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Our family has a very remote cabin in the woods . It is 12x16 and has no utilities only a 500 gallon propane tank we use to power up a ventless propane heater . The past few years we have used LED light strips hooked to a car battery . This works great until the battery gets low . We would like to be able to keep the lights going good all weekend . This cabin only gets used a week a year so we want something cheap and portable . I have researched and researched and still don't see the best route to go .
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Hello BowKill17 and welcome to Solar Panel Talk
I see three possibilities for you.
The first would be using solar panels and battery system but be aware that to safely generate even 1kWh a day might run you $1500 to $2000 so knowing what your daily watt hour usage is a critical data point because most people under-size their system and kill off their batteries.
The second option would be to get a quite inverter style generator. You can get a 2000 watt unit that can run for hours for about $1000.
Since the cabin is very rarely used IMO going with a portable solar / battery system would be a waste of money because the generator will get you more power for longer hours and can be used anywhere and at any time of the day.
The third possibility would be to use a generator and battery system. That way you will not have the gen set running all night yet still have some power.
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I'm not sure I'd say this fits the "cheap" option but you might find useful: https://www.inergysolar.com/product/kodiak/
This is light and portable but still packs a decent punch for energy if you ware wanting to power LED lights for weekends. You can bring it charged, charge it with a generator, or get a small solar setup if you want a fuel-less "reserve".Comment
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That Kodiak setup you linked is amazing but way out of my price range . This will likely be 2-3 days in November here . Generator would be great if it were quiet enough the cabin is deep in the woods where we hunt . Are any affordable power packs good enough to run some LED lights and maybe charge a couple cell phones over a weekends time? Our farm house is jsut up the road so can easily charge something up during the day if need be but it's really hard on a car battery from our experience .Comment
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There are a number of "portable" batteries that can be charged up from a generator or grid power. The problem is the more power you want the heavier those batteries get.
I have seen 20000mah batteries designed to recharge cell phones for about $30 but they aren't' designed to run lights.
Most of the portable battery system, like that Kodiak, are expensive and misleading as to what it can deliver so do the research and be careful what you purchase.Comment
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Well let's say what's the best one I could get from 2-300 . What brands should I look for and what website do I go to ? Afraid of knock off Amazon or other online sites for something like this .Comment
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If you just need some light you might look at just replacing what you have with a handful of something like this: https://www.amazon.com/PRODELI-Battery-Outdoor-Reading-Camping/dp/B01HY4RJ0S?ref=ast_p_ep.Comment
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Just get a bigger battery that's designed to be cycled more than a car battery. You can find them with a carrying handle for around $100. Get a battery minder for it while it sits at home and then charge it back up after your weekend at the cabin. Either that, or just buy lights that take disposable batteries and bring some spares.Comment
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2' x 3' @ 16 lbs Portable?
Something like this ...
100 Watt Solar Panel + Charge Controller = $124.00
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mighty-Max-1...wAAOSwzgBYyzDl
Has 2 x USB ports for charging cell phones.
Then you need to add a 24DC ( $80.00 ) or 27DC ( $90.00 ) "Deep Cycle" Marine Battery from WalMart
Total = $204.00 or $214.00
If the 100 watt PV Panel is too large then buy a smaller 50 Watt panel,
but will take 2x longer time to recharge battery vs 100 watt PV Panel..
You did not state how much energy you actually need / use per day.Last edited by NEOH; 09-22-2017, 01:44 PM.Comment
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That 100W system will get you 150WH a day which is good for about nothing. There aren't really any good innovative systems out there for camps.Comment
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You forgot to add in the racking, wiring, fusing, equipment carrier and inverter if the OP wants any AC power. A small system with a 100 watt panel and matching battery will generate less than 200 watt hours daily and can cost closer to $400.
Forget about putting any money into solar equipment. Put it towards a low cost battery and generator. Better bang for your buck.Comment
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On a sunny day, I get about 400 WHr from a 100 Watt PV Panel.
If he has 12v DC LED Lighting Strips then they only use 10 Watts per foot.
If he has 5 x 1 foot strips = 50 Watts
400 Whr / 50 Watts = 8 Hours of lighting.
How many hours of lighting do you need?
It makes no sense to lug a generator to a cabin to power some 12 Volt DC LED Strips.
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Sorry everyone very busy day at work got off very late . The cabin isn't occupied during the day usually only of an evening . The only other thing we would like to charge is phones but we can take them to our vehicles and charge them like we've done in the past if it isn't realistic . We run Odyssey AGM extreme duty batteries in some semi's i service at work thand are extremely impressive but they're also 350 a piece .Comment
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What if they don't?
They said, they use a battery to energize LED Strip Lights for lighting [at night]. (See message #1)
In message #9 - I spec'd out a Solar Panel, Charge Controller and Battery for $214. ( starter kit )
A small Honda EU 1000 costs $800 + gasoline every day at the cabin ( and oil, and spark plugs, and air filter and tuneups and noise )
They hunt - animals can hear and smell a generator, animals cannot hear or smell a solar panel.Last edited by NEOH; 09-22-2017, 10:39 PM.Comment
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