Lighting from a 12V battery in the country. Choosing a battery for autonomous lighting

Autonomous lighting in the garage will be needed if there is no electricity in the area or it often goes out. Today, there are many ways to solve the problem associated with interruptions in the power supply to the site. If you spend a lot of time repairing your car, we recommend that you learn how to make a garage light without electricity with your own hands! Below we will provide several ideas, starting from the most complex and ending with the most affordable options for home and garden.

Installation of solar panels

Whatever one may say, the most effective way is to install solar panels, thanks to which you can not only create autonomous lighting in the garage, but also independent power supply to the entire area. Yes, this is an expensive option and you probably can’t do it without the help of specialists in installation. However, once you spend once, you can not only turn on the lights during a power outage, but also significantly save on your energy bills.

We talked about that. If your budget allows, seriously consider this option.

Homemade wind generator

An alternative option for autonomous power supply to a garage and a dacha in general is to install a windmill, which can also generate free electricity. You can buy a ready-made device, but it will be quite expensive. For a 2-kilowatt model you will have to pay about 100 thousand rubles. That is why we offer you, thanks to which you can use light in the garage without electricity.

The only thing to consider is wind speed. If there are no strong gusts of wind in your region or site location, it is unlikely that you will be able to get free electricity.

Diesel or gasoline generator

You can also make light in the garage without electricity if you use a gas generator. In this case, as in the version with solar panels, it is possible to completely provide the site with electricity by connecting the generator to the power grid. It is rational to use this idea only if the lights are turned off for a short period of time, and if you use power tools in the garage.

Otherwise, 1 kW of electricity from a gas generator will cost you quite a lot, so using it constantly is unlikely to be profitable. We talked about this in the corresponding article.

Battery use

Do you have an extra 12-volt car battery in the garage? So why not use it to create autonomous garage lighting? Everything is quite simple - you buy a 12-volt LED strip (it is the most practical), install it above the work area and along the room, and then connect it to the battery. The light from the LED strip is of quite good quality, and if you choose the length of the strip wisely, the battery will not drain too quickly. You can see what such lighting looks like in reality in the video below:

Battery use

Second battery use option

You can see the result in more detail in the video:

Using energy-efficient LEDs

LED lamps with battery

On the Internet you can now find many offers for the sale of battery-powered LED lamps. Inside the 5-12 watt light bulbs there is a battery installed that can maintain autonomous lighting for 6-12 hours.

Using such a lamp is quite simple - it is screwed into a standard E27 socket, charged from the mains throughout the day, after which it can provide lighting in the garage without electricity. The cost is about 600 rubles, so you can buy 2 light bulbs and forget about problems with power outages.

Garden solar lights

A similar idea is to purchase solar-powered garden lights, place them outdoors on the property, and in the evening, if the lights go out, bring them into the garage. Such lighting devices will last for 5-6 hours if they are of high quality.

The only drawback is that over time the brightness of the lighting will decrease, in fact, as will the battery life. However, many people use this idea, so there is a reason for its existence.

Philippine lanterns

Well, the last way that allows you to create free light in the garage during the daytime is the use of Philippine flashlights, which work on the principle of light refraction. Making a Filipino lantern with your own hands is quite simple - cut out part of a bottle (although you can use a whole one), attach it to a rigid base and mount it in the roof. If the roof is made of corrugated sheeting, you can simply cut a suitable hole in the sheet into which a bottle of water is installed, as shown in the photo below:

To prevent rain from getting inside the garage, the joints between the roofing material and the bottle must be well sealed with sealant. This idea is suitable for residents of regions where sunny weather prevails. Otherwise, the light will be dim and nothing will work. If you do everything correctly, the result will be something like this:

So we have listed all the popular ways to make light in a garage without electricity. Our opinion is that if you really only need autonomous lighting, and not a full power supply, it is better to purchase battery-powered LED lamps or make a windmill yourself. All other technologies are either too expensive or not effective enough.

Provide lighting for a room in a country house, connect a garage or other facility to light without access to a centralized power grid? In principle, this is possible if there is a battery. But what, where and how much to buy a power source, we will talk further.

The problem when the dacha is located several hundred kilometers from the city, there is no electricity on it, and there will not be in the near future, but you want light, is not so rare. And even if there is a generator, it is not so easy to solve, because the unit produces quite a lot of noise, and it consumes a lot of fuel. Usually in such cases they buy a battery. Moreover, when choosing it, you need to remember that the power source must meet the following criteria:

Not be very heavy.
Have high capacity.
Charge quickly.
I worked as long as possible.
It was relatively inexpensive.
I was not afraid of deep discharges.

