Outdoor sign

[danizamu]

Hello all.

For my office I've purchased an 8 x 4 can sign for an outdoor sign to be placed about 30 feet from my building. It currently has four 8 foot florescent bulbs with ballasts. I'd like to convert the sign to use solar power without spending more than it cost to run electric wiring from the building.

Has anyone done such a conversion?

[Naptown]

The killer there is less than the cost of running a wire.
Solar will cost 5-10 times that to install if you don't have to cut and repair concrete or asphalt. Even without the cut and repair in the long run you be better off running a wire.
Off grid solar is very expensive to both install and maintain.

[SunEagle]

Hello all.

For my office I've purchased an 8 x 4 can sign for an outdoor sign to be placed about 30 feet from my building. It currently has four 8 foot florescent bulbs with ballasts. I'd like to convert the sign to use solar power without spending more than it cost to run electric wiring from the building.

Has anyone done such a conversion?

That sign is at least 400 watts or more. Even if you only ran it a short time the cost of the solar system; panels, battery charger, battery and inverter will be a few thousand dollars. I think it would still be cheaper to run electric the 30 feet from the building.

[danizamu]

Outdoor sign

Electrician has quoted the solar piece at $1100 for a system with same luminosity as the 4 bulbs. However, I wonder if anyone has experience with such a conversion. An experienced conversion might give me some pointers as to configuration and unforeseen costs.

Thanks for the replies.

[inetdog]

Electrician has quoted the solar piece at $1100 for a system with same luminosity as the 4 bulbs. However, I wonder if anyone has experience with such a conversion. An experienced conversion might give me some pointers as to configuration and unforeseen costs.

Thanks for the replies.

That sounds like a very low figure to me.
1. How many hours after sunset (or clouds?) do you need the sign to remain illuminated?
2. Will the sign not normally be illuminated during the day?
3. Did the electrician tell you how long the batteries would last and what the replacement cost would be?
4. Is there a way to turn the sign on and off manually? (If the business is closed that day, for example.)
5. Has he actually done this before or is he estimating based on what he has read?

[green]

I assume it is illuminated from the inside. Maybe a cheaper solar alternative would be to buy some high quality solar lights with detachable panels like these.....

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gama-Sonic-13-in-Progressive-Solar-Spot-Light-with-Bright-White-LEDs-with-Detachable-Solar-Panel-GS-103/202819156?N=12l2#.UkmKrYZ6aBQ

....and mount the lights internally and the panels on the outside. Just a thought.

[inetdog]

I assume it is illuminated from the inside. Maybe a cheaper solar alternative would be to buy some high quality solar lights with detachable panels like these.....

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gama-Sonic-13-in-Progressive-Solar-Spot-Light-with-Bright-White-LEDs-with-Detachable-Solar-Panel-GS-103/202819156?N=12l2#.UkmKrYZ6aBQ

....and mount the lights internally and the panels on the outside. Just a thought.

If the sign is designed for linear fluorescents, any replacement other than linear LED tubes may not give proper uniform light to the sign.
Especially if it is a double -sided sign.