Solar Mate V , Any experience of them ?

[JD6400]

We have been asked for a quote to " Install solar panels to provide suitable artificial lighting to interior of boathouse; Solar Mate V with fluorescent light fittings or equal approved; include battery as required ---- "

It is for a boathouse in the middle of some woods with a foot print of 13.7m x 8.4m , of which 13.7 x 2.1 is the potential size of the array .

Has anyone installed a Solar Mate V or know of a decent supplier ?

Many thank

Dave

 

[Worcester]

Not your nomral PV installation!


SolarMate V Mains-Free Lighting Kit : Solar Shed Lights : Maplin Electronics

Features:

• Solar mate V light kit
• 43W crystalline solar panel
• Charge controller
• Roof / wall fixing kit
• 8 x 12V 9W (45 brightness equivalent energy saving bulbs)
• 2 x wall switches 7m cable with connectors, fuses and detailed instructions
• Energy efficiency rated
• Eco friendly
• Takes around 1 ½ hours to install
• No special tools needed
• A battery is required and is not supplied – a 75 or 85 Ah car / caravan battery is recommended available from most motoring / caravanning shops
• Up to 8 hours every day

Specification:

• 8 x 12V 9W (45 brightness equivalent energy saving bulbs)
• Overall dimensions: 3.5 cm H x 63.4 cm W x 53.4 cm D

 

[JD6400]

Thanks Worcester , i should have just let Goggle do it's magic i suppose and realised that about an hour after i posted the question !

To be honest i was expecting it to be some sort of supper all singing all dancing state of the art set up , as it is for a extremely exclusive school and the last job we were involved with was a £ Million + stable yard paid for by a single donation from one of the parents !???
I sort of got me hopes up on this one a bit prematurely me thinks .:drool5:

But thank you very much for taking the trouble to reply .

 

[solarfred]

I have put a few remote stable kits together using LED tubes and 12 v floods (proper floods) so we have some experience.
If you have 72watts for 8 hours that = 576 watt hours @ 12 volts = 48 amp hours (excluding losses).
If a 43watt panel puts out about 2-3 amps in full sun and there is only 4-5 hours of decent light in the winter how does the panel fully charge the battery enough to keep it in "credit"? It just won't work and the light quality is not that good either. Get a proper deep cycle battery and a proper panel and charge controller and a good 12 volt LED bulb (maybe 2-3 watts each). The cost will be way less than that outrageous figure from Maplins.