Solar Lights

[potluck]

MikeC
I just tried to look at your BYC page and got an error message

 

[jmtcmkb]

My husband had a battery powered LED light in the shed, I grabbed it and put it in the coop. It has an on/off and automatic sensor. It helped my chicks with finding the roost, up until the day I put it in they had been sleeping hudled on the floor. Last night was the first night I didnt use it. It is a very small light with 3 tiny bulbs and one bulb is burned out, still put out a lot of light. I was afraid it was keeping them from sleeping fully so last night I watched they found the roost fine so I didnt turn it on.

I also bought a couple of those lawn solar lights, but we dont have enough sun this time of year to make them work

I have them out there, but they only come on for a hour or so after sunset.

 

[TDM]

Quote:
I use solar to provide supplemental lighting for my hens. It isn't practical to run a power line to a moveable hen house out on pasture. Furthermore, our utility company charges a $25 per month service fee for any power delivered. So, that is $300 per year just to be hooked up. That does not even include the $ per kilowatt hours. A $300 per year service fee provides a lot of incentive to go off grid.

In total there are five 15 watt amorphous solar panels charging a 120 ah 12 volt marine battery. From there the 12 volt timer turns on/off a 800 watt 12 volt inverter. The inverter powers two 120 volt 10 watt (40 watt equivalent) compact fluorescent lights. I often have to charge the battery using a battery charger and generator due to lack of sunshine.

I use this 12 volt timer to control my lights.

http://www.flexcharge.com/flexcharge_us … _timer.htm