Solar Powered Signage

[Mr. Clean]

We're considering solar power for an interior lit sign and LED digital clock. Total wattage will be around 200. We've got a few intersections in the area that have solar powered flashing lights, so I tracked down the supplier. They were interested in providing components but not in the design.

Has anyone had any experience with this design. It's not the preferred way to go, but line voltage isn't possible at this site.

Thanks,

MC

 

[Greg Pack]

Mr Clean, I have no experience with solar powered signage but a little experience with small solar systems. Solar is expensive and has a long payback. Unless your equipment is DC powered, you're going to have to have panels to generate DC electricity, A charge controller to regulate the battery voltage, batteries to store it, then an inverter to convert it to AC. My guess on costs would be at least 5-7K to get a decent quality setup and enough battery storage that would power that sign reliably with several cloudy days in a row. The panels would last a long time (20 yrs plus) but the batteries would have to be periodically replaced (every few years) . If you wish to further pursue it, I'll dig up some links.

 

[MEP001]

I don't think the issue is about a payoff over using electric service, but about putting a sign where running a line isn't feasible or possible. I've looked into it myself a little because in order to run electric to the street for a sign we'd have to dig up a lot of concrete. Just running electric would cost three times what a nice sign would cost. My thoughts were to have a sign made and lit with LEDs, but have a simple all-black panel with only the letters back-lit, which would cut way down on the juice needed. I've also done some hard comparisons between solar and wind generators, and in many areas of the US a wind generator would make much more sense. A 3A solar panel costs around $600 and obviously can only generate energy on a sunny day. A wind generator that can generate a minimum 5A all the time unless it's dead calm can be had for $1,500, if you're in an area that has a high enough average wind. It would at once reduce the number of batteries needed for energy storage and the routine cost of replacing them.

 

[Greg Pack]

A windmill might be more of an attention-getter, too.