Of the possible solutions to the problem, the following comes to mind: first of all, these are cargo batteries. But they are too heavy. There are also traction batteries. This is a better option. However, their cost is 5-6 thousand rubles. Otherwise, such batteries meet absolutely all the criteria specified above. It is light, compact, and can withstand repeated discharging and charging. These are so-called “full cycle” batteries. They are produced by many manufacturers, but today we offer you to familiarize yourself with the line of Bosch L-series traction batteries. For their production, two well-proven technologies are used. These are, among others, DEEP CYCLE and DEEP CYCLE AGM. Their advantages are obvious:

Highest performance. To illuminate a small room, one charge will last for several days.

Unpretentiousness to operating conditions. Batteries of this series can operate at any temperature conditions.

Significant capacitive characteristics. With a small weight, the batteries have a capacity of 75, 100 or more Ampere hours.

Long-term operation in cyclic mode with full discharges. Even multiple critical discharges are not capable of damaging the battery, because it is designed taking into account such operating conditions.

Low level of self-discharge. After leaving the battery for several months, you can immediately connect it to consumers - the light bulb will burn as brightly as before it was turned off.

Compact housing sizes. This is very convenient when considering the country option of using batteries.

These properties make it possible to say that L types are excellent for solving the problem of organizing lighting at facilities where there is no centralized electricity supply system. By the way, about the price. A battery with a capacity of 100 Ampere hours costs about 6-7 thousand rubles, which is comparable to the cost of a conventional starter power supply. Therefore, the high cost of full-cycle traction batteries is nothing more than a myth.

It often happens that there is no electricity for various reasons and there is no lighting. Then we use candles, flashlights, and, at worst, kerosene lamps. Candles smoke and are a fire hazard; a flashlight has a directional light and does not always have a long glow life. I suggest making an alternative.

This design will use available components, mainly from old computer power supplies. The schematic diagram of the device is shown below:

The power source for the circuit is a 12V battery with a capacity of at least one and a half ampere hours.

The role of the light source will be performed by a “housekeeper” light bulb with a power of 8–15 watts.
Components borrowed from a computer power supply:
– pulse transformer;
– PWM controller TL494;
– high-voltage capacitors (C3, C4);

– high-frequency diodes (VD1, VD2);

The remaining components must be purchased. All components are mounted on a single-sided printed circuit board measuring 50mm. at 54mm. (minimum dimensions, excluding mounting space).

The printed circuit board file was made in the Sprint-Layout 6.0 (5.0) program and is attached at the end of the article, in the archive. The file shows a view of the board from the components side.

Since there is no housing yet, I did not screw the radiator on for testing.

The light comes on almost immediately, and shines as if from a regular electrical outlet. The light bulb can be placed either next to the body or on the ceiling as an alternative lamp.

ATTENTION: at the output of the circuit we will get a constant voltage with an amplitude of 220 volts, BE CAREFUL!!!

Files:

Surely you have heard about low-voltage lighting networks, but the meaning of their use remains unclear. In this article we will tell you why using DC for household lighting makes sense, as well as in what cases and how you can rewire the wiring in your own home.

The use of low voltage to power lighting and other electrical appliances has been practiced for more than half a century. This trend originated in industrial plants, where, for a variety of reasons, voltages of 36 volts and below were considered safe. When the contacts open in such a network, no sparks are generated, and the effect of such a low magnitude on the human body does not entail serious consequences.

Today, with the development of more efficient light sources, the use of low-voltage networks in residential premises has become not only possible, but also very rational. It can be argued that the installation of a low-voltage lighting network in conjunction with the use of LED lighting sources is an integral component of modern renovation.

Benefits of Low Voltage

As many people know, such a dangerous voltage value as 220 volts is used in household networks due to the limited capacity of the wires and the requirements for small-sized household appliances. For example, an electric kettle of the same power, but powered from a low voltage network, would load the wiring with about ten times the usual current.

Few people know that a significant part of modern household appliances have an operating voltage much lower than the mains voltage; they are powered through built-in transformers. Lighting networks can also be included in this category of consumers. In the era of total abandonment of incandescent lamps, it has become possible to run low-voltage current through the lighting network, but why do this?

