Outdoor Solar Lights

Both the light kind, and the heat kind.

How to Make a Solar Power Generator for Less Than $300

Using parts easily available from your local stores, you can make a small solar power generator for $250 to $300. Great for power failures and life outside the power grid. Power your computer, modem, vcr, tv, cameras, lights, or DC appliances anywhere you go. Use in cabins, boats, tents, archaeological digs, or while travelling throughout the third world. Have one in the office store room in case of power failures in your highrise. I keep mine in my bedroom where it powers my cd player, turntable, lights, modem, laptop, and (ahem) a back massager. I run a line out the window to an 8" x 24" panel on the roof.

http://www.rain.org/~philfear/how2solar.html

Both the light kind, and the heat kind.

How to Make a Solar Power Generator for Less Than $300

Using parts easily available from your local stores, you can make a small solar power generator for $250 to $300. Great for power failures and life outside the power grid. Power your computer, modem, vcr, tv, cameras, lights, or DC appliances anywhere you go. Use in cabins, boats, tents, archaeological digs, or while travelling throughout the third world. Have one in the office store room in case of power failures in your highrise. I keep mine in my bedroom where it powers my cd player, turntable, lights, modem, laptop, and (ahem) a back massager. I run a line out the window to an 8" x 24" panel on the roof.

http://www.rain.org/~philfear/how2solar.html

I was trying to look online for solar panels for my home to take some of the strain off of using oil and electricity but I find it very hard to understand exactly how they are used.
Like one that I looked up is 100 watts…..is that like a light bulb watt? How many things can that power?
Is it really cheaper in the long run because the panels are very expensive?

If anyone has web sites that can explain this to me I would appreciate a link, or anyone to answer part of my question.

Here’s an article that will give you an idea of what residential solar is all about:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,20152332,00.html?xid=yahoo-answers&partner=yes

Then you can followup with the sources below to get more info.

Recently came into some money and I saw one of these a few years ago. it was a light which projected the sky stars and solar system onto your ceiling perfectly. Not cheap and fuzzy, perfectly taking up most of the room filling it with real star like you were looking at the sky. Where can I buy one online and which is the best one to get?

Edmond Scientifics website has that and a ton of other science gadgets for fun and Pro’s alike.

Recently came into some money and I saw one of these a few years ago. it was a light which projected the sky stars and solar system onto your ceiling perfectly. Not cheap and fuzzy, perfectly taking up most of the room filling it with real star like you were looking at the sky. Where can I buy one online and which is the best one to get?

Edmond Scientifics website has that and a ton of other science gadgets for fun and Pro’s alike.

Thanks to everyone who helped me on my last question. Everyone posted that a 5 watt solar panel was not enough to charge a battery, or if it did, it would take about a week to charge. How many of these do I need If I would like to charge my laptop, listen to music, have lights and do basic electrical things. (almost all the time) from 12 in the afternoon to 12 at night? Will this be available for under 200$?

I am looking for the cheapest way out. Would I need about 3 of these and maybe 2 battery chargers?

Thank you! Any links to some cheap solar websites or helping me out with the Watt conversions would be great. Thank you very much!
I guess this will be harder than I thought. I thought setting up solar would be an easy way to charge batteries and have free electricity. I didn’t know there were minimum amounts and all of this crap I’m getting into. Any alternatives on how I can get electricity set up in the middle of the woods would be great also. (No extension cords =/ )

Laptops draw around 50 to 70 watts of power. If you’re listening to music on speakers, go by their wattage. Let’s say you have 50 watt speakers. Now add two compact florescent lights at 16 watts each. So let’s say 140 watts and then we’ll throw on a bit extra in case you want to run anything else: 175 watts. Double that because the sun doesn’t shine from 6 til 12pm and you’ll need to charge a storage battery when it does shine: 350w.

Converting the DC power to AC power will incur you a bit of loss. Sooo, let’s get a 360w kit because they make those. Some prices I’m finding are around $5400 for the panel and inverter. That’s a little over budget.

