solar option for extractor fan in shed?

sinar

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could advise me. I have an 8ft x 8ft shed which houses my guinea pigs, I'd like to add an extractor fan which would run 24/7 but don't want to run mains electricity to the shed.

Is there a solar solution that i could use? also, something that could power lighting (used about an hour a day) would be good.

Any thoughts appreciated, thanks in advance

NigeWick

I'm getting a 100W solar panel fitted to a 110AH battery to power my 12 Volt 60W beer fridge so I'm sure there will be something that can be sorted.

zeupater

Hi

Is there any specific reason for running the fan 24x7 in an 8'x8' shed, or would fan cooling during daytime be sufficient ?

If you're looking at 24x7 then you could look to build a 12v setup using a deep cycle battery/solar panel/charge controller/PC(type) extractor fan setup which will likely cost around £100-£150, alternatively, if you're looking for daytime cooling in sunny conditions you can source solar vents (for sheds/conservatories/loft space etc) for well below £50 ....

HTH
Z

Martyn1981

sinar wrote: »

Hello

also, something that could power lighting (used about an hour a day) would be good.

Any thoughts appreciated, thanks in advance

Hiya, slightly outside of the box, but for lighting there are portable solar lanterns, usually for camping. If your shed is safe from thieves, you could hang one or two outside, and they'd be ready for use as and when needed.

Another alternative is rechargeable worklights, try screwfix or similar. These are LED units, which you could charge in the house then carry to the shed, also light your walk too.

Back to solar powered lights, if you google you should find models where the solar panel isn't directly fixed to the light, but plugs in like an adaptor, so you'd fit the panel outside, then drill a tiny hole, and pop through the cable, and fit the lamp inside.


Lastly, and not a joke, but do you need to light the room up, as camping style headtorches are excellent if you only need to see in front of you.

sinar

Thanks for the replies, lots of interesting information.

The problem i have in my shed is humidity in the winter months, the shed has opening windows, but even with those open all winter, i'm getting quite a lot of humidity and some mould which is not healthy for the guinea pigs.

A fan in the summer would be nice, but the shed has a large door which i leave open when it is warm and the guineas seem to cope ok.

I did consider getting a dehumidifier and perhaps a heater for the winter, but this would require mains electricity, and use a lot more energy.

At the moment i'm leaning to getting a solar powered shed light and a head torch (thanks for the suggestion i would have never thought of that!) for the lighting and some sort of solar vent, I don't want to spend a great deal of money on the solution in case it does not work i end up having to get someone in to run mains electricity.

theboylard

I've googled high and low, but I just can't find an example of a head torch for guinea pigs?

They do them for dogs...





And they do them for mice...maybe shave your guinea pig a bit first?
They might fit then?