6 years ago Because each cable is part of a "live loop" the switch just has to connect the two wires from each cable together to close the circuit and turn on the light. Thanks for your comment. The battery box has 2 connectors on the side, one to connect to the power station and  the other can be used to expand storage capacity with a second battery box. I haven't gotten around to it but I will mount the solar panel to the roof of the garage when I get time to make up a mount out of aluminum. See photo 1. I'm using a Fenix International ReadySet Solar Kit to power my lights. I'm working on Solar powered Lighting system for a number of off grid training centers. My solar powered DC lighting works on the same principle as my regular lighting. Participated in the Battery Powered Contest. Each kit can be adjusted to fit your specific needs. DC systems are more reliable because AC Inverters and power supplies are the components most likely to fail. Install an Outback Flexware PV8 Combiner box with 15amp Midnite Solar DC ... Off Grid, DIY, Home Solar Install - P3 - Solar Panels - Wiring MC4 Connectors and DC Breakers - Duration: 9:21. ! On the front there is also a battery level indicator as well as a charge status indicator. This is good for when I'm unwinding after a week's work, having a beer, surfing the web, etc. If this installation was done as new construction instead of a retrofit I could have easily done without the conduit. 12 volts is just the nominal voltage of the battery but it could be anywhere from 10 to 14 volts. When they are running the inside of the garage is bright... and I mean burn-your-retinas bright. Great for living off the grid. Don't worry, I had all of my electrical work inspected and passed. which is now active in nearly 40 countries. The application is mainly for LED lights. You can get Tailgator Generator on Amazon. In the first picture you can see the "cigarette lighter" plug on the front of the unit with the coiled cord leading into the grey strain relief connector at the bottom of the conduit box. Solar Powered lanterns-I recommend the LED Camping Lantern Rechargeable on Introduction. Some larger systems are built with a specified tilt angle for a particular location. Off Grid Solar Battery Systems Design Engineering and LED Lighting. I ... With lighting it would be simple to invert the power from my battery bank and run conventional ac lighting. Other loads, such as a DC refrigerator or a DC/AC 120 volt Inverter can be connected. How to Make Charcuterie Boards Using Clear Acrylic Templates. I also use the battery pack to charge my iPod through the built in USB port. This Winter MINIMUM occurs around December 21, the Winter solstice and the shortest day of the year. There is a live loop that carries the positive wire out to the switch before returning to the light. The task light cable goes into the first fixture of the task light string (there are four fixtures in this string). WattWorks PV Systems include top quality PV panels from SolarWorld or Kyocera, with racking from Ironridge, Renusol VS, UniRack and DPW Solar. We carry a wide selection of off-grid solar power system kits. Watt-a-Light LED bulbs offer long-lasting and high quality 12V DC lighting for your off-grid home, cabin, tiny house, or anywhere else you require lighting for your 12 volt systems. See Photo 2. Shading: The solar panels MUST NOT shaded by obstructions such as trees, bushes, buildings, fences, or other structures. I built a small shelf on the garage wall that was close to the breaker panel and had easy access to the attic. The indoor lights are controlled by a switch and the outdoor lights automatically operate from The power cable coming from the attic junction box is the one without the green masking tape on it. The Aluminum battery enclosure protects the battery Bank and includes NEC Compliant Circuit Breakers which are included in the battery box wiring harness to isolate each series string of batteries. on Introduction. Check for shadows cast by antennas, towers, poles, and other solar arrays. Hi, I'm still in the process of finishing the inside of my garage. This tab must be broken off to make the switch work. Always love to see how people approach DIY solar applications. All of the wiring is concealed behind the interior sheathing with the exception of the battery pack and a little bit of PVC conduit. The fourth picture shows a light in the middle of the task lighting string. Our 48V DC LED lamps are available in a variety of wattages and colors, provide superior corrosion resistance, and a have super long life! Battery banks are sized (kilowatt-hours) to provide lighting for several days of minimal Solar power due to extended periods of cloudy weather. The battery