Ideas please - lighting for a garden shed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 08:47:00 pm
content: Hi all,I have a garden shed, which is tucked in between a wall of the house on one side and a tall fence on the other. This means that, even though there's a window, it's very dark inside and I'd like to install some lighting.There's no mains power available, so any lights will need to be battery powered - but I want to keep the system as low maintenance as possible.I don't go in there often or for long at a time, so I quite like the idea of having a battery trickle charged from a solar panel on the roof. It could easily have a week to charge in between uses, with the light on for a couple of minutes at a time. Maybe I could use a supercapacitor instead of a battery? Any suggestions for a type or supplier of panel that might work (bearing in mind the shed is usually in shade), or for the additional electronics that might be required?Maybe a simpler option would just be to use a big battery, and charge it once a year. Any suggestions for a type of battery that won't self discharge or be permanently damaged by being neglected in this way?

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 09:00:24 pm
content: First, you'll need to be more specific about the load. What is the power draw of the proposed lighting?Likely you'll want to use 12 V lighting for such a small system. What will be the amp draw of the lights. How much time per day do you estimate they will be on? (oops - ok I see in you say a few minutes at a time - but really only once a week?)If you want to do solar you'll need more specifics on solar insolation. What exactly does "mostly in the shade" mean? A solar panel will need at least some direct sunlight.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 09:08:08 pm
content: Honestly, if I was doing this, I would go for the cheap and easy solution.Buy a couple of reels of those white flexible LED strips from eBay (they run on 12V), a car battery, a switch, and a solar powered trickle charger.It will be cheap, it will be very easy to install, it will be very reliable, it won't be as efficient as using a switching regulator to control your LED's, but it won't be that far off - and you won't be using a majority of the battery capacity at any one time anyway, so it's not an issue.Those light strips have LED's that are individually dim enough as to not be too much of a glare problem, and you could run as many bits of the strip as you want and put them wherever you want. But since a 5 meter strip is 36 watts, it should be plenty bright with just one reel.Like this:http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-SMD-5050-WARM-White-NON-Waterproof-LED-Strip-150-LEDs-Light-Flexible-30led-M-/271162737825?pt=US_String_Lights_Fairy_Lights&hash=item3f228f04a1

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 09:14:54 pm
content: Or even simpler and cheaper - if it's a small area that needs occasional lighting - just install some LED lighting that uses AA or C batteries. Can use rechargables you swap out. Lots of inexpensive options for these.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 09:16:08 pm
content: There's really no way to get electricity to the shed? For instance, could you consider one of those semi-permanent wall mounted transformers used for door bells and the like? Mount it in some out of the way place inside the house and run a low voltage cable outside to the shed. You could staple such a cable to the wall much like a telephone wire. Inside the shed you could use some form of LED lighting. You get a lot of light for little power that way.

author: casper.bang
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 09:20:39 pm
content: Working on something similar (night garden lamps) with small $40 10W solar panel, $25 12V scooter battery and $10 10A power tracking charger. Will hook up power LEDs for around 2W but you could go much higher since you don't need it on all night.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2013, 09:51:23 pm
content: I would do it properly: run a cable intended for use under the ground (IOW with a metal earth shield) and run that from the meter to the shed. You can decide whether to connect the cable parallel to an existing group or make a new group. Get professional help when unsure if you can do it yourself. Mains is not something to toy with.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 04:01:14 am
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on July 30, 2013, 09:08:08 pmI'm with you on this one.

author: ignator
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 04:17:27 am
content: Here is something ready to go, off eBay. Search for "solar shed light"http://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-5-LED-Solar-Powered-Panel-Garden-Path-Wall-Shed-Fence-Yard-Light-Lamp-/160840402669?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2572d5c6edHope this option meets your requirements.

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 08:40:40 am
content: Flashlight

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 10:37:37 am
content: Check outthis videothat shows how to use a 2 liter soda bottle as a light. This simple ingenious idea may be useful.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 06:20:50 pm
content: Some really good suggestions there, thanks everyone. Sometimes it's just about knowing what to google.I like the look of the LED strips. Distributed lighting nicely solves the problem of the world suddenly going dark the moment I stand in front of the bulb! That was the problem I found using a torch in there the other day - fine as long as it's pointing the right way and isn't obstructed.I think what I'll do is order up a strip or two, then try them out to see just how much light I actually need in there, then make a decision on how to power them. I suspect that something the size of a motorcycle battery should have plenty of capacity to run them, provided it doesn't keep dying over winter. If it becomes a problem, then I'll think about running a cable from the house.

author: Bloch
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 07:27:47 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on July 31, 2013, 06:20:50 pmDont use a "normal" battery. But a "Backup" battery. Like this Panasonic LC-R127[size=78%] [size=78%]http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=70197042

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 31, 2013, 07:37:32 pm
content: If you don't want a flashlight because you have to hold it, tie it facing the ceilings ant paint the cieling white.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 04:51:20 pm
content: Just to follow up - I went for a 5m LED strip chopped into three lengths, and wired them up through a switch to a 12V 7Ah Yuasa standby battery. The result is a pleasant, diffuse light, and given how infrequently I use the shed after dark, the battery should only need charging a couple of times a year if that.The only snag was that the LED strip didn't stick well to bare wood, but that's (hopefully!) resolved with some contact adhesive. Fingers crossed the strips don't fall off again!Thanks again for the suggestions - much appreciated.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 05:10:58 pm
content: I like it. I've been meaning to get some of those 5m reels as well.

author: casper.bang
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 05:18:39 pm
content: In case you are interested, this is my $120 solar charged LED strip solution I am very happy with:http://blog.bangbits.com/2013/08/how-to-pimp-greenhouse.html

author: MatCat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 05:55:23 pm
content: If you don't want to use electricity at all and have the ability to make some holes:http://cleantechnica.com/2011/08/01/solar-lights-made-of-plastic-bottles-water/

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 06:08:13 pm
content: Full marks for lateral thinking, but I'd prefer my shed to remain leak-free and for my lighting to work when the sun has gone down.Call me boring if you like, but on this occasion a lead-acid battery and some LEDs are, I think, a better solution.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 28, 2013, 06:57:13 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on August 28, 2013, 04:51:20 pmWow, that actually looks really good - nice even light. Or maybe you just have l33t camera skills