Solar light for shed

[lynnbilodeau]

This is my wife's shed. It has an electric meter, but no power to it right now. We have to pay a minimum monthly charge for the service, so I don't plan to turn it on. We already have two meters on the main house (long story), so really don't want a third. We need a light that we can turn on for those rare occasions when we go in there after dark. I am thinking a simple solar powered light. It has to have enough cable that I can mount the solar panel on the roof, and run the cable to the light, which could be mounted centrally on the ceiling. It is only 440 square feet. NEVER do any actual work in there at night. Just need to be able to get around. Don't want to mess with touch lights that are battery powered.

I am guessing at least one of you knuckleheads have done something similar. Maybe I can learn from your experience.

As always, all help appreciated.

 

[BillK]

How about something like this. It has a 16 ft cable from the solar cell to the light. I am sure you could probablly extend it if you had to.

https://www.amazon.com/ropelux-Lights-Outdoor-Security-Waterproof/dp/B0CBV6VX9Z?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jimy]

A solar light seems to be a common option for sheds these days. I’d look at new sheds to get an idea what might work for you.

 

[bdbecker]

Something like this might work for you...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4LAOWB?tag=atomicindus08-20

FWIW, that 'hykolity' brand is the same brand as the LED lights I installed in my shop a few years ago. Good customer service - I've only had issues with one light and they ended up sending me a 6-pack when I put in a warranty claim.

 

[Fortress67]

I used a Motion Sensor, LED with Remote Solar Panel Light, that i got for Sams. Mounted the Panel on the outside of the shed that has the most sun Exposure. Drilled a hole to run the wire inside and mounted the Light in the middle of the shed. It lights up the shed like its on the sun.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is what I installed for a neighbor in their shed.
I installed a couple of ceiling mounted porcelain bulb holders with 12 volt screw in RV bulbs. You can get LED ones or incandescent,
I wired them up to a conventional wall switch and a couple year old car battery that I had laying around.

The shed was close enough to run an extension cord and battery charger once every few months.

For only occasional use, I’d use a motorcycle battery that is easier to carry back to the shop for occasional recharge.

If that’s too much work, you could hook up a solar panel to trickle charge the battery but that’s more work and a lot more expense.

 

[Beerhippie]

You'll be amazed at how little solar panel it takes to run a light--or lights--for a shed.

Here's what I used to light an outdoor sign and yard lights--all night long:



I didn't use the white block--a light sensor to turn the lights on at dusk. The battery is 12 AH. I ended up using a different charge controller as the one that came with my panel was ****. The new controller uses the output of the panel as a dusk-to-dawn sensor.

Here it is, almost finished:





As I mentioned, the charge controller got swapped out and the light sensor removed. I also added a second 12 AH battery to keep the lights on during our long winter nights.

Here's what the system is running:





If you can jump-start a car, you have the technical skills to assemble something like this. For our storage Conexes, I add a 12V occupancy sensor, so the lights come on when I walk in the door.

If you want, I can put together a parts list this afternoon.

 

[jstroede]

My solution to this was to use LED lights powered by a cordless tool battery. My wife "inherited" a 24V cordless snowblower that rarely gets used, so I repurposed the battery to run lights in the shed. It cost me like $10 in total for lights off of amazon and a few 3D printed mounts.

 

[Bodj Built]

We have a small 8x10ft tin shed I use for holding the dirtbikes and bicycles. I needed a light for the same reason as you, and ended up going with this. It's awesome and works great. Motion sensing so I don't have to worry about finding the switch when I go in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SW3Y495/?tag=atomicindus08-20