Solar Lighting... Anyone installed it??

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Carrots&Mints

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Hi all, posted a thread asking about the light via a car battery or leisure battery thread yesterday.

Anyhow just has a brain wave... Solar lighting!! Would mean i wouldnt have to worry about the battery dieing on me :)

So, have any of you brightspark H&Hers installed solar lights in your stables??

Ours has littrally zero electric fitted!!
 
I have a couple of solar lights but in winter I get maybe ten minutes of light out of them if I am lucky and they were expensive too! the light when on is very good though and lights up a whole stable

I did see a clever invention of a bank of three lights powered by a rechargeable torch, you take the torch to the stable, put it in a dock/plug type thing and the rest of the lights light up, I cant remember who makes them but it looked really good

I have used these in times where I need a low light for a long period, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/2809...ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=83&ff19=0
there seems to be a 50/50 chance of them being ok, some are really quite bright and others not so much, I can change rugs, fill haynets etc by the light of one of these - they arent the best but they are a decent back up! they screw on as well as being sticky and you just slide the bulb out to change batteries
 
batteries arent too much of a pain, we have two electric fences and three batteries and just change them over regularly so they never die on us
 
I have a solar panel system on my yard and just on with updating the panel which is 11 years old. I run 11 lights off the panel which feeds 2 leisure batteries the lights are LED's which run off very little power. When I first bought my yard the lights were all bulk heads are meant for proper electricity so only gave me about half an hour light so no much use. I have had a electrician in who has put in the LEDs, advised on changing the panel as it appears damaged, and fitted a system to the batteries which stops power going back to the panel when batteries are full and damaging the panel. The system now looks as though I also going to be able to fit a plug socket so I can use the solar power for clipping etc. Have a look on Bestsourcing Economic development and Barden Batteries as they stock the victron blue solar which seem to be the best.
 
Annie B. said:
I have a solar panel system on my yard and just on with updating the panel which is 11 years old. I run 11 lights off the panel which feeds 2 leisure batteries the lights are LED's which run off very little power. When I first bought my yard the lights were all bulk heads are meant for proper electricity so only gave me about half an hour light so no much use. I have had a electrician in who has put in the LEDs, advised on changing the panel as it appears damaged, and fitted a system to the batteries which stops power going back to the panel when batteries are full and damaging the panel. The system now looks as though I also going to be able to fit a plug socket so I can use the solar power for clipping etc. Have a look on Bestsourcing Economic development and Barden Batteries as they stock the victron blue solar which seem to be the best.
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Thankyou Annie B :) Will have a look on my dinner break :)
 
Had a solar powered security light fitted in the yard. Was OK, worked all right for a few years or so (can't remember exactly how long) then it died.

Made enquiries - and apparently the batteries would have cost more than it would've to replace the whole outfit.

It was a good little device, worked well, and wasn't all that expensive, BUT unless the technology has moved on, then be prepared to have to replace the item when the batteries are dead.

We've replaced it with a mains-electric one now. Says it all I think.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Had a solar powered security light fitted in the yard. Was OK, worked all right for a few years or so (can't remember exactly how long) then it died.

Made enquiries - and apparently the batteries would have cost more than it would've to replace the whole outfit.

It was a good little device, worked well, and wasn't all that expensive, BUT unless the technology has moved on, then be prepared to have to replace the item when the batteries are dead.

We've replaced it with a mains-electric one now. Says it all I think.
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Unfortunatly we dont have mains electric and no chance of ever getting it because it'll be too expensive to install :(
 
Hi Carrots, ive got 8 solar lights from powerbee - they have their own website too so you get more choice than on amazon. Look through the shed light and security light sections on thier website. Ive been really impressed with mine, have various sorts from the flat round ones to the double spotlight ones. The spotlight ones are good for outside. They improve the design year on year, so Ive found that the newer ones charge and last really well and are very bright, even in the depths of winter, so you should have no probs. They are very easy to fit and if you need a longer cable are also easy to extend. Highly recomend I couldnt cope without them - like you I have no leccy and am up on a hill in the countryside!!

Also forgot to say I had a problem with one unit aso I rang Powerbee who sent me a brand new unit out the next day no quibble.
 