Electrical safety. Such a small voltage is not capable of harming a person; most will not even feel this effect.
Fire safety. Especially for lighting networks, where fairly long sections of cable lines are laid in a flammable environment with open air access - in suspended ceilings. A short circuit in such a network is more likely to damage the transformer than to burn the wiring.
Reducing the number of transformation steps. It is known that it is cheaper to install one powerful transformer for the entire network than to supply each lighting fixture with it.
Energy savings when using low-voltage light sources can range from 10% to 30%. Needless to say, low voltage lighting devices are more durable and do not have to be replaced as often.

Problems and disadvantages of low-voltage networks

The most obvious disadvantage of low-voltage networks is the potential voltage loss when transmitting electricity through a conductor. Electric current density plays a significant role in solving this issue. If there is a conductor with a sufficiently large cross-section, the losses are not so high.

As practice shows, the length of the cable line from the source to the low voltage consumer is rarely more than 20 meters when it comes to household electrical networks. If you lay these sections with a standard 1.5 mm 2 copper wire, the losses will not be noticeable.

This may seem questionable for larger properties such as cottages and multi-storey mansions, but wiring on them is carried out according to distributed circuits and takes into account the requirement of selective protection. This means that nothing prevents you from installing one transformer in each group panel.

Note! Here, not only the conductor cross-section is important, but also the quality of the material. Cheap Chinese cable products of the ShVVP or PVS brands are not suitable for these purposes. It is necessary to use cables of the GDP or VVG brands, in the cores of which there are no impurities of brass and silumin.

Optimal solution to the problem

Like any innovation, low-voltage lighting networks are best introduced at the building design stage. This will help avoid problems such as cable overuse or incorrect junction box layout.

Scheme for assembling modular panels from distribution boxes

First of all, you need to take into account the additional space in the group panels for installing modular transformers. Devices like the ABB TS25 or HAGER ST313 take up four modular slots, while the more powerful HAGER ST315 takes up 6 modular slots. The cost of such transformers is up to 3,000 rubles; the rather high price is due to the possibility of mounting on a DIN rail. Free-standing devices are cheaper, easier to find, and have a much higher power range. For example, devices such as TASCHIBRA can output up to 250 watts, which is enough to connect 30-40 halogen lamps.

If you plan to use LED light sources, conventional electronic transformers will not suit you. To power the LEDs you need a stabilized current transformer. To obtain it, you can use devices like the Deluxe NV1236C LED driver (costing about 1000 rubles) or popular LED power supplies made in China. If you need to mount the device in a group panel, it is better to purchase an LED RGB controller, such as Supernova LED Dimmer for 2,500 rubles. It has multiple pulse width modulated channels and can operate in standalone mode. This means that you can also configure it to control the brightness and color of the LED RGB strip.

House panel layout diagram

As for the connection diagram and wiring of such a lighting network, you most likely will not encounter any difficulties. The transformer is connected to the mains voltage, further wiring is carried out independently of the system. Lighting switching is carried out using conventional switches; for halogen lamps, polarity does not matter. But in the case of LED lamps, especially those operating in RGB mode, you will have to maintain the polarity and place only the positive wire in the gap.

You can also experiment and run a four-way control circuit through a three-gang switch, opening the negative terminals in different colors. Such a switch must have three independent keys, so use Schneider Electric WDE 000331 or its equivalent. In this case, it becomes possible to control the shade of the glow without first adjusting the controller.

Examples of connecting junction boxes

Low voltage lighting in a residential apartment

The question involuntarily arises: is it possible to install a low-voltage lighting network in an already inhabited apartment? Yes, you can. Maybe not so economically and with the loss of a number of opportunities, but it is possible. It is most advisable to carry out such an upgrade during a major overhaul of the electrical wiring (this way you will avoid the need to install junction boxes). It is advisable to lay the power cables of the outlet lines along the floor, connecting the outlets in a chain.

The cavities of suspended ceilings can be used to lay lighting cables, thus almost completely eliminating the need for horizontal grooves. But there is an alternative circuit layout option: if you replace the distribution boxes with modular panels, you will not only provide selectivity of overload protection, but also gain space for installing transformers.

Little tricks for low voltage lighting

And a small life hack as a conclusion. How often have you encountered the need for emergency night lighting so that you can walk through a dimly lit room at night? If you have low voltage wiring, there are two interesting solutions to this problem.

The first is quite simple: put in each box with a switch a small piece of LED strip or a bunch of NE-2 neon bulbs connected through a current-limiting resistor from 100 kOhm to 5 MOhm.

In this case, you will get a rather interesting internal glow effect. Light will ooze out from all the cracks and gaps between the plastic parts, which looks quite unusual and provides the necessary level of illumination for orientation in complete darkness.

