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mj876
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2012 11:07am
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Looking for ideas and suggestions for a small solar system I plan on putting into my off-grid cabin.
My solar questions are in the lighting. I plan on running Boat/Rv style DC LED lights about 4-5 of them inside and MAYBE 2-3 outside. They will only get about 4 hours use a day and just 2 times a week. I'm wondering what you all would suggest for system power and what you would do yourself ?
This was my idea and I'm wondering if its possible: Using a control panel from a boat that has 2 toggle switches and one 12 volt dc output all built into it. I would run the 2 circuits 1 for indoor and 1 for outdoor with the option to plug a small inverter into the dc output on the panel for the odd cell phone/mp3 charge. Essentially I would just be wiring my cabin as if it were a boat.
Lights are the only thing this system is going to run but MAYBE eventually there will be a small pump run to get water from the lake which is 40ish feet away. Of course a rain barrel or two along side the cabin is also an option.
Thanks all, Lets hear what you got !
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TomChum
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 12:23am - Edited by: TomChum
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Watch for "2900K" color temperature lights. Most RV LEDs I've seen are the ones with a blue tint and they make your food look like plastic.
That said, I think you will have to build your own lights because I have not seen ant 2900K RV lights available. Here's thread with some 12v LED lighting info.
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analogmanca
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 01:33am
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You should give a idea as to how many hours a day of sunlight you have, and the actual wattage of your bulbs.
Lets guess 5+3 bulbs in total =8. Wattage of each? 5 watts? So 5X8=40 watt draw if all are on at the same time. 4 hrs a day=160/12volts= 14 amp/hrs.
That is not much at all. Two T105 batteries would give you 225amp/hrs( 50amp/hrs to a 20%discharge ).A single 50 or 75 watt panel would be lots with 4 hours of sunlight.
I think you can even get by without a charge controler as that single panel (50 watt) should not over charge your batteries(unless your in Texas)
I would not put in any solar system for such little demand, I would consider two other much cheaper simpler options. Get yourself a couple rechargable lights to bring with you when you come. The type above emergency exits. They have a built in rechargable battery, and a couple bulbs to aim light where you want.
Or buy a new Aladdin lamp (Genie two). I am not kidding these are the best oil lamps I have ever used. One lamp will throw out more light than all your led bulbs together.
I have one that I built a reflector for (from a huge stainless dog dish). I can place it at one end of the living room, and 21 feet away I can pull a book off the shelf, and read.
As a bonus they throw out roughly 500 watts of heat ( my guess), and if you dont want the heat build a little pipe extention to vent the chimney out a window. Dont use the kerosene that most people use, instead buy low odor paint thinner. Not only does it burn without any smell, it burns so clean you almost never will have to trim a wick.
Should you go his route I would also suggest you get on ebay, and buy Some of the old stock mantles made in Brazil, The new ones are ok, but I have found the made in Brazil ones to give a better quallity, better volume of light, and be more durable. The down side is they often sell for many times more than the cheaper ones.
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analogmanca
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2012 03:10am
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TomChum,
Checked out your link to the led lights you built, good Job!
You commented on your problems with the Alladdin lamp. The black soot on the mantel you spoke of is not a problem with the lamp, just the operator.
You had it turned up too high, just turn it down a little from maxiumum brightness. With a little experience that isnt a problem. I smoked up mine the first time I used it.
There is a little screen disc that snaps to the top of the chimney that will stop the moths that caused your problems.
Also the price you paid was high, I am am sure you can buy a basic Genie two Alladdin for around 120.00, Though I would spend a little more, and buy the extra tall chimney. Better draw, more light especially at higher elevations.
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TomChum
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# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 12:49am - Edited by: TomChum
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Hi A, thanks for the dialogue.
Quoting: analogmanca You commented on your problems with the Alladdin lamp. The black soot on the mantel you spoke of is not a problem with the lamp, just the operator. You had it turned up too high, just turn it down a little from maxiumum brightness. With a little experience that isnt a problem. I smoked up mine the first time I used it.
I smoked it, cleared it, smoked it, cleared it many many times, enough to learn the proper settings over the course of several evenings. If it's too high, it soots the mantle quickly. Too low, it soots the mantle too, not so quickly. After each soot buildup it takes several minutes of your time and attention to monitor and adjust carefully to burn the soot off. If it's just right, it burns clean until it drifts one way or the other (too low or too high) and then it soots the mantle again. Lesson learned, operating the lamp becomes the evening's entertainment and if you slack, you may see a 6 inch flame out of the top of the chimney you won't forget! You must choose a location where there are NO combustibles above.
I found that entire evenings were dedicated to the Alladin, and lost enthusiasm, especially after how well the Kero-LED fixtures worked out. I bought a new mantle($12), and will figure out a screen to keep the bugs out, but I'm pretty sure it will go un-used until a 'power outage'.
Quoting: analogmanca Dont use the kerosene that most people use, instead buy low odor paint thinner. Not only does it burn without any smell, it burns so clean you almost never will have to trim a wick.
