Help with standalone outdoor pole lighting

[alep11]

Closest location to there I found is Newberg
December insolation there is 1.4
So to run your 10 watt light 12 hours a day would require a panel
120x 2 / 1.4 =118 watt panel
This will also require either a larger battery to account for higher charge current or a switch to an AGM battery that can take higher charge currents

Reducing the time on during the winter could also compensate for this
Nights in December and January are 14 hours long.


EDIT
My math was wrong on panel size
It will take a 130 watt panel if you use a controller like the sun saver mppt
Or a 180 watt panel if you go PWM

Should I stay with 12V or change the equipment to 24V at this point?

[Naptown]

At this power level of use stay at 12v

[alep11]

Ouch!Didn't realize those enclosures cost that much

[SunEagle]

Ouch!Didn't realize those enclosures cost that much

Try your local electric supply shop. They may have something less expensive but it may not be as good as the Iron Ridge boxes.

[sos]

Ouch!Didn't realize those enclosures cost that much

Ebay can be a good place to buy enclosures if you're a little patient.
The other place is a good scrap yard, if you have one that still lets you pick what you want.

Steve

[alep11]

Thanks for all the help guys.
I went to get the battery cable for 50 amps battery and was impressed with the thickness of the cable. Does it really have to be that thick? I was told by the sales person to get a #6 cable.

[Shockah]

Great minds think alike.

Here is what I got:

-60 W mono crystalline solar panel 12V
-Morningstar SL 10L-12V
-UPG UB12500 12V 50Ah Rechargeable SLA AGM Battery
-10W LED FLOOD WASH LIGHT WATERPROOF FLOODLIGHT
-Insulated box to store battery and charge control

Would that work?am I missing anything?

That should be a nice adequate set-up for you.
However, I don't see fuses on your list.

I did a few 10W units with this Lamp... worked well.
10w_washlight03.jpg

[Shockah]

Thanks for all the help guys.
I went to get the battery cable for 50 amps battery and was impressed with the thickness of the cable. Does it really have to be that thick? I was told by the sales person to get a #6 cable.

You don't need #6... because you don't need 50amp cable.

Lamp: 10Watt / 12Volt = .833 amp current .... #18 or #16 (gauge) wire would be sufficient.

[inetdog]

Thanks for all the help guys.
I went to get the battery cable for 50 amps battery and was impressed with the thickness of the cable. Does it really have to be that thick? I was told by the sales person to get a #6 cable.

If you were driving a large inverter and trying to get all of the power from the battery in a short period of time or needed to run a long distance without much of a voltage drop, then #6 would make sense. But you need to size it for your actual DC load since you will not be using an inverter.
Once you have the minimum size wire needed to safely carry the current, you then look at the voltage drop for that wire, that current, and the distance from battery to load and try to keep the voltage drop at 3% or less.

The other consideration is how much current the charging circuit will be delivering at peak. Often (when you discharge over 10 hours and recharge over 3 or 4, for example) the charger connection will require larger wire than the load side.

[alep11]

thank you all for the help here!