Easiest DIY Solar Lights I Could Think Of

I made DIY solar lights for my shed without using any tools!
🔋 PARTS USED IN THIS VIDEO
• Battery - amzn.to/3KN0VBq
• Charge controller - amzn.to/3KO2tLJ
• Solar panel - amzn.to/3GvdgaW
• Mounting tape - amzn.to/43lXOYn
• Adapter cable 1 - amzn.to/3zOffnc
• Adapter cable 2 - amzn.to/43m3L7H
• Lights - amzn.to/3meoJoE
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These DIY solar LED lights make it easy to grab things from my shed at night without struggling with a smartphone flashlight.
Overall, this DIY solar lighting setup is straightforward to make and perfect for sheds and small buildings, as well as boats and vehicles. If you need your lights to last longer, all you have to do is pick up a bigger solar panel and a bigger battery.
Some things I didn’t mention in the video:
Alligator clips are far from the best way to connect wires long term, so if you want to make the connection a bit more permanent - especially in vehicles where everything gets moved around during transit - you can use electrical tape to tape the clips to the terminals
Lead acid batteries shouldn’t be charged below -4°F (-20°C)
The estimated solar panel and battery sizes at the end are conservative because I don’t want your lights to die unexpectedly 😜
The adapter cable I used has a 7.5A fuse, so make sure you get a solar panel that won’t exceed this limit
~
Some of the links in this video's description and comments section are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one, at no extra cost to you I may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you! 🙏

[@randallkipker9990]

Swiss multi-tool is a tool as are Tweezers!

[@madmedix2]

Nice video. Sage old advice (from formerly intact solar panel cables): If you have squirrels, you may wish to dab some clover oil on the outer casing of any exposed cable once in a while. Replacing damaged cables gets old fast.

[@footprinthero]

Thanks for the tip! I definitely do have squirrels so I'll try this out

[@roboticalienman]

Awesome guide, and great way to start getting into solar on the cheap

[@footprinthero]

Thank you!

[@ericaguirre9739]

Im high af rn this video was dope af !

[@jaymanager6356]

Hahahahahhaa me to

[@footprinthero]

Great comment

[@stugforce4268]

Are you trying to figure out how to grow in a shack too? 😂😂

[@truthalonetriumphs6572]

No tools 😂

[@3RDPeakAdventure]

Awesome - very nice and simple

[@BlackSuneEmpire]

Vey nice video, but you made a common mistake with your led light strip. You are supposed to face them away from you to stop you from being dazzled and to create a more defused light effect. Though I'm sure you are happy the way you installed them.

[@scottf9044]

How do you match the panel size (watts), controller (amperage), LED light requirements (amperage), hours/day and battery capacity? In other words, if I used the same LED strips you have, which are 2A, but need them to run 8 hours/day what do I need in the panel, controller and battery capacity? Essentially, what specs do I need to look for? I'd probably go with strip lights that I can wire directly to the controller (vs. USB) or directly to the battery. Thanks.

[@footprinthero]

PRODUCTS Battery - amzn.to/3KN0VBq Charge controller - amzn.to/3KO2tLJ Solar panel - amzn.to/3GvdgaW Mounting tape - amzn.to/43lXOYn Adapter cable 1 - amzn.to/3zOffnc Adapter cable 2 - amzn.to/43m3L7H Lights - amzn.to/3meoJoE ~ Some things I didn’t mention in the video: - Alligator clips are far from the best way to connect wires long term, so if you want to make the connection a bit more permanent - especially in vehicles where everything gets moved around during transit - you can use electrical tape to tape the clips to the terminals - Lead acid batteries shouldn’t be charged below -4°F (-20°C) - The estimated solar panel and battery sizes at the end are conservative because I don’t want your lights to die unexpectedly 😜 - The adapter cable I used has a 7.5A fuse, so make sure you get a solar panel that won’t exceed this limit

[@lizardman1303]

About 110 dollars for this build . Might be cheaper just buying the solar power lights

[@harshbarj]

Um, tweezers are a tool.

[@Gran-pm2re]

How much is all this

[@motardmania5567]

How long can you keep the lights on?

[@MrDavidBFoster]

Dude... You don't get to say tweezers aren't a tool just because they aren't part of the $10 handyman kit at Walmart! lol

[@myname7914]

Thanks for the inf Alex. Things I found very helpful... "Sealed Lead Acid" Battery is needed for freezing temps. I'll probably get the 30W panel, and 25-30 Ah battery. (btw, you used the trusty tweezers as a tool, LOL... could have used your fingernails)

[@ne-phil]

Excellent how to! Thanks. I've got the same brand shed as you do but mine is 15' deep. I noticed the lights you used from Amazon are only 6.5' in length. Can I add a couple more together so the lights go from the front to the back of my shed? Thanks again.

