This project incorporates many projects that can run from solar power. It centres on a large solar panel affixed to the roof and a 12V battery. The solar charger runs the garage internal lights, bicycle light recharging and the outdoor train set. The projects are endless and will be added to as time goes on.
The solar panel measures 860 x 335 mm and was bought from ARC Village at the Big Green Gathering. The first challenge was mounting it to a plywood base, this was accomplished by using plastic waste pipe, sawn down the middle, and screwed into the plywood just so it nips the glass against it. The photos above show the panel mounted onto a hinged plywood base (the hinges and struts allow for tilting the panel for seasonal adjustment, although I've left it at 35 degrees from the horizontal). Pictured is also the concrete ballast from a washing machine, this stops it all from blowing away when resting on my flat garage roof.
Mounted on the garage.
Inside the garage, the solar panel comes in via an ammeter to measure the charging current (typically 200-300mA on a sunny day), right-hand side. All the same polarity banana sockets are connected together apart from the positive on the far left, this is connected via a 10A fuse. The sockets on th efar left connect directly to the 12V battery.
Voila! A garage lit using PIR sensors and 12V bulbs. The battery also powers the garden railway, Ni-Cad chargers for bike lights, and a 12V lead-acid charger for my big bright bike light.
More to be added as the circuits continue....