I guess you could cut out the speakers and only listen to music on laptop headphones. You might also be able to cut out one light. So we’ll cut the total demand down to 240w. That’ll run you $2500. Still not looking good.

So yeah, solar is probably out. As for getting electricity out there… I guess you could run a generator (noisy and you need to lug gas), or maybe build a windmill (might not be much wind in the woods).

Thanks to everyone who helped me on my last question. Everyone posted that a 5 watt solar panel was not enough to charge a battery, or if it did, it would take about a week to charge. How many of these do I need If I would like to charge my laptop, listen to music, have lights and do basic electrical things. (almost all the time) from 12 in the afternoon to 12 at night? Will this be available for under 200$?

I am looking for the cheapest way out. Would I need about 3 of these and maybe 2 battery chargers?

Thank you! Any links to some cheap solar websites or helping me out with the Watt conversions would be great. Thank you very much!
I guess this will be harder than I thought. I thought setting up solar would be an easy way to charge batteries and have free electricity. I didn’t know there were minimum amounts and all of this crap I’m getting into. Any alternatives on how I can get electricity set up in the middle of the woods would be great also. (No extension cords =/ )

Laptops draw around 50 to 70 watts of power. If you’re listening to music on speakers, go by their wattage. Let’s say you have 50 watt speakers. Now add two compact florescent lights at 16 watts each. So let’s say 140 watts and then we’ll throw on a bit extra in case you want to run anything else: 175 watts. Double that because the sun doesn’t shine from 6 til 12pm and you’ll need to charge a storage battery when it does shine: 350w.

Converting the DC power to AC power will incur you a bit of loss. Sooo, let’s get a 360w kit because they make those. Some prices I’m finding are around $5400 for the panel and inverter. That’s a little over budget.

I guess you could cut out the speakers and only listen to music on laptop headphones. You might also be able to cut out one light. So we’ll cut the total demand down to 240w. That’ll run you $2500. Still not looking good.

So yeah, solar is probably out. As for getting electricity out there… I guess you could run a generator (noisy and you need to lug gas), or maybe build a windmill (might not be much wind in the woods).

I am debating between a low-voltage malibu light system and solar-powered for my backyard. I heard the solar-system is easy to install, cheap but the lights are very weak. My backyard is already pre-wired to use the low voltage system but I am not sure how much it would add to my electric bill. What’s your opinion?

Cheryl is absolutely right when it comes to the Solar powered lights being crappy. I have a few and hate them.

Malibu has really come along way in the last few years and has some beautiful lamp styles. One thing for sure though…If you can afford to upgrade, definitely go with the Metal Lamps as the plastic ones do not last and you’ll be constantly replacing them.

Good luck with your lighting project…

I am debating between a low-voltage malibu light system and solar-powered for my backyard. I heard the solar-system is easy to install, cheap but the lights are very weak. My backyard is already pre-wired to use the low voltage system but I am not sure how much it would add to my electric bill. What’s your opinion?

Cheryl is absolutely right when it comes to the Solar powered lights being crappy. I have a few and hate them.

Malibu has really come along way in the last few years and has some beautiful lamp styles. One thing for sure though…If you can afford to upgrade, definitely go with the Metal Lamps as the plastic ones do not last and you’ll be constantly replacing them.

Good luck with your lighting project…

I was trying to look online for solar panels for my home to take some of the strain off of using oil and electricity but I find it very hard to understand exactly how they are used.
Like one that I looked up is 100 watts…..is that like a light bulb watt? How many things can that power?
Is it really cheaper in the long run because the panels are very expensive?
If anyone has web sites that can explain this to me I would appreciate a link, or anyone to answer part of my question.

There are two types of devices that collect energy from the sun:

Solar photovoltaic modules use solar cells to convert light from the sun into electricity.

Solar thermal collectors use the sun’s energy to heat water or another fluid such as oil or antifreeze

There is only a one time cost to installing solar panels.
The way to get the most for your money is, really to have them installed at the time of the home being built.
You have to figure, over-time, how long it will take regarding the cost of the solar panels vs the cost of your energy now.