Solar panels, charges and batteries

[excossack]

Ive aquired 8 x 12v @ 7.2ah sealed lead acid batteries(they type the have in UPSs)

Im planning on, Solar panel, charge controller and the batteries linked up to power some 12v 5w garden lights.

Im planning on wiring the batteries together so i end up with 12v but 57.6ah in total.( + to + and - to - ) So basically one big bank of batteries.

Do charge controllers like to charge sealed lead acid batteries?
If it all works out well, I will change the light bulbs to LED ones to further reduce the power consumption.

 

[Omniata]

There are charge controllers out there, have a look on eBay

Edit: Something like this ought to come close:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/60A-12V-24V-S...3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:1|39:1|240:1318

Make sure your sat down when you look

 

[andypocock]

Very nice but I don't think you need to go to such expense unless you are looking after a flashier system than some old UPS batteries stuck together.

I've got a couple of old 110Ah batteries that are charged from a couple of small panels and a wind turbine via a £10 ebay charge controller.

It means I normally have a battery available for jump starting and as I did it all on the cheap it will pay for itself in about 210 years

Andy

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

what voltage does the solar panel chuck out?

If it's 12.5V then I'd go with something simple like a diode in between the panels and batteries.

When the batteries drop below 12v then they'll top up from the panels but at night when the solar panels drop below 12v the diodes stop the batteries feeding back into them.

You'd only need more 'control' bits if the solar panels give far more than, say, 13.5 volts.

I built a battery charger for thse types of batteries when I installed burglar alarms, circuit diagram from the old Maplins catalogue. The whole charger only cost a tenner or so to make and it will supply any voltage between 3 and 32 as I recall.

As they're lead-acid you can charge them to about 13.5v anyway...

Regards
Peter

 

[BIG JAY VTR]

i have been looking at a similar idea to have lights in my trailer tent for the bike rallys, there are some cheap solar pannels that include the diode system on ebay so it would seem the simplest way to go,,

 

[rtbcomp]

Whatever you use a solar panel for you're only saving money at about 14p per kw-Hr so unless you're a long way away from the mains you may as well use a battery charger or even don't bother with batteries.

I have been thinking of doing similar to charge the battery that maintains the emergency lights in my blast room, but opted for a battery charger that comes on during Economy 7 hours.

That said, I may try making a wind turbine just for the fun of it.

 

[madkayaker]

wind turbines need "clean" air so not very effective near buildings

 

[excossack]

The solar panel ive seen is 12-19v(iirc) @ 10w. As the lights will only be running from 5pm during darker months, and from 9pm summer months till say midnight or later if enjoying the evening warmth.

I would like to split the lights, so I have a set in the rear garden, and some in the front, with on by the front door so i can see the lock/keys at night.

Having a long run of cable opens a new chapter with regards to voltage drop etc.
Eventually, if all works out, I would like to host my own mini Web/FTP server running off a Mini-ITX motherboard, powered by the solar panels/batteries etc.