Solar powered shed lighting?

JustAnotherSaver

There may be better products out there so feel free to suggest alternatives but solar powered lighting is all I can think of.

I can't do electrics myself and don't really fancy bringing someone out to do it. I don't want to install lighting requiring batteries either which left me looking at solar powered.

Had a see of some units which seem to be auto on-off which i also don't want as i may not be in the shed for days or a week or whatever.

What I am thinking of is a light installed just inside the door with a button or cord to turn it on when i need. From this light a cable that is hopefully not too thick so that i can feed it in to the shed easily from outside and then just mount the solar panel on the roof.

Wondering if any of you have anything like this that you can recommend or if any of you have tried anything like this that you can recommend to stay away from?

Jeepers_Creepers

Is this to just pop in to the shed now and then or will you be spending some time in there?

grumbler

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=solar+powered+shed+lights

Jeepers_Creepers

Spoiled for choice these days.

I have a couple of these self-contained PIR lights on a driveway wall, and - darn - they are bright. Never failed to be charged, but they do only get used for a few minutes at most each evening.

Things to look for: size of PV panel, size of battery and brightness of lamp.

For instance, this strikes me as being pretty impressive for the money: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solar-Hanging-60-LEDs-Light-Remote-Lamp-Garage-Garden-Ceiling-Shed-Tent-Outside/293867848342?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 It has a 4.4Ah battery - that's big, so with a good charge should last ages, quite a few hours. 60 SMDs should light up a shed no problem, and the added advantage of being directional. Remote control too...

Or, more conventional with a hanging pendant: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Home-Solar-Powered-Light-Lamp-for-Patio-Decking-Hanging-Garage-Shed-Decor-Black/192902340117?_trkparms=aid=555021&algo=PL.SIMRVI&ao=1&asc=20201208142511&meid=f5d8ed95c86e4e50b7a1a899f52e6170&pid=100752&rk=1&rkt=17&mehot=ag&sd=283743703199&itm=192902340117&pmt=1&noa=0&pg=2047675&algv=SimplRVIAMLv5WebWithPLRVIOnTopCombiner&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982  Much smaller battery, tho'.

The descriptions and pictures can often be taken with a pinch of justified cynicism, but the best thing to look at are reviews and feedback. All looks good there.

With any, get the PV panel (they are small...) facing the best way - ie South and at around 45o. Don't drill through your shed roof, but instead take the cable in tucked under the eaves where rain cannot follow it. (On that point, add a small 'U' loop to the cable before it comes through, so water drips off the bottom of that loop.) If you can, mount the panel on the shed wall or fascia rather than the roof anyway - ye dinnae wa' holes in there.

missile

I bought a battery powered LED Work Light from Screwfix. It is bright and battery lasts for many hours before recharging

JustAnotherSaver

JC - it's just to go in and out really so that I can see what I'm grabbing and don't end up standing on stuff and pulling things off the shelves in the dark. Thanks for the 2nd post. I'll take a look when I'm at home on the PC.

Missile - I don't really want battery powered.

Grumbler - I know how to search solar powered lights but as I said in the opening post, I was looking to see if there's a better approach I'm not aware of - hence the need to ask, if there's anything that has been tried from people I can get actual feedback from that they can say yes this product was great - hence the need to ask or I bought this product and it was crap because of XYZ - once again hence the need to ask. 

I know there's a select few on MSE who don't like people asking but at the end of the day it's a forum and it happens. 
Thanks for saving me the effort of typing it in thiygh should it come to that. 

grumbler

JustAnotherSaver said:

Grumbler - I know how to search solar powered lights

You don't need just  "solar powered lights" because most of them have  combined solar panel and lights, i.e. can't be used in a shed where you need separate panel outside and light with a manual switch or a motion sensor inside.

Also, there are solar-powered fairy lights, and they are very cheap, but usually work  automatically and will need modification for using in a shed.

*j*

JustAnotherSaver said:

Missile - I don't really want battery powered.

You may not want battery power, but that's what a solar system will be giving you.

All the solar panel does is charge a battery, which is then used to power the light when required. Without the battery, the light would only work when the panel is in daylight.

Alanp

I moved a pir  solar light from outside to inside, on a shed at work, I mounted the solar panel to the edge of the shed where it could be securely mounted, I did drill a hole near the door as close to the eves as possible but filled around the cable with clear silicone , it works very well although I’ve turned up the timer to max but the light doesn’t seem to stay on long if your not constantly moving, but if you’re just in and out it’s ok, not sure how old it is but as I said it works ok, a newer one might have more adjustable time settings

JustAnotherSaver

*j* said:

You may not want battery power, but that's what a solar system will be giving you.

All the solar panel does is charge a battery, which is then used to power the light when required. Without the battery, the light would only work when the panel is in daylight.

Yes i'm aware technically speaking it's charging a battery.

What it doesn't give me is the PITA of needing to find something in the dark and then finding out my AA's have ran out of juice and I have none left to replace on a night when it's cold and bucketing it down.

Yes the entire unit can end up needing replacing at some point. So be it.

Alanp said:

I moved a pir  solar light from outside to inside, on a shed at work, I mounted the solar panel to the edge of the shed where it could be securely mounted, I did drill a hole near the door as close to the eves as possible but filled around the cable with clear silicone , it works very well although I’ve turned up the timer to max but the light doesn’t seem to stay on long if your not constantly moving, but if you’re just in and out it’s ok, not sure how old it is but as I said it works ok, a newer one might have more adjustable time settings

PIRs are decent but in this setup it's not really something i think would work for me.

I have an LED floodlight for the back garden and it's really good but there's some times when you need it to stay on longer than it does and you're waving your arms around trying to get it to turn back on, but then there's that delay. It's all a faff. Fine overall for the garden but i'd like something for the shed where i just flick a switch or pull a cord and it stays on until i turn it off or runs out of juice.

Jeepers_Creepers

One of the two units I linked to, JAS, should do the job, with the added advantage that you won't even need to fumble for a switch in the dark - use the remote.