Solar Beginner: Shed light & trickle charge

meep · 30-03-2022 12:11pm #1

Hi Folks

Thinking of getting a 10x10 shed for a ride on lawn mower and garden tool storage. It will be located some way from the house so don't really want to be running cables etc. but I do need to trickle charge the lawnmower battery.

Haven't used solar before, but I'm thinking a very simple setup would provide me with a 12v shed light and a trickle charge for the mover. No other power needed in the shed.

From initial reading, I think I need a panel, a charge controller that supports 2x 12v batteries, a 12v battery (for the light), a 12V light socket and a light switch. Anything else?

Is this the kind of charge controller I'd need?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/controller-regulator-vehicles-off-grid-systems/dp/B07CZNGS4B/ref%3Dsr_1_12?crid=2QKE461JFCJB6&keywords=solar+charge+controller+2+batteries&qid=1648637781&sprefix=solar+chartge+controller+2+batteries%2Caps%2C48&sr=8-12

Any pointers appreciated, especially on a more suitable charge controller or other hardware.

loyatemu · 30-03-2022 1:14pm

don't know about the mower, but this is probably the simplest option for a light, I have it in my shed

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B074W4RDWQ/ref%3Dppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

meep · 30-03-2022 2:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118855954#Comment_118855954

Indeed. I've been looking at items like that. However, the mower battery trickle charge is the main requirement - having a light in there is secondary.

irishchris · 30-03-2022 4:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058239504/solar-beginner-shed-light-trickle-charge

Couple good videos on YouTube of many that have done exactly this. Here is one for example. Should be cheap enough to do and nice to have an off grid shed/man cave too 😃

https://youtu.be/xnSew-tCuPo

graememk · 30-03-2022 5:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118856375#Comment_118856375

How come you have to trickle charge the mower all the time?

(that being said, i should grab the charger and give the mower a lil boost, hasnt moved since nov. )

harderthanf · 30-03-2022 7:15pm

Is it an electric mower or are you just trickling the 12v starter?

reklamos · 30-03-2022 7:27pm

I have something similar on my shed. 2x 12V PV panels (150W total) connected to 10A MPPT controller. Controller charges 12V leisure battery and provides power to air pumps in greenhouse next to the shed. Been running this for 5 years.

meep · 31-03-2022 12:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118857235#Comment_118857235

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118857837#Comment_118857837

Its a ride-on with a 12V that seems to drain quite quickly. It will start 4 or 5 times and then next time, flat, so just as easy to leave the trickle charger attached all the time. Shop was had a look and installed a new battery but the issue persists and is out of warranty so something I'll just need to live with.

harderthanf · 03-04-2022 12:53pm

This seems odd. I have a ride on (and many over the years) - my current one is over 15 years old and the battery is only now starting to go. Mine has lights on it. Are you sure there is nothing like that switched on that might drain the battery?

Regardless, I have had similar setups in a couple of my sheds. I started with one 100W panel, a simple PWM charge controller and an old 180Whr golf buggy battery. This lasted my a couple of years for the 18W LED lights I had around the place. I also had a 12V bilge pump in an ICB container running from it during the summer. Trickling onto the ride on mower wouldn't really make any difference and will be grand.

At the time ( a good few years back, before I really knew anything !) I used these https://de.eco-worthy.com/. I see the price is gone way up. They delivery to EU for free and do starter packs of panels, cable, and PWM CC. I still have a good few of these panels so they're fine.

If you're going to stay 12V and I would recommend a decent MPPT charge controller. I have a few of the EPEver 40A controllers but could get away with the 10A ( they're on Amazon, cheap enough).

I am pretty sure though that once you start down this route you'll want to be upgrading and getting a full system into the house!

Any reason for the 2x12V batteries? Are you looking for a 24v system too or just doubling the capacity?

meep · 04-04-2022 11:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118873932#Comment_118873932

Its a bit if a mystery with the ride on but the service guys have looked at it a few time sand can't really tell me whats going on.

On the 2x 12V - one is the power storage for the shed, to operate lights and maybe some tool charging etc. The other is the 12V in the mower itself. But maybe I'm not thinking about that right and I should use the solar system 12V to charge the mover? Need to do more rewarding up on how to do this - I'm not sure an inverter to 240V a.c is the right thing to then plug in my existing trickle charge unit? That seems counter-intuitive (though I do have a 12V inverter that I used to use in my car fado fado.)

Solar Beginner: Shed light & trickle charge

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