From: Winston@BigBrother.net   
      
   danny burstein wrote:   
   > Just got this offer from Amazon and it sounds like   
   > a decent match for what I'm planning.   
   >   
   > We want to set up an outdoor LED fixture (ok, it'll   
   > be a menorah/candelabra) using a total of about 20   
   > watts of LED lighting.   
   >   
   > It'll be on a timer, so only be lit for 2 or so hours   
   > after sunset. Hence 40 watt-hours/day.   
   >   
   > Assuming they're telling the truth and this panel would   
   > provide 50 watts in direct sun, that would (rule of thumb)   
   > get us about 200 watt-hours on sunny days, and maybe   
   > a quarter of that on a typical foggy/misty one.   
   >   
   > Even if they're optimistic and doubling the real number,   
   > we'd still do ok.   
   >   
   > So... attached to a 500 watt-hr battery, that would   
   > get us through a week, or even two, of drizzle...   
   >   
   > Anyway, the price looks good, at $119.00. Throw in a decent   
   > controller gets us into the $200 range. Batteries would   
   > be extra, of course.   
      
   You will want to include security costs, too.   
   A motion-sensing webcam to post pictures of   
   the guys who walked off with your panel,   
   battery and controller.   
      
   Then you get to trench for a 24 V power line anyway.   
      
   Unless the display is in the middle of an island,   
   photovoltaics will be a waste of money IMHO.   
      
   --Winston   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)