enclosure should be located close to the power station. Marshall DC Lighting is the trusted name in DC LED, addressing the evolving need for light fixtures and lamps that empower renewable and microgrid-grid lighting projects, including switchgear, control room & portable structure applications. These require built-in Low Voltage disconnects or a special LVD added to the WattWorks control panel AUX DC Circuit. Hey my friend I just want to know if I ask instructables to send me a battery pack like the one you got would they be able to send to me even though I'm not In a contest ... Or would they sell it to me. I did the same kind of setup except with 2 of those panels (same kind) and old 12v scooter batteries that were not good enough to run the scooter, but not bad enough to toss. Living in a small 1.5-Room-appartment i lack the space for serious DIY badly... :(. I will be asking you for more details ok ... Great job, Reply “DC Lighting is the Key to Optimized Microgrid Solutions” (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2020) Each of the two light circuits have a cable that runs into the conduit box you see in the picture. DC LED lighting fixtures and DC solar PV power systems with battery storage are by nature DC systems and will operate at maximum efficiency when connected directly together, without DC/AC Inverters and AC/DC power supplies. I really like how simply but elegantly you divided the available space into work- and stprrage-areas! One of the circuits is for the mood light and the other circuit is for the task lights. The low power requirement of LED lighting is important because solar capacity is limited by seasonal weather conditions, making DC LED lighting the best choice for remote off-grid applications. You can ask me any questions you like. I have one switch that controls four cool white LED "task lights" around the perimeter of the ceiling and another switch that controls a single LED warm white "mood light" in the center of the ceiling. OnSolar bulbs are suitable for applications such as home and business, security, Boat and Barge / narrow boat, caravan, off grid, farming for stabling, outbuildings and workshops. In the junction box there is a simple splice connection that splits the power supply cable into two circuits. An off-grid DC system requires fewer solar panels and batteries than an off-grid AC system, which saves significantly on the cost. You can buy them off of their website at the link below. If the battery pack hasn't been used for more than half an hour you must wake it by pressing the button on the front of the unit. Here are some to choose from. Alpha Series is the ‘next-generation’ of solar powered LED street lighting system, that is setting the standard for the future; applying revolutionary technological developments to deliver the most intelligent solar lighting solution available today. Through Lighting Global, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank work with the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), … 12V Lighting For Stable Block or Barns 12v Garden Lighting and Summer House Solar PV Project How Long Will My Battery Last With a Given Load? The Sequent Power DC LED lights have exclusive Battery Charge Extender controls built in to each fixture. The barn does not have any grid power. An off-grid DC system requires fewer solar panels and batteries than an off-grid AC system, which saves significantly on the cost. 12 VOLT DC MOTION SENSOR LIGHTS are always on duty to work whether the inverter is running or not, and will not accidentally be left on. The battery also does a fair deal of harm to the environment. (DC CFLs are available, but are expensive, difficult to find, and very sensitive to voltage drop in DC wiring, which shortens their life drastically.) 12V DC CFL Low Energy Lighting System Step by step guide to installing off grid lighting Building a Marmite Jar Chandelier Keeping A Healthy 12v Battery Pack! When I'm done I'll be sure to post an Instructable detailing how I've built everything. I call this my "mood lighting". So my word of caution when using 12vdc lamps with an edison base is make sure to label the fixtures as such. Each of these eight lights is a 100 watt equivalent cool white CFL bulb. For now I put the panel on the ground beside the shed whenever it's sunny. If you have any questions please feel free to ask about anything at all. I am also going to pull a 8.5x24' enclosed trailer to carry my car as well as provide a small "shop-on-wheels" arrangement. off-grid solar applications for lighting in rural India. When I first got it I planned on using it for camping trips and emergencies so I made up this portable stand. Going off grid- Talk to me about AC versus DC for appliances 07-13-2014, 01:35 PM. The power cable from the ReadySet battery pack enters the attic through this hole. Oil or propane lamps- Like the Stansport Small Hurricane Lantern. 