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12 volt power with mains power back up

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  • 12 volt power with mains power back up

    I have a shed for making RC models and garden rail. Looking around I can see that my lighting, video security and some tools can run direct from 12volts. As a project, I would like to put a couple of solar panels on the roof and see what I can power that way. The shed has mains which I use for heating, lathe, drill and the essential kettle. Can I hook both the solar charger and an intelligent (adjustable start and stop voltage) mains battery charger to the battery? Could either charger mess up the other?
    Simplistically, the sun does not always shine in England so I would be looking to supplement my power use this way. This is a project so I can learn about off grid in a practical way. I am not looking for pay back nor interested in an inverter.

  • #2
    Hello Kenhsilver and welcome to Solar Panel Talk.

    Having a solar / battery system to power some loads along with grid power is possible but you will need to isolate the two sources. Your 12V loads would have to be separate from you AC power loads.

    You can connect a mains battery charger to the same set of batteries your solar charger is connected to but you really do not want to have them both working at the same time so you do not abuse the batteries by over charging them.

    I am not sure what you pay for power in England but if you look at the cost of a solar/battery power source it usually calculates to a few times more than purchasing that power from your POCO (electric utility).

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    • #3
      Thank you.
      Lighting with 12v LEDs is fairly easy to isolate. I am planning to run a separate set of 12v connectors. There doesn't appear to be a common standard for 12 DC plugs and sockets for mounting on walls. The auto cigarette socket does not look good as a wall fitting. Push fittings also look a bit naff. I have found an Australian caravan plug and socket that could do the job. It has to be totally different so the two sources AC and DC cannot be confused.
      Ideally the mains charger could be timed to only work at night so that could work. Prefer the system to be automatic.
      This is not an economic project just a practical exercise to learn a bit more about solar. There are many low voltage DC products that would suit a shed environment.
      Thank you again for your quick response.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Kenhsilver View Post
        Thank you.
        Lighting with 12v LEDs is fairly easy to isolate. I am planning to run a separate set of 12v connectors. There doesn't appear to be a common standard for 12 DC plugs and sockets for mounting on walls. The auto cigarette socket does not look good as a wall fitting. Push fittings also look a bit naff. I have found an Australian caravan plug and socket that could do the job. It has to be totally different so the two sources AC and DC cannot be confused.
        Ideally the mains charger could be timed to only work at night so that could work. Prefer the system to be automatic.
        This is not an economic project just a practical exercise to learn a bit more about solar. There are many low voltage DC products that would suit a shed environment.
        Thank you again for your quick response.
        You are welcome. I believe 12v products can be found on a number of recreation vehicle sites like the Australian caravan.

        Just be aware that at the lower voltage of 12V a long wire run can create a voltage drop that will affect the load's efficiency. Usually a larger wire is used to help improve voltage drop.

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        • #5
          How about this idea with an adaptor or a ac/dc powersupply
          Attached Files

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          • #6
            Looks good and would take care of the battery charging.
            I have started the wiring of 12v outlets with a 24v “ring” circuit. 24v to 12v drop down devices are cheap. I have adopted the small round 12v plugs and sockets. Most of my 12v devices; water pump, security cameras and desk lighting have these already have these plugs. Lighting is easier as I have now replaced the GU10 with 12v MR16 bulbs after finding converter fittings on eBay.

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