Advice Needed: Want to build a solar panel LED light setup for entire backyard.

[Ampster]

I am hoping someone can shed some light on the setup I want to build. .............
I would really like to make it a modular plug in system so that if I purchase another string, I can simply plug it into a board of some sort instead of wiring every string together on one connection. Can I get this type of setup for each individual connection?

Fifteen years ago I had a similar plan. Solar panels and LEDs were expensive then. I used a 200 Watt panel, a Morninstar SunSaver that was a charge controller and also switched on the lights. I used a small 12v deep cycle battery. The lights ran off 12v DC and I never had enough of them to ever run down the battery.
I moved to a new house 9 years ago then and put a grid tied solar system that has a few years to go for it to pay for itself. In that home, with Net Metering, the grid is a like a battery and the LEDs are modular in that they plug into a 120v AC outlet. I get all the benefits of that earlier system without the headaches of checking the battery every month. That earlier system was not cost effective but it taught me the benefits of having a grid tie system for the long term.

[solys]

I want to find some gorgeous outdoor lights on Amazon, but I didn't find what I wanted.

I have compiled a big list of outdoor solar lights with pros/cons and other details, may come in handy for you https://www.everysolarthing.com/blog...garden-lights/

P.S. The article contains no ads or affiliate links whatsoever

Useful posts. I am looking for the LED string lighting setup for my store. If I want about 10 meters of 80 small LED lights per string, I don't know how many volts and amps I need. How do I choose a panel.

I want to find some gorgeous outdoor lights on Amazon, but I didn't find what I wanted.

Useful posts. I am looking for the LED string lighting setup for my store. If I want about 10 meters of 80 small LED lights per string, I don't know how many volts and amps I need. How do I choose a panel.

[SunEagle]

I attached a photo of the basic schematic I made showing the components and connections.

I am wondering if a 60W panel will do the job from the reply here. That would be a much better footprint in size for the back.

When I look up 60w panels most show this as the power rating:

Max Power: 60W

Volts: 17.2

Amps: 3.49

So, with this panel I would need a minimum of a 10A rated charge controller to handle that load with room to spare? To be safe what gauge wire from the panel to the controller and also to the battery?

Depending on the distance you should be able to use #12 awg wire between the panel, charge controller and battery. From the battery to your lights you might be able to use the same wire but again depends on the distance between the battery and DC controller.

[aztecsurf]

I attached a photo of the basic schematic I made showing the components and connections.

I am wondering if a 60W panel will do the job from the reply here. That would be a much better footprint in size for the back.

When I look up 60w panels most show this as the power rating:

Max Power: 60W

Volts: 17.2

Amps: 3.49

So, with this panel I would need a minimum of a 10A rated charge controller to handle that load with room to spare? To be safe what gauge wire from the panel to the controller and also to the battery?

[bcroe]

Please keep firmly in mind that whith 5V DC wiring (unless you put a 12V to 5V converter for each string) the voltage drop in tens or hundreds of feet of low voltage wire carrying 1-4 amps will be significant.
18ga wire may not do the job.

Amen, the DC - DC converters need to be located at each LED feed point, to keep efficiency
up and required wire size down. At that point they will also assure the LEDS get exactly the
voltage they need. Bruce Roe

[inetdog]

Well healthy sunshine here in Southern Cali is abundant. Should be no problem. Thanks so much for your advice on the project. Cant wait to get started. Time to order some parts!

Please keep firmly in mind that whith 5V DC wiring (unless you put a 12V to 5V converter for each string) the voltage drop in tens or hundreds of feet of low voltage wire carrying 1-4 amps will be significant.
18ga wire may not do the job.
You need to draw up a plan layout and figure out just how long all of your runs of wire will be so that you can calculate the needed wire sizes in different parts of the network.

[aztecsurf]

Well healthy sunshine here in Southern Cali is abundant. Should be no problem. Thanks so much for your advice on the project. Cant wait to get started. Time to order some parts!

