Running a fan,a CF Light bulb and a string of LED lights

Click to enlarge photos



Costs for this system retail is 259.00 for Gel cell sealed 12 volt solar battery

About 800 to a thousand for the panels (nowadays figure 2 dollars/watt,so 250 watts is 500 bucks)

Charge controller is 120 dollars (now about 55)

Cheapie inverter 300 watts is 40 bucks or so.

I had the wire.


Total is new retail is 1200-1400 dollars
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From Craigslist....used stuff

I paid 35 dollars for the panels,one was free because it was covered in Calcium (got it pretty clean with CLR,output is at specs),and other 70 watts I got for 35 dollars because frame is bent (Eventually bought about 3000 watts of used panels from him at 2 dollars a watt)

The controller was hooked to a panel I bought,gave to me free.

Battery free for testing it for guy I bought solar from.(He had a source to buy a ton of em from a hospital replacing their 2 year old back up batteries) Later bought more from him at 50 bucks each,three years later still are awesome.

Inverter 40 bucks.

I had the wire.

Total cost used parts and freebies....75 dollars!!!

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Added this....

Got those other three panels hooked up to the house battery backup batteries.10 amps now going into those.

TOMORROW i WILL HOOK UP A COUPLE LIGHTS OUTSIDE DOOR NEXT DOOR AND ON BACK SERVICE PORCH WHERE BACKUP SYSTEM IS.Dang caps lock.

I have a 12 volt tractor light I got at thrift store,35 watts,that will run off the barn system from the morningstar controller

Added 20 amp fuses to battery line and solar panel line as its a 20 amp 12 volt Morningstar Charge controller...

The 2 wires on the left are coming from the solar panels.The 2 wires in the middle go to the batteries.The 2 wires on right go back outside and power the porch ligh as this controller has the optional light control circuit.




6 Deka batteries and small inverter,6 more Dekas coming hopefully....




Inspected and passed by Code Enforcement...




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The Porch light.....

My Latest project,all from Thrift Store parts so dirt cheap.I have no idea cost,last basket was 28 dollars and included 2 of the 35 watt tractor lights and the bracket.

I bent the bracket into a shape I liked...

Click to enlarge pics,lower resolution pics so dialup friendly



Run wires through wall to Charge Controller timer circuit,they are the 2 wires on Right.See,solar even loves me,wires are an upside down heart,LOL!...






All wired up...




It works! All set up to run 3 hours after dark and 1 hour before Dawn.That Morningstar Controller is fine!




Im sure Mrs will paint it up real cute (edit,She did,looks great),but pretty cool light,eh? I went out at night and it lights the whole backyard,Nice! And on free sun power,gotta love it!



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