter. 3-4 batteries would give me a good amount of available power, the inverter would allow me to power the battery tenders for the snowmobile and tractor batteries. I'd have electrical in the shed as well, but don't expect that I'd use it much (except for maybe the overhead door opener I'm planning on installing with the door).

Seems that the biggest thing to consider for folks like me (where I have electricity already there) is whether or not I would ever see any sort of return on my investment. My shed will need 220 in it for welding, so I have to decide if I'm going to trench the yard again to put it in or if I'll just use my generator (which will get little other use ever) for when I weld.