Second option: the backlight can be made brighter by installing super-bright LEDs directly into the frame, but this is a rather difficult job. First of all, you need to make a 1 mm groove in the bottom edge of the frame, removing a little plastic at the end with sandpaper. LEDs need to be soldered in series, the optimal number of which is three. A current-limiting resistor is also soldered into the circuit in series, the value of which is selected individually.

The entire garland is attached to the cavity of the switch frame with a glue gun or silicone sealant; it is advisable to orient the LED heads towards the edge of the frame. And if during repairs you make several thin strobes and insert a thin two-core wire into them, you can also illuminate the sockets.

The garage is not only a protected parking place for your “iron horse”, but also a place where you can do its repairs. Therefore, it is very important that the garage is well lit. But here certain difficulties may arise due to the frequent lack of wiring and banal electricity in such buildings. Such difficulties often arise when the garage building was built with your own hands and far from the power line.

Garage lighting

In such a situation, it will be relevant to make autonomous garage lighting. Our article today will tell you what you need to know to make such lighting yourself.

How is lighting done?

When building any premises, lighting systems should always be included at the planning stage. This is especially important for buildings such as a garage, which you can build with your own hands without any problems. Before installing autonomous lighting in this room, you need to consider the following points:

what level of lighting needs to be organized;
what lighting fixtures will be used;
what type of light source will be screwed into the lamps.

Garage lighting option

It must be remembered that the lighting of a garage, even a stand-alone one, must necessarily comply with the following rules:

be safe. Autonomous lighting in this case will be the most relevant, since in this case there is no wiring, and therefore there is a risk of electrical injury;

Note! Using an LED lamp with a power of 12 volts for illumination, you can not only provide high-quality lighting to the premises, but also completely eliminate the risk of electrical injury.

The lighting level should be comfortable for the eyes. In order to correctly calculate the level of illumination for a given room, it is necessary to rely on the standards given in SNiP for garages;
the light that the lamps will create should illuminate the entire space, including the corners. At the same time, it should be uniform. To achieve this level of illumination, you can use general and local types of illumination;
The placement of lighting fixtures should be carried out according to a scheme convenient for you. This will make working in the garage more convenient and comfortable.

Another important factor that must be taken into account when creating autonomous lighting in garage-type buildings is economical energy consumption.

12 volt LED lamp

The fact is that such devices, with a power of only 12 volts, are capable of producing a bright luminous flux and at the same time consuming a minimal amount of energy.

Note! If you wish, you can make a homemade LED lamp and thereby save on buying a factory lamp.

To create autonomous lighting with your own hands, such a lamp is perfect.

Options for autonomous garage lighting

As already mentioned, the best choice for any garage structures will be LEDs. They have a lot of advantages, among which the following points should be highlighted:

creating uniform and bright lighting;
in terms of glow intensity, such a lamp creates a luminous flux that is equal to daylight;
economical consumption of electricity;
such lighting devices can be powered from various devices (for example, from a battery) in a situation where there is no source of electricity.

Most often, 12-volt LED strips are used to illuminate garage spaces. With its help, you can create general lighting by running a ribbon around the perimeter of the structure. In such a situation, the light emanating from the tape will fall evenly. Using an LED strip, you can also create local illumination of shelves and racks, as well as an inspection pit.

Note! To illuminate the inspection pit, a lamp or LED strip must be purchased with a high moisture resistance class. This is due to the fact that there is always high humidity here due to poor ventilation and lack of heating.

The same conditions and requirements are typical for the basement. In this regard, the lighting installation that will be used here should not have a power higher than 12 volts.
You need to remember that in certain places in the garage you need to install a waterproof lamp, both when creating autonomous lighting and when electricity is available.

Autonomous garage lighting and methods for its implementation

In a garage, autonomous lighting is necessary in a situation where there is no electricity in the area or there are frequent interruptions.

Note! In the garage, you can organize two types of lighting: from a 220-volt power supply and autonomous lighting. In this case, autonomous lighting in this situation will already be called emergency lighting. But this approach is relevant only when the main lighting has already been done earlier, and problems with it appeared relatively recently.

Garage lighting

Today there are many ways to make autonomous garage lighting with your own hands. The most popular among car owners are the following ways to organize light in a garage without electricity:

placement of solar panels;
installation of a wind generator;
purchase of a gasoline generator;
battery usage;
garden lamp;
Philippine lantern.

For a better understanding, let's look at each lighting method in more detail.