1. Ledtronics DC LED Cobra head streetlights can be pole mounted or attached to a wall and have special light distribution patterns to cover long narrow areas. If it doesn't read exactly 12 volts then that's okay. Instructables was kind enough to send me this neat little solar kit as a prize for being runner up in last year's "Off the Grid Contest". http://www.fenixintl.com/product/readyset-solar-ki... 7 years ago I found more of the same bulbs on eBay and then gathered up some electrical boxes, 18/2 Romex wire, tools and got going. Probably against code, but we had 120v CF lamp and 12v led in the same fixture. 24 VDC and 12 VDC LED bulbs are ideal for use in off-grid living, tiny house living, and homesteading and are designed to replace existing incandescent bulbs for general lighting applications. Hi, just hoping you might guide me in the right direction. However, there are disadvantages because off-grid systems require you to purchase back-up battery which can be expensive, bulky, and not very environmentally friendly which defeats the purpose of going solar (save … The WattWorks system is composed of several major components including DC LED lights, Sequent Power DC Load Center with Battery Bank, and solar PV panels. A solar unit with three 15 watt solar panels (45 watts total), a voltage regulator/charge controller and two 12 volt light bulbs with wires and sockets can be purchased from Harbor Freight for between 149 and 249 dollars (price varies with sales). Locate the site of your system on the map to determine the Winter MINIMUM Full Sun Hours rating. Even though its a 12VDC bulb it has an E26 screw base similar to the ones found on your conventional household 120VAC bulbs. The most productive hours of sunlight are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., around solar noon. I built my garage myself and did all of the wiring myself so I have it done exactly the way I like it. Do you have direct access to outlets or will you need to hard-wire? This project involves only low voltage wiring and does not present a significant electrocution hazard. As strange as the light bulb was it meant that I could install it in a conventional household light fixture as long as it was wired up for 12VDC and not 120VAC. Even so, the battery pack comes with a wall adapter charger that I have used from time to time to keep it charged up. It's great for when I'm in there working and need to be able to see what I'm doing. I'm all about the solar thermal energy myself, with three separate working solar heating systems on my property, all of which I will eventually write an Instructable for. 2. If in doubt, use a compass. This item BioLite SolarHome 620 Portable Off-Grid Solar Lighting System GVSHINE [30W Panel Foldable] Solar Panel Lighting Kit, Solar Home DC System Kit for Emergency, Hurricane, Power Outage with 4 USB Solar Charger LED Light Bulb and 5 Cellphone Charger/5V 2A Output It's simply two separate switches that fit into the space of one. Off-Grid LED Bulbs. Off-Grid LED Lighting. Seasonal changes in sun’s angle, shortened daytime, and weather also affect annual sun hours. However, a short circuit or overload anywhere in the system can still cause the wires to heat up to the point where they can start a fire. One of the great things about this installation is that it is hard wired and fully integrated with the garage. Railroad Rail Lantern / Sign Stand Split With Axe. Used two, 2w LED spots. Thus, the light is passing through the least amount of atmosphere and is perpendicular to the PV Panels, so the panel produces the most energy. Double switches will often have a brass colored tab between the two screw terminals on one side. "Off Grid" DC Solar Electric Garage Lighting... Hard Wired and Fully Integrated: In this Instructable I will show you how I set up my solar electric garage lighting. The Romex cable travels straight up into the attic where it goes into a junction box up there. I have one string of eight lights that run around the perimeter of my garage's ceiling. 4. For best operation, set solar systems in a wide clearing, away from vegetation. The system is sized according to it’s location by the Sun Hours Zone (see Solar Insolation Map). Perfect for 12V solar systems. Orientation: The orientation of solar panels is critical to the performance of the system. The WattWorks DC Power Station provides circuit breakers as required by NEC code, and includes Low Voltage Disconnects (LVD) on all LED lighting circuits. I call this my "task lighting". 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