Garden lighting

Hi, there is no section for garden lighting so I have decided to post here.
I am wanting to install some LED lights in the back garden. There are dozens on Ebay but the solar panels are tiny.
What I thought about doing is putting a 20 or 50W solar panel on my kitchen roof (about half way up the house) and then running the lights from it.

Worth a try??

Has any member had any experience with solar lighting?

Mike

 

I'm sceptical about Solar powered lighting ... although the technology seems to improve each year.

The time when they garden lights are wanted most is Winter, and that has only 10% of the Sun Power / Insolation of Summer :(

We have LED lighting in the garden, driven on a 12V circuit with a socking great big buried "underground" transformer. The length of wire, from transformer to the last light in the daisy-chain, is important for 12V (compared to Mains, because of voltage drop, but fatter & more expensive cable can be used for longer runs); pretty much all of my lights are 3W, although I have got a few 5V. They weren't cheap, but they do do an excellent job. I've got about 20 lights, so it runs to 60-100W, and we have them on for a few hours each evening. Left on 24/7/365 from memory 1W is £1.50 p.a., so assuming 4 hours every night that would be about about 25p/Watt/year, so my 100W is costing my around £25 p.a. (We have Solar PV on the roof, obviously not at night, but I'm generating what I use, so to speak)

 

Hi Mike,

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

If you're just running the LED's off it then 20/30 watt should be fine. You'll need a charge controller (£39.99 from Maplins) and a 12 volt leisure battery (Halfords, about £80)

 

Surely worth a try.. My friend has got similar light and charging system and it is working fine..

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Damon

 

I have low voltage lighting run from a transformer in the house ,as Kristen says you need to find out how long a cable this will supply , mines about 15 metres with no problems.
I also have some LED solar fairy lights which work really well . I have them on an olive tree and a magnolia . They are only cheap from the likes off B and M or Poundstretcher et al . One thing I do with all my LED string/fairy / Christmas lights ,solar or mains , is to completely immerse the lights in WD40 for a couple of minutes and then let them drain and dry off . This holds off the dreaded corrosion around the LED bulb that they are prone to outside.

 

I use solar lighting in our garden and recycled bottle tee light holder comes with stainless chain and candle wall art.

 

I have 3 mains powered external lights between the back door and rear garage access, all operated by a 3 button radio remote control switch (got 3 of them, one with each controller) and as they're only on as we walk past the electricity cost is negligible. The middle one doubles up as a light covering the hen run. Previously found solar powered lights useless.

 

I like the wine bottle one Ian

 

I got them from Dunscars garden centre on the Tarleton by pass I think they were 3 for £9.00.