[@connorhunt5115]

Hey Alex, just wanted to say maybe you should just use the right tools for the job

[@magajocca]

for safety reasons never cut corners and use proper equipment and tools.

[@wardraven8755]

What equipment was not proper?

[@harshbarj]

@@wardraven8755 Well, the tweezers for one.

[@mattburrows2615]

Hair clip​@@wardraven8755

[@zachvanboening3574]

Great video. Exact application in the exact shed I have! Thanks

[@daves2822]

FYI anything you use as a tool is a tool.. you even said multi tool.

[@Estoooopid]

Nice job. Maybe next year for me. Ima continue using my phone light for those rare occasions i need something from shed in the dark.

[@LukeWallis009]

thanks you may have just saved me in my DT school project

[@footprinthero]

Nice 👍

[@bernard9565]

Hi, can i use 12v led strip? And connect them to dc output on controler?

[@ramidaoud3776]

do you have a video or if not help us diy "sunne" solar lamp

[@gamallevarity5809]

Tweezer and nail clippers still a tool 🔨bruh

[@OutdoorLiving88]

When you used your tweezers they became a tool.

[@halohahaha]

Thanks for a nice video. I can see you used a 12v battery and 5v lights. Does the controller somehow convert the voltage or how does it work?

[@MeliSandra]

What charge controller do I use for 100 watt solar panel

[@footprinthero]

There are lots of options! The one I use in this video works with a 100W panel. It can handle up to 130W. I'd recommend it as a good budget option

[@MeliSandra]

@@footprinthero thankyou

[@nicc8230]

great video, I'm trying to make this project as cheaply as possible any have zero electrical skills this seems perfect. Any idea for solar panels that just need daylight? There is usually no direct sunlight on my property in PNW. Thanks

[@nemanjarodic1049]

I build this and it is trash.

[@user-zb2pt9qu2g]

But in the summer time this type of shed temperature can reach more than 50°c. Isn’t it dangerous for the battery

[@ceciyeltom235]

Amazing. Thanks for sharing great details & where to purchase.

[@juanitagonzalez9289]

Can you make a video adding a timer so that the lights turn on and off by themselves?

[@TonyHendren]

Ummm...would have been easier with a standard screwdriver.

[@beholder4465]

good video but tweezers or nail cutter are still tools 😉

[@footprinthero]

😅

[@emanuelnolasco3745]

How much time is the light turn on? All night?

[@Zaniith]

I'm thinking of doing the same thing with 12v fluro lights, will have a couple panels and potentially a couple batteries aswell, would that work?

[@jimmymaracas6442]

Yes but there’s a specific way to do it, you’ll probably want to connect multiple batteries in parallel.

[@Fokky.]

won't the batteries overcharged? i mean the controller doesn't have mppt feature right?

[@footprinthero]

Good question - Nope, the charge controller has overcharge protection! And I don't know of a charge controller that doesn't protect against overcharging. It's a standard feature, regardless of whether it's a PWM or MPPT charge controller.

[@cidadao400]

I would like to transport the solar light into different places in my house (no batteries, no solar panel)

[@xFGBxHD]

You can’t have solar light without a battery in night , the idea is the battery gets charged by solar and then the battery powers the lamp in night

[@ahmadgondal732]

Great video! Easy to follow and Thank you for the item links.

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome :)

[@samueladams584]

That's cool..

[@hakan3525]

İlk Türk abonen benim 🇹🇷

[@footprinthero]

Teşekkürler! (Google Translate 😄)

[@amperetimemarketing7931]

great video！

[@footprinthero]

Thanks!

[@rocktman81]

I have a resin-type shed that's similar to yours. I'm hoping to maybe one day have solar panels covering the one full half of the roof (the south facing half of course) and running power (under ground) to a ductless minisplit unit (with the outside compressor about 30 feet from the shed, and the head unit of the minisplit installed in an upstairs bedroom). They now have minisplits that can run on a combination of DC and AC (where they prioritize the DC first). With the minisplit's variable speed compressor, they can apparently run at low speeds with relatively small power consumption. Since my shed is only 7'x7', and with only 1/2 of the roof facing south, there's not a ton of room for solar panels. Maybe I can fit four 100W panels I'm hoping. Anyway, this is just a thought so far. Haven't started taking measurements or running numbers yet. Current "concerns" are 1) how much panel and associated power generation can I fit on half of the roof of the shed, 2) how heavy will the panels be on the shed roof, 3) how can I safely run power underground from the shed to the outside compressor unit, 4) how much power I will lose in that ~30ft run, 5) what is the bare minimum power that a (maybe 9k or 12k BTU) minisplit can run at a slow speeds with its variable speed compressor (e.g. does it need say 250W or so to even run at all).

[@joniboulware1436]

If you are powering a minisplit for an upstairs bedroom, and HOA rules aside, why wouldn't you set everything up on the house?