I'm in the process of setting up my shed mainly for lighting right now. I've got a 100w kit that includes a 30a PWM controller, eight 12v 8w LED strip lights, and a 12v 10w floodlight planned. None of these will be on for very long—max about an hour at a time and not every night. I also picked up a 20a rocker switch panel for turning everything on and off. My plan is to connect it all to a couple of 18ah lead/acid batteries. I think I've calculated correctly that the LED strips will use around 5.36a when all are on, plus the floodlight at about 0.83a. I've read that to protect lead/acid batteries, I shouldn't discharge them beyond 50%, which I should be able to manage. I'm unsure about the power consumption of the charge controller itself, but I intend to upgrade it later. Is there anything else I should consider for my setup, or will it be safe as planned?
1 Answer
Just keep an eye on your battery charging. If you hit a few cloudy days in a row, you might find your batteries struggling. Also, be cautious with cheap PWM controllers; they can be a weak link in your system. Look for more reliable brands like Renology or Xantrex if you can.