Solar Sign Wiring for Resort Township Hall in Petos
key
Yesterday, I went out to the Resort Township Hall on Resort Pike Road. I’ve been working with their environmental committee about using solar power for their new roadside sign. I provided the labor and research for this job for free because of the learning experience and because I live in the township and wanted to help them out.
The tricky thing about solar power is that the sun doesn’t shine every day in Northern Michigan and – according to my research it doesn’t shine at night!
So solar energy storage with batteries is a key factor. I selected a sealed lead acid battery that’s specifically designed for solar voltaic applications. Also you need a way to control the electricity coming from the solar panel to the battery and from the battery to the lights. For that I used a Xantrex Solar Charge Controller. It has some very nice features.
- It uses a battery temperature sensor that regulates the voltage coming from the solar panel based on how hot or cold it is outside. This extends battery life significantly.
- It has a built in program that allows you to select how long the lights will stay on after dark. You can select from 2 to 6 hours or dusk to dawn.
- It is equipped with an LED that blinks a code that tells you the condition of the battery and the loads connected to it.
As you can see by the pictures the lights are quite bright. They are LED lights which are the most efficient. Efficiency is crucial when you have a limited power source. The less power you need the longer your battery will last between charges. The sign is bright enough where I’m thinking of just using two lights instead of the four. Which will double the run time of the battery.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks sir for speaking with me about the sign light you made for your Petoskey community.
I will look into the parts and making my own. If you happen to have the details somewhere of what you bought and where, I would greatly appreciate it.
Take care and enjoy God’s Country up there.
Jeremy Quirk (260) 445-8756 – Cleveland, Tennessee