Starting small

 We installed those solar powered Malibu lights last year and really
like them. It got me thinking about how could I do some solar lighting
inside on the cheap. Is there a good website or book that would tell
me how to start small and install a solar panel or two and wire it to
some rechargeable batteries and some LED lights for nightlights and
decorative accents?
Maybe if enough people start small and see the potential, solar
systems could grow enormously in the next decade.

  wrote:


It sounds like a good idea, starting small, except it isnt.
If you have a look at the price per watt of small solar panels
compared to large ones, its far better to design the system you need
from scratch and then build it using the most cost effective ($ per
watt) solar panels.
Small solar panels are extremely expensive for the $ per watt you get.

 On May 4, 12:43 am, maur...@tpg.com.au (Mauried) wrote:


I am not looking to do a whole system. I want to light up some LED
lights. This is what I mean, that people make adding some solar power
to your home  a major undertaking. What if I took a solar battery
charger, like item 220230901813 on ebay, and had it charge up D cells
and have the D cells wired to some LED lights. Not take the cells out
but leave them in the charger AND have them wired to the LEDs.
Wouldn't that work?

 516a81c22dca@y22g2000prd.googlegroups.com:


I'm new to this group - someone recommended it to me because I had a very
similar question to yours, but even simpler - I want to learn how to
assemble the parts for on-at-evening, off-at-dawn solar garden lights,
becasue I'm getting into stained glass and thought of making my own yard
lights, esp. good-sized ones using multiple bulbs.  I suppose what I migh
tneed is "Solar electronics Basics for Dummies", except that it doesn't
seem to exist.  Basically, i want to know how to match a bulb of a given
power requirement (since I can pop on over to Fry's and buy thse), the
correct type fo wiring, and so on, and put them together correctly.


I've made the same observation as did you:  mention something small that
ought to be really simple, and you get replies that jump into the
complexities of making your entire home off-grid.  If one re-emphasizes
"simple", one is generally told to "just go buy one and take it apart".

SO, like you, I'm looking for the Basics of *small* lights and light-
ssytems.

- Kris Krieger

 Kris Krieger wrote:

There are plenty of basic electronics websites out there that
show you how to do things like this. There are also surplus
electronics stores that will often sell things like solar
panels, charge controllers, light sensors, etc.

www.allelectronics.com sells solar lights and parts.

You can try a google search to get yourself started...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=diy+solar+light&btnG=Search

Anthony