Lighting with solar panels

Today, many people install solar panels in their private homes and even apartments. With their help, you can not only save on electricity, but also illuminate a garage that does not have electricity.

Garage lighting with solar panels

Despite the popularity of this lighting method, it is unlikely to be suitable for a garage for the following reasons:

the cost of one solar battery and its connection will cost a significant amount;
It is unlikely that you will be able to install such a system yourself without the help of specialists;
complexity of the system for connecting lighting devices and batteries to storage equipment (batteries).

But by spending once on the purchase and installation of solar panels, you will not only receive high-quality autonomous lighting for any room, including the garage, but you will also be able to sell the excess electricity that has accumulated to the state.
A 12-volt lamp can be powered from such a system. Moreover, their number can reach several pieces, which is just suitable for a given room. If there is a need for a voltage of 220 volts, then this system needs a 12 volt converter or inverter.

Lighting using a wind generator

For autonomous lighting of the garage, you can use a homemade wind generator. Such a windmill will also generate free electricity, which can be used to power a 12-volt lamp.

Note! You can either make a windmill yourself or buy a ready-made device. However, a purchased wind generator will cost a pretty penny.

Homemade wind generator

When creating this type of lighting, wind speed must be taken into account. In a situation where strong winds are rare in the area of residence, then this method of lighting will be ineffective. Here, all the costs that went into installing a wind generator will not pay off.

Lighting using a gasoline generator

Instead of a wind generator, you can use a gasoline or diesel generator to create autonomous garage lighting.

Gasoline generator

It is rational to use a gasoline generator only when problems with electricity are rare and the lights are turned off for a short period of time. It is also rational to purchase it if you often use power tools in the garage.

Rechargeable batteries and their applications

Another way to create autonomous lighting in a garage building is to connect the lamps to a battery. The battery can power a 12 volt lamp.

Car battery

When the lights are turned off, such a lighting device (rated at 12 volts) can work for 10 hours. Of course, if the battery was fully charged before.
You can use a spare car battery to illuminate your garage. With its help, it is best to power an LED strip that can be run around the entire perimeter of the premises.

Illumination with garden lamps

Many people today use solar garden lamps for night illumination of the garden. During the day they accumulate enough energy to effectively illuminate the garden paths of the flower beds. But, as practice shows, they can also be used to illuminate the garage when there are problems with electricity.

Solar garden lights

They must be charged outside, and as soon as such lighting devices are needed, they are brought inside the garage. They usually provide light for 5-6 hours. But such a period of operation is typical for high-quality lamps.
The disadvantage of using garden lights with solar panels is that over time the brightness of the lighting they provide will decrease.

But this parameter is typical for any type of autonomous type backlight that is powered by storage devices.

Illumination with a Philippine lantern

In addition to the above methods of autonomous lighting of garage buildings, some car enthusiasts use the so-called “Filipino lantern”.

Philippine lantern The Philippine lantern operates on the principle of light refraction. You can make such a lantern from an ordinary plastic bottle. At the same time, it can be used either entirely or cut out of a part.
The algorithm for making a Filipino lantern with your own hands is as follows:

take a transparent plastic bottle;
The container is easy to wash and remove the colored label;
We put a rectangular or round screen made of stainless steel or galvanized on it;
Clean water is poured into the bottle. It needs to be diluted with bleach. This will prevent the liquid from blooming and, as a result, a drop in lighting intensity;
the liquid is poured so that its level is three centimeters higher than the installed screen;
Then such a bottle is mounted in the roof of the garage structure. The bottle itself must be mounted on a rigid base.

Installation of a Philippine lantern

If the roof was made of corrugated sheets, then simply cut a hole of the required diameter in a sheet of material. To minimize the risk of the roof leaking through the holes, all joints between the bottle and the roof must be well treated with silicone or sealant.
You can use a Philippine lantern as additional autonomous lighting for the garage in those regions where the sun shines most of the year. To increase the level of illumination, you can install several of these homemade flashlights. In cloudy weather, such a design will produce such dim light that working with it will be life-threatening.
In addition, it is worth noting that if the sequence of manufacturing the Philippine lantern is violated, the lighting inside the garage will also be poor.

Conclusion

Today there are many possibilities for creating autonomous lighting in the garage. Some options will be quite expensive, but very effective (for example, installing solar panels or buying a gasoline generator), and some will be cheaper, but less effective (for example, using solar garden lights). But if you approach the solution to this problem competently, then you can choose the most optimal method from all the available lighting options and stop depending on electricity, which is supplied intermittently.