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just finished my man-cave (by just, i mean this week), and it's far too chuffing dark of an evening to take any smug photos of it!
1 option is running a semi permanent extension lead along the garden wall and wiring in some Lights (and sockets i probably wouldnt use)
another option i was considering was some solar lights, either homebrew, or off the shelf.
does anyone have any off the shelf "solar shed lights"?
if so are they any good?!
70 quid is a lot of money for a 40watt bulb, but i figure it should be enough if right over the work bench, for occasional use in the winter.
I had some - they were crap.
I've got a kit like this [url] http://www.maplin.co.uk/18w-solar-panel-kit-96902 [/url] but with two florescent lights for £130. I've rigged it up to a car battery.
The lights that came with the panel are a bit dim but OK to see to get stuff out of the shed. To provide enough light to work in the shed I got a [url= http://http://www.maplin.co.uk/18w-solar-panel-kit-96902 ]12v 11w CFL bulb[/url] and fitted it in an old Ikea lamp which I can clip on to the rafters where I need it.
Only had the set up working for a few weeks but even with mostly cloudy days the battery is staying topped up.
EDIT: I got may panel kit from [url= http://http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/product.html?product_id=1266&-session=shopper:02196D7018db3316B9UTsYA6B1E6 ]here[/url], it was described as "Size 2" but it's not available now. When I bought it that site was the cheapest I could find.
Just use a rechargable bike light from Deal Extreme? In the time the solar light will be on you'll never recoup the embedded energy in a panel, inverter, battery and light fittings.
It's easy done, I have solar lights in a shed and summerhouse that cost very little. In my case the battery is an old car battery kept back when I sold a car for scrap, the lights are 12 v halogen strings from Ikea, they were about £10, they are connected direct to the battery (with a switch) then there's a maplin trickle charger solar pannel on the roof. It's been working about 3 years now with zero matainance. If I used the lights more all I'd need is a a bigger panel and a proper charge controler.
Sorry some of my links don't work.
The 12v 11w CFL is Ebay item 320664223648
And this is where the solar panel came from, http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/product.html?product_id=1266&-session=shopper:02196D7018db332403SYFEBE4DE5