Fill two needs with one deed.

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  • Stormy Meridith
    Junior Member
    • May 2024
    • 3
    #1

    Fill two needs with one deed.

    Hello all,
    I have a shed, it’s not powered. I store my portable generator in this shed. Because there is no power, I have no light.
    I thought about hiring an electrician to provide power to it then I thought could solar handle my needs?
    After delving into low cost solar kits, and trying to understand what these kits are used for, I believe that a low cost kit available from Harbor Freight might do what I want.
    The kit comes with (4) 25 watt solar panels, a controller box, misc. cables and hardware and (2) hanging led lights.
    So I know that I can hook up and have lighting, and I know that my self start generator has a 12V 18 Ah lead acid battery.
    What I am hoping to accomplish, and only these two things are, generate enough power to charge my 12V battery connected to my generator
    and power on two lights on the very rare occasion that I have to visit my shed in the dark.
    What I don’t know is will these (4) panels supply enough juice to do what I want and will the controller keep my battery charged but not over or undercharge it.

    Seems like an easy thing to do.
    Hoping someone can verify.
    Tags: None
    • bcroe
      Solar Fanatic
      • Jan 2012
      • 5203
      #2
      The HF kit is not a high performer for the bucks, but it will provide everything you need to get some hands on experience. One thing not included is the 12V battery, but for you that will be the gen set start battery. If all you run are a few minutes on LED lights, it should be able to maintain a good state of battery charge, check it in operation. Do not expect that type of panel to have a long life, but they can be replaced by one larger (and probably cheaper) panel when that year comes. good luck, Bruce Roe
        👍 1

        Comment

        • Stormy Meridith
          Junior Member
          • May 2024
          • 3
          #3
          Originally posted by bcroe
          The HF kit is not a high performer for the bucks, but it will provide everything you need to get some hands on experience. One thing not included is the 12V battery, but for you that will be the gen set start battery. If all you run are a few minutes on LED lights, it should be able to maintain a good state of battery charge, check it in operation. Do not expect that type of panel to have a long life, but they can be replaced by one larger (and probably cheaper) panel when that year comes. good luck, Bruce Roe
          Thanks for clarifying.
          I'm going to give it a go.

            Comment

            • Rade
              Solar Fanatic
              • Aug 2023
              • 106
              #4
              Originally posted by Stormy Meridith
              Hello all,
              I have a shed, it’s not powered. I store my portable generator in this shed. Because there is no power, I have no light.
              I thought about hiring an electrician to provide power to it then I thought could solar handle my needs?
              After delving into low cost solar kits, and trying to understand what these kits are used for, I believe that a low cost kit available from Harbor Freight might do what I want.
              The kit comes with (4) 25 watt solar panels, a controller box, misc. cables and hardware and (2) hanging led lights.
              So I know that I can hook up and have lighting, and I know that my self start generator has a 12V 18 Ah lead acid battery.
              What I am hoping to accomplish, and only these two things are, generate enough power to charge my 12V battery connected to my generator
              and power on two lights on the very rare occasion that I have to visit my shed in the dark.
              What I don’t know is will these (4) panels supply enough juice to do what I want and will the controller keep my battery charged but not over or undercharge it.

              Seems like an easy thing to do.
              Hoping someone can verify.
              I did that as well as a way to teach myself how to set up a solar rig. I added a deep-cycle marine battery to the rig. There were a few times I used that to power my office (PC, monitor, phone, printer, other desk stuff) and it worked quite well. It also kept the battery charged so I was able to use that for a 12v trawling motor for small boat I took out on a local pond.

              Although I have a full solar rig that we use to generate and power the house, this year, we will be rehabbing a shed and I will probably invest in a small solar rig like that again to put power out there.
              Rade Radosevich-Slay
              Tiverton, RI
                👍 1

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