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I have battery (car/leisure) lights at my yard.
On one side of the yard I have a small solar charger, the sort that provides a trickle charge.
Its been connected to a car battery since the end of last winter & there was plenty of light on Mon-Weds mornings before 6am this week. The battery is usually fine unless we get a really long bitter spell, then i might need to take it home to charge it once or twice over a couple of months :)

The battery on the other side of the yard is flat tho as has no charger to it, been left too long, will bring it home this weekend to charge & see if charge will hold..........

This is the type of solar charger that is used to top up leisure batteries etc, works fine on the car battery tho (and that over 4 yrs old)

I use leisure battery on the electric fencer unit.
 
we installed shed lights in our stables two or three years ago, each light with it's own panel. they worked brilliantly through three weeks of snow etc and are still going strong. We have put one in the feed room this year and it is an updated model, again absolutely brilliant, we are going to get one each for the other stables, as they have obviously improved over time. We also have a spotlight in the yard (that was expensive) which I could see to manouver the tractor by last night (old Fergie with no headlights!).
They have been a godsend for us, we used to have mains electricty outside, but it tripped the house electricity out on a regular basis, much more cost effective to use solar lights than replace the mains.
 
zangels said:
We have just purchased one of these but not installed it yet, has yours worked well?
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Yes. Worked all through last winter (I only have them on for 10 mins or so each night) and still working now (checked them the other night).

Echo having a headtorch too. Really useful in the dark, points the light where you need it and keeps your hands free.
 
YorksG said:
we installed shed lights in our stables two or three years ago, each light with it's own panel. they worked brilliantly through three weeks of snow etc and are still going strong. We have put one in the feed room this year and it is an updated model, again absolutely brilliant, we are going to get one each for the other stables, as they have obviously improved over time. We also have a spotlight in the yard (that was expensive) which I could see to manouver the tractor by last night (old Fergie with no headlights!).
They have been a godsend for us, we used to have mains electricty outside, but it tripped the house electricity out on a regular basis, much more cost effective to use solar lights than replace the mains.
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Which lights did you buy? Thanks :)
 
Right ive gone all out and bought 2 solar lights from powerbee! direct from them has saved me nearly a tenner on them both.... if they dont work at least ive not thrown £100's down the pan! :) Will let u know how i get on :)
 
We have Astron Solar Floodlights and Vortex shed lights from Amazon, only bought this year but working extremely well so far and even better than the solar lights bought from B&Q previously. The technology has obviously advanced as YorksG said the shed lights, which are in the stables did really well and are still going strong - the vet managed to inject IV when the Draft mare had colic, by the light of 2 of them. I'm now looking into organising a solar powered socket for clippers etc.
 
We have these installed. The kit contains everything you need except the leisure battery: http://www.thesolarcentre.co.uk/#q=geo%206 it is the geo 6 set.
Although we have the lights in the stables and under the overhang we wanted outdoor rated stuff just incase of a leak - we are worriers!! OH and I fitted them in an afternoon, with no prev elec experience so it is def doable by anyone! They have done just over a year now and they really are ace! We have two lights in each stable and two out the front. They are easily bright enough to muck out/groom/plait etc while it is totally dark outside. We are thrilled with them. Getting elec to the yard was never an option due to the massive cost, but these give us easy switch on lights with no hassle. The battery even charged through last winter when the solar panel was covered in snow for several weeks at a stretch, and a full charge gives you over 10hrs of lights on.

We also have one of these out the front http://www.thesolarcentre.co.uk/products/Thea_Solar_Garden_Spotlight-341-7.html
It is bright enough when bringing in in the dark, charges itself so no wires or fusing, and you can pick it up out of its mount and use it like a good bright torch. Never run out the charge on this, so don't know how long it would last, but we have run it for several hours at a time. You can also leave it on a setting where it comes on when it gets dark enough, but we just leave it off and turn it on when we need it.
 
ThePony said:
We also have one of these out the front http://www.thesolarcentre.co.uk/products/Thea_Solar_Garden_Spotlight-341-7.html
It is bright enough when bringing in in the dark, charges itself so no wires or fusing, and you can pick it up out of its mount and use it like a good bright torch. Never run out the charge on this, so don't know how long it would last, but we have run it for several hours at a time. You can also leave it on a setting where it comes on when it gets dark enough, but we just leave it off and turn it on when we need it.
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We have these going into 2nd winter ith them & they are great around the yard - I have had to move a couple though as the Shetland rubbed up against them when they were in the ground xx
 
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