[inetdog]

Ok, after checking what I have today it is basically (4) DC 5V - 1000mA output LED string lights. 5-6 hour run time average per night.

What kind of panel / controller - amp rating / battery would do the job? It seems like a 100w panel may be a nice fit.

Thanks again.

Let's run the numbers:

1. 5V 1000mA is 5 watts.
2. Four strings make 20 watts.
3. 6 hours makes 120 watt-hours.
4. From a 12V battery, with a 100% efficient converter to 5V, 120 watt-hours would be 10 amp-hours (AH).
5. Not planning to run the battery down more than 20% (for best life using a lead-acid battery) you would need a 50AH battery.
6. To charge a 50AH battery properly, you will need at least 50W of panel power.

Now looking a replacement power, if you use a 100w panel meant to work with 12V batteries, you will get an actual power into the battery of about 60-70 watts.

So to replace 120WH of power used, the 60W panel will need to collect the equivalent of two hours of full noon sunlight on the panel. Even in winter most locations in the continental US will get that much sun. The panel location would have to be totally unshaded for most of the day.

There are still a few IFs and some places for the actual efficiency being lower than the ideal, but your proposed system could work.

[aztecsurf]

Ok, after checking what I have today it is basically (4) DC 5V - 1000mA output LED string lights. 5-6 hour run time average per night.

What kind of panel / controller - amp rating / battery would do the job? It seems like a 100w panel may be a nice fit.

Thanks again.

[bcroe]

I have a indoor strip that requires 5V - 500mA that is only 10M. I have
the same strip for outdoor with no output on the label so I assume it's the same.

Since these strips are all very close to each other as far as needed power depending on the length and LED count should I just buy a few of these converters and step each strand to the proper voltage it wants?

It looks like I am getting close. Just need to pick the correct battery and panel to match.

That converter ought to work, if you keep it dry. If you get radio interference, you'll need
put some shielding/filtering on it. A version without the meter is even cheaper & uses a
little less power.

You need to find out exactly what power your strings use, since that directly impacts batteries
and panels. Bruce Roe

[aztecsurf]

Thank you, I appreciate your help on my questions. The issue is I have several different light strip lengths and power requirements I have found. I have a indoor strip that requires 5V - 500mA that is only 10M. I have the same strip for outdoor with no output on the label so I assume it's the same.

Since these strips are all very close to each other as far as needed power depending on the length and LED count should I just buy a few of these converters and step each strand to the proper voltage it wants?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-Buck-Voltage-Converter-4-5-40V-12V-To-5V-2A-Step-down-LED-Voltmeter-USB-/181777888467?hash=item2a52ce74d3

It looks like I am getting close. Just need to pick the correct battery and panel to match.

[SunEagle]

Ok, after going over some of the specs of these lights and requirements I think I was able to simplify this. First I don't believe I need the inverter at all. All my LED lights are DC and basically we are going from the panel - controller - battery - step down DC-DC converter for each strand. No AC in the chain. I will be using bare wire on the LED strands with no AC adapters. Some of the DC step down models have USB fittings on the output and I can simply wire each strands two wires into a USB connector. That would make this more of a modular setup.

Some of my lights that are longer require up to 120 Volts, 0.25 Amps. So if I am correct do I calculate the 0.25 into how many hours I will want and that will determine the battery storage?

Thanks..

I am sorry. It is getting hard to follow what you need since your hardware description keeps changing.

I don't want to send you down the wrong path on purchasing hardware if I really don't know what your LED lights need to be powered or how many watts they burn up.

[bcroe]

However, I remember I also have a 100LED 33FT strand for indoors that uses an AC Adapter. Here is the output on that device = DC 5V - 1000mA. That string is very close to my outdoor setup so I would think that's going to be the average load needed per strand.

Of course if I need to I can step it down with a small converter.

That is 5V X 1A = 5W. For a couple bucks you can pick up a very efficient buck regulator to
run them from 12V. Bruce Roe