USING SOLAR PANELS IN THE GARAGE AND GARDEN

Installing Solar power in your garden shed or garage could give you much more freedom to have lighting and the use of various tools and appliances without mains power!

Most sheds and many external garages do not have a mains supply and having one installed can be very costly. In many cases a mains supply is not necessary now that Solar power is so much easier and affordable. With a 40W panel Regulator, Battery and an Inverter, most mains power tools etc can be used.

THE GARAGE

If the garage is only used for occasional maintenance or repairs, a modest Solar installation can provide the power you need for lighting and tools. If you are one of those rare people that have a car in your garage, it can be used for keeping the car battery charged without the expense of a separate charger or the need for a mains supply. If you have a valuable Classic car, Solar could be used for powering a "Carcoon" etc.

Unfortunately following a Lay up cars often have a lot more wrong with them than when they were put on hold! The battery being one of the main contenders. This can easily and cheaply be avoided by trickle charging.

The size of the system depends on what you intend use and for how long! Solar installations can be added to if you find that you need more power. If you think that extra capacity may be required in the future It would be a good idea to buy a regulator capable of taking more power than your initial array. It is also a good idea to use larger cables etc to cope with future expansion. A good quality inverter would also be wise as many tools and appliances use far greater start up current than their rating.

Depending on the distance to your house it could also provide emergency power to the home in the event of a power failure. NOTE! This must not be connected to the mains supply and must be used in compliance with the instructions supplied by the Inverter manufacturer. You will of course be limited as to what you can use and for how long. We will be providing more information regarding Standby Power on a separate page.

THE GARDEN, GROUNDS or ALLOTMENT

The Shed has pretty much been covered under GARAGE. Other uses for Solar power in the garden include: Lighting, Security, Pond pumps, Electric Gates, Electric Fence etc. Solar powered garden lighting is now common and maybe has undeservedly gained a poor reputation for light output and reliability. This is due to cheap and cheerful products!

A properly designed Solar installation will provide reliable power in all conditions. Often the cost of a remote Solar supply will be less than that of a conventional Mains supply. The other advantages are free electricity and green energy!

The design of a reliable system needs to take account of a number of factors, but don’t worry, we can do this for you!

CONCLUSION

A basic system can be installed by a person with limited electrical knowledge. For a system that has to be reliable at all times, we would recommend design and installation by qualified engineers.