Lights for workshop and barn

[plowboy]

Maybe it was how you asked your first question about what size LED to use for a work bench that got me confused.

I didn't know you wanted to power it only from a solar battery system. I just gave you some ideas on what I did and what you can also do.

The amount of light you need depends on the type of work you want to perform. Like I said about 40 watts of LED is plenty of light for me but you might need more or less for your comfort.

As for how big a solar panel and battery system do I need to run a "work light", that again begins with what is the wattage of each LED lamp and how long will it be on. Once you determine each watt hour need you total them up to size your battery system. From there you can size your solar panel wattage and charge controller. If you use 12 volt LED you will not need an inverter. If you go with 120volt LED lamp then you need an inverter.

To get a better idea on what you need to do to calculate your "off grid" solar power system I would suggest reading the Sticky posts in the "off grid" part of this forum. You can start with the 2 links below.

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...Battery-Design

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...-Size-Tutorial

Thank you for your replies. The information is helpful and you are correct, I did not phrase the question well.

[SunEagle]

Again, I have no power to this barn. That is why I'm hoping to put up a solar panel to power the light/lights. I just don't have a feel for what size light will give me the best results. There are hundreds of units out there ranging from 40 to 100 watts that have a small remote solar panel for power. I was hoping someone here (a solar discussion forum) would have an idea of what would work and if these self contained units last and are worth the cost. I guess I will just have to buy one and find out.
Thanks for the reply.

Maybe it was how you asked your first question about what size LED to use for a work bench that got me confused.

I didn't know you wanted to power it only from a solar battery system. I just gave you some ideas on what I did and what you can also do.

The amount of light you need depends on the type of work you want to perform. Like I said about 40 watts of LED is plenty of light for me but you might need more or less for your comfort.

As for how big a solar panel and battery system do I need to run a "work light", that again begins with what is the wattage of each LED lamp and how long will it be on. Once you determine each watt hour need you total them up to size your battery system. From there you can size your solar panel wattage and charge controller. If you use 12 volt LED you will not need an inverter. If you go with 120volt LED lamp then you need an inverter.

To get a better idea on what you need to do to calculate your "off grid" solar power system I would suggest reading the Sticky posts in the "off grid" part of this forum. You can start with the 2 links below.

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...Battery-Design

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...-Size-Tutorial

[Sunking]

Plowboy you are not getting direct answers because you have not stated your needs other than a light.

What wattage of a light?
How many?
How many hours per day?
Location?

[plowboy]

If you had normal power in the barn there are LED lights that will work.

I replaced the lamps in a open fluorescent fixture with 2 34watt lamps above my work bench with 2 20 watt LED lamps. I just removed the ballast and re-wired the existing fixture to power the LED lamps with 120v power. As far as I am concerned I get the same amount of light using about 1/2 of the wattage when you consider there is no longer a ballast that consumes watts.

As Mike mentioned, since you do not have grid power you can find 12volt LED lights for RV's that will work connected to a battery.

Again, I have no power to this barn. That is why I'm hoping to put up a solar panel to power the light/lights. I just don't have a feel for what size light will give me the best results. There are hundreds of units out there ranging from 40 to 100 watts that have a small remote solar panel for power. I was hoping someone here (a solar discussion forum) would have an idea of what would work and if these self contained units last and are worth the cost. I guess I will just have to buy one and find out.
Thanks for the reply.

[SunEagle]

Can you advise me on what size LED light/lights would be suitable for over a workshop bench? My barn/shop has no power and I'm confused about what size LEDS to use. Thank you.

If you had normal power in the barn there are LED lights that will work.

I replaced the lamps in a open fluorescent fixture with 2 34watt lamps above my work bench with 2 20 watt LED lamps. I just removed the ballast and re-wired the existing fixture to power the LED lamps with 120v power. As far as I am concerned I get the same amount of light using about 1/2 of the wattage when you consider there is no longer a ballast that consumes watts.

As Mike mentioned, since you do not have grid power you can find 12volt LED lights for RV's that will work connected to a battery.

[plowboy]

If you already have power to your shop/barn, don't bother with solar.

Just saw an ad for this - http://www.bigasslight.com/products/garage-light/ They say it will work for any/every body. Right!!

For plain 12V, there are 12V LED bulbs for campers and vans. Also look at Candlepower Forums
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/content.php
They have a lot of reviews for light bulbs

Thanks Mike, no I have no power to this barn. I'm going to try a 80 watt unit from ebay just to get a feel for what might work.

[Mike90250]

If you already have power to your shop/barn, don't bother with solar.

Just saw an ad for this - http://www.bigasslight.com/products/garage-light/ They say it will work for any/every body. Right!!

For plain 12V, there are 12V LED bulbs for campers and vans. Also look at Candlepower Forums
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/content.php
They have a lot of reviews for light bulbs

[plowboy]

Can you advise me on what size LED light/lights would be suitable for over a workshop bench? My barn/shop has no power and I'm confused about what size LEDS to use. Thank you.