First solar project: pot lights on roof

[NEMESIS]

I have been interested in installing solar pot lights on my roof. So far, I am keeping an eye out for a flood light that can provide enough power and have enough lumens compared to a conventional pot light that is not solar powered. My objective is to remove the solar panel from the flood light, point the light downwards from the roof, extend the wiring and mount the solar panel on the roof

Or

Buy several floodlights, mount them underneath my roof pointing downwards and connect them to one larger solar panel.

Can anyone guide me into the right direction? This will be my first solar project so yeah it's rather simple. I'd figure that the cost would be the same or less than hiring an electrician to wir the pot lights to the electrical panel and paying an arm and a leg when I can do it myself as long as its solar. Thanks people!

[Mike90250]

is pot light a typo for SPOT light, or a plant growth light ?

[Steve]

I am also a fairly new solar power user/experimenter. Please keep that in mind. There are a lot more well seasoned people here and after my 1st (almost) completed solar project this is my $.02

* DIY solar power is cool. I've found it extremely fun and interesting as I do most any other DIY projects. I have good practical electronic knowledge which is helpful. Telling other people you use solar power for anything, even a few lights create more interest in the subject.
* Solar is extremely expensive. When I began building my system the primary goal was to make a power backup system with a lot of reserve power and to run a few CFL back yard lights.
* Like you, I was originally going to incorporate it into my home. I was correctly steered off that dangerous course by the wise and experienced people of this community. Nothing DIY is U.L. listed and should something like fire happen it would void the home owners warranty. It would probably be illegal to permanently attach anything DIY solar to the home.
* If it's purely lights you want you'd come ahead $$ by hiring an electrician. I've put together the best DIY pair of panels I know to make and hopefully they'll last for years. I used hermetically sealed tempered glass with more weather sealing.
I have a pair of low cost golf cart batteries bought at Sam's Wholesale club and an inverter to run 120v devices. I suspect the cheap batteries don't deliver their rated power and still testing them.

My project cost around $600 and I still need to buy a $130 charge controller. I have two panels producing 18v @ 6.3ah. If I connect two yard 15w CFL's consuming 30watts and run them through my inverter for 9 hrs on battery alone the panels take two days to replace the power consumed by the lights. (Lights disconnected)

I plan to eventually make 6 more panels with 1-2 more sets of batteries anyway for the backup power so it really doesn't matter in my case.

More-
I understand the batteries last around 7 years. Less if the load is high and more if it is less. A flooded lead acid type is usually used which require monthly maintenance.

My noobie advice:
* If you really want solar power, put the panels in your yard not in or on your house. If it's special lighting effects you want for your home, I'd use ground mounted CFL flood lights instead of eave mounted ones, again keeping it off the house.
* If you want to save money and have the lights on your home then hire a licensed electrician and use outdoor rated CFL's.

This is my thread if interested.

[Steve]

Mike, I believe these are what he's referring to:

I have been interested in installing solar pot lights on my roof.
(Snip)
My objective is to remove the solar panel from the flood light, point the light downwards from the roof

I understand he wants to mount recessed lighting in his eaves and power them with roof mounted panels?