How would I make this so it is solar powered?

[Tclloyd0812]

My husband and I practically lived off of these for a year that we lived off grid. We didn't want to run our lights on our main solar system, so we had a bunch of these. They worked great and if there wasn't enough sun, there is an option to just charge them. They have a button on the top to turn off/on. These were life savers for us, but we're simple country people.

https://www.amazon.com/Powered-Port...t+bulb+with+solar+panel&qid=1633650599&sr=8-3

 

[Tclloyd0812]

Thank you all for replying.

I will probably get a heavy duty outdoor extension cord. We have some outlets outside (attached to the house) so I can plug them into there.

And lastly, do you guys think the light that I'm going to buy is a good choice?

(https://www.amazon.com/Woods-Resistant-Security-Ceiling-Incandescent/dp/B000A7UQES/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Woods+L1706+Vandal+Resistant+Security+Light+With+Ceiling+Mount+(150W+Incandescent+Bulb,+Silver)&qid=1627241357&sr=8-1)

Are there any better lights out there that have a timer, so I can 'set and forget'?

You can get a Christmas tree timer extension cord maybe for the light? Not sure if it would be effective or not though. I think they have timer kits you can purchase online.

 

[Banana01]

My husband and I practically lived off of these for a year that we lived off grid. We didn't want to run our lights on our main solar system, so we had a bunch of these. They worked great and if there wasn't enough sun, there is an option to just charge them. They have a button on the top to turn off/on. These were life savers for us, but we're simple country people.

https://www.amazon.com/Powered-Port...t+bulb+with+solar+panel&qid=1633650599&sr=8-3

The problem with relying on only solar for this setup is that it is relying on heat to warm the house. A single light bulb will warm an insulated chicken house, but it will need a lot of heat in the winter and im not sure a single panel and battery is reliable in freezing temps and snow. You may need the bulb 24 hours a day for heat in extreme cold spells.

Having an overhead cable, do-it-yourself plug-in cord run to the house is really secure. Also keep a spare cable on hand. Or if you have the money, the electrcian is like of course the safest. Better yet, get a solar sytem installed as well in case the electricity goes out.

 

[Tclloyd0812]

The problem with relying on only solar for this setup is that it is relying on heat to warm the house. A single light bulb will warm an insulated chicken house, but it will need a lot of heat in the winter and im not sure a single panel and battery is reliable in freezing temps and snow. You may need the bulb 24 hours a day for heat in extreme cold spells.

Having an overhead cable, do-it-yourself plug-in cord run to the house is really secure. Also keep a spare cable on hand. Or if you have the money, the electrcian is like of course the safest. Better yet, get a solar sytem installed as well in case the electricity goes out.

I didn't know the OP wanted something for warmth. I thought they were wanting light for artificial lights so their chickens lay through the shorter days that will be coming up. Maybe I'm wrong, im just going off what I originally read.

If heat is the purpose of having a light of course electricity would be better because it would take a lot of solar to run a light that was either a regular halogen bulb or heat lamp type bulb. If that's the case then of course electricity would be the best route. But if it's only to power light(s) so the hens lay longer, you wouldn't have to have anything but simple LED lights which can easily be ran on solar.

Either way, I think the OP was talking about running a long extension cord to the coop, so I believe they've figured it out possibly. I do the same thing because luckily our coops aren't too far from the house.

 

[allenw]

Do you know where I could find all of that?

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DXRJS3N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NPDWZJ7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1,

I have the panel and controller although they didn't end up together.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rv+light...ix=rv+light,aps,212&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_8

Plenty of RV lights to choose from, the battery for a setup like this can be any 12 volt battery although a deep cycle marine battery might be a better option a regular car battery,

 

[Tclloyd0812]

So would it be easier to call an electrician to pull some wires to the coop?

The distance is longer than the length of my tape measure (50ft.) So I'm estimating about 150ft from the coop to the closest outlet. And if that was my only option, (extension cords) then could the wires be damaged in the winter if they are always outside? Sometimes even covered with snow..?

I'm not sure what kind of outlet it is; I haven't actually purchased the product yet, but I'm planning to in the near future. Someone recommended me this product for an artificial coop light source. (https://www.amazon.com/Woods-Resist...andescent+Bulb,+Silver)&qid=1627241357&sr=8-1)

I don't think your outdoor extension cord(s) would be damaged by cold or snow. We had a lot of snow last winter and we were able to run our extension cords, but we buried the cords in the ground some. I'd do your research based on your area. It can be cold here, but I know a lot of other places have it a lot worse for sure and then I'd worry about the cords possibly.

 

[All4Eggz]

I'll talk to my electrician and will let y'all know what happens.

Thank you so much for replying !

 

[Avid_living]

Whoa * I hope you are all set for now. I can't afford to have a line put out to my coop but I am not running anything in the actual coop. I'm in southern NH and our town limits DIY solar to 50 watt panels max without a permit.

My coop is about 150 feet away as well. A partially roofed run (4x8) and wind saver station (walls up on the run 3/4 up) with a solar charge controller *$15*, $40-$60 Lithium (no acid) battery (20Ah), DC timer ($5), Globe LED string lights ($12), and two panels [25w $30, 20w $22].

So - $100 - $150 - You don't need both panels right now, nor do you need the 20ah battery. 20 Amp Hour means it runs 20 hours of power at 1amp with a 12v battery. So, 20 - 12 v hours. I started with one panel, one controller, and 7AH battery - Only used for my camera but realized I needed more than 7AH.

My camera (Wyze) and the LED lights take up 0.6 AH. This means that from 2am to 7am is 5 hours and 5x0.6 = 3AH. The camera alone is 0.2AH. so another 3.8 AH. In total - I use 6.8 amp hours daily. A 20AH battery will never deplete halfway if you have panels attached. The two panels are pulling a charge regeneration to what I have used overnight even with the limited sun. November is the least # of sun hours in NH {https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/New-Hampshire/sunshine-by-month.php}.

My next step is to get an inverter to power a seedling warmer pad that comes on during the day for the waterer.

lights are great - Leghorn comes out right when the lights in the run turn on. Camera catches everything and if we sell; I'm not selling extra electrical that someone else won't appreciate.

 

[raingarden]

Not to hijack, but how much extra lighting is needed to keep hens laying? What's the wattage or lumens?

 

[aart]

Not to hijack, but how much extra lighting is needed to keep hens laying? What's the wattage or lumens?

Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.