This is interesting, I had not heard this and didn't get it from the manual, although it may have been 'said'. I will certainly consider a different fuel before engaging in another session with that lamp!
Quoting: analogmanca Or buy a new Aladdin lamp (Genie two). I am not kidding these are the best oil lamps I have ever used. One lamp will throw out more light than all your led bulbs together.
The Alladin lamp has claims of 60W equivalent on the box and I believe it. It's too bright, I think, to use on my table without a diffuser of some kind. Mounted up high with a down-reflector would be a good use of this light, but I wouldn't look forward to babysitting the mantle on a stepladder, you'd be up there all evening.
I used "water-clear" kerosene, the kind intended for indoor Kerosene Heaters. Maybe there is a "cleaner" kerosene, in that case my trouble above might be the reason not to use "water-clear". I think the diffuser (a crown-shaped glass unit) and its brass bracket were about $80 of the cost.
In any case my one 6.2W LED lantern is approximately equivalent to the diffused Alladin, so I think modern LEDs can compete with the Alladinn oil lamp for light, and very economically.
My 3 electrified Kero-LED lamps use (6.2+3.2+6.6=) 16W total, and I don't usually have them all on at the same time but all 3 lamps is much more light than the (diffused) Alladin. 4 hrs a day=64/12volts= 5.3 amp/hrs. My 85w panel puts out about 7 amps, so 4 hours of evening lighting is replenished by about an hour of the day's sunlight.
You can see the Alladin with its white diffuser on the table (not burning) A bare 2.8w LED bulb is hanging from a wire in this photo. It's a 2900K color bulb, looks a little more yellow than incandescent. 
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analogmanca
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# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 01:11pm - Edited by: analogmanca
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TomChum,
Wow, I cant understand how you have had so many troubles with that lamp. I have 4 of these lamps, and I have had such a opposite experience, and your sooting of the mantle when turning it down has me scratching my head, I can turn mine down to nothing without a problem.
If I had such problems I would not be using it either.
One thought comes to mind, I have heard that there were problems with the burner assemblies made in brazil (maybe mexico), the steel (or maybe stainless steel) ones. I dont remember exactly the problem, but inconsistant operation was mentioned. It had something to do with the expansion of the burner metal as is warms up/cools down. I remember the person telling me about it saying if you had one of those you could never leave the room, or leave it alone.
Just did some googling, and it was the steel burners from Brazil, but it looks like also problems with the brass ones made in Hong Kong.-from the aladdinlamps.info/rescue site.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 5 Feb 2012 06:05pm
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Quoting: analogmanca I think you can even get by without a charge controler as that single panel (50 watt) should not over charge your batteries(unless your in Texas)
IMO, omitting a charge controller would be a mistake. For a simple system they are a small cost and ensure you won't cook away the fluid if you are absent for a few days and leave the system working. Of course I'm of the belief that the system should run itself with as little intervention as possible from the user. A good system can virtually run itself once you learn the frequency to check the fluid levels, do an equalization and so on.
I like the Alladin lamps but most of the year we don't want any extra heat in the cabin so they sit and look pretty.
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kdrtk
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# Posted: 7 Feb 2012 09:58pm - Edited by: kdrtk
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I believe a small solar system is a great option. It can easily be done for under $1000 and now days approaching $500. Kyocera 135 panel, easy to use MC4 cables, 10 or 12 amp PWM controller Morningstar or xantrax C-12, 12 volt fuse block, and 12 volt deep cycle battery. If you search Panel $350, Controller $100, cables $30, fuse block $30, battery $150. This real system will power plenty of CFL or LED lighting with extra to spare. Add a amall pwm inverter and run/recharge laptop/phone etc, or larger mod sine wave inverter and run drill, vacum cleaner, whatever. I do both. You can do it, I had no experience
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mj876
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# Posted: 24 Apr 2012 11:32am
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Sorry guys,
I didn't realize anybody had replied to my thread. I've been so caught up following other members projects I forgot about my own questions.
I'm still a long way from solar as we are just finishing up the road to where we plan on building but I did pick up a few MR16 LED lights off ebay with the MR16 sockets to go with them to experiment with on rainy days. Each bulb consists of 4 1watt LEDs and seem to put off a decent amount of light.
I figure about 6-8 of these should be plenty for my lighting needs when the time comes. (4-6 inside, 2 outside)
The supplier local to me that sells solar panels sells a 20 watt, 40 watt, and a 90 watt model.
As for Panel size, wire gauge, switch types, battery bank, I'm lost trying to figure this stuff out. Any thoughts would be appreciated! (2 circuits is all I'm going to be using: indoor/outdoor)
Thanks!
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evrmc1
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# Posted: 24 Apr 2012 01:35pm
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what I am going to use is a rechargeable lantern They come with a solar cell u hang in window when it reaches full charge it will run for 24 hrs they are about $50.00 off ebay
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bukhntr
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# Posted: 1 Jan 2013 10:54pm
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looking for ideas for off grid lighting, I am only there a couple of days at a time. I don't really want to run any appliances just looking for good light. individual rechargable lamps is what I had in mind. Cabin is 12x28.
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