Power garage door opener on detached garage.

[Ronn]

I have a detached garage with no power currently going to it. I want to build a small 12v to power the garage door, and two shop lights. I just wanted to get some help on the system design. Here is what I'm thinking so far:

2 of these solar panels https://www.renogy.com/100-watt-12-volt-monocrystalline-solar-panel/

Either this unit https://ebay.to/2IZuLSB or this https://amzn.to/35vDNQ9. I really like the option of plugging it into grid power if I choose to run my circular saw in the garage.

I'm thinking about this battery https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Battery-Marine-Off-grid-Applications/dp/B075RFXHYK .
I live in South West Ohio so the garage can hot and cold. So any advice for battery storage would be great.

This system will be on 24/7 watching for the garage door remote to open/close the garage, and it would be nice to be able to turn the light on with a flip of the switch anytime. So I'm not sure which inverter to get. I'm not sure how to tell if they have a low stand by

I have attached a copy of my garage door manual.

I would love to hear folks recommendations. Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[Delmar]

KISS principle: why not get a battery powered opener and shop lights then skip the inverter?

Example: Liftmaster 85503 DC Battery Backup Belt Drive Wi-Fi With Integrated Camera Garage Door Opener

You can probably use the tiny battery that comes with it, or upgrade to my favorite battery: 12 Volt, 35 Amp Hour Sealed Lead Acid

 

[kernel]

KISS principle: why not get a battery powered opener and shop lights then skip the inverter?

Example: Liftmaster 85503 DC Battery Backup Belt Drive Wi-Fi With Integrated Camera Garage Door Opener

You can probably use the tiny battery that comes with it, or upgrade to my favorite battery: 12 Volt, 35 Amp Hour Sealed Lead Acid

I think the op said this,
"I really like the option of plugging it into grid power if I choose to run my circular saw in the garage"

 

[Delmar]

There is no grid for grid-tie, so the inverter will run 24/7 with no load attached. Assume an extension cord from the house can run the saw.

 

[kernel]

And this.

" I want to build a small 12v to power the garage door, and two shop lights."

I like the idea of just charging a battery back up equipped door opener with pv instead of grid power. Its simple and easy to have up and operating in an un wonky fashion. If it has a light in its backup even better, but if you wanted to run "shop lights" or tools the inverter suggests itself.

He also says hed like the system connected to power at some point, so again if you have the opener, and want the solar and battery system and would like grid support but to keep off grid primary power and to be able to bridge an outage or there will be some time before having the building permanently connected to the property service connection, i can see hqving a full blown system.

Having real shop lighting would require at least a 100W inverter or good dc light fixtures or sources. Having the ability to wire up the garage and power light tools and appliances now and the ability to backup the area with auto transfer from the grid on a program to prioritize solar usage within the system suggests an inverter.

Lead acid atteries, i would store in an insulated box. Ventilate more seriously if flooded but always leave a vent and inlet. They will work fine as long as kept near full charged and full regularly and are sized to operate your loads at twice what the ratings sugget to start.

By this i mean your battery would have something like a little better than half its rated capacity at freezing. So double the rating and then set the depth of discharge, but mind that it needs to be quicly brought back to full in freezing or sub zero conditions here in the north.

If it is a standby thing that may only operate the door a couple times a day and run a light for the short duration of using the car ot will be no issue and 100Ah is fine as long as it will support the minimum current in Ah (manufacturer) requirement of the inverter. 90A in the case of 1000W continuous at full stuff and 11V, so 100A minimum i would say. You may never ask for 1000W so this is all fine on the surface. If you want to run power tools some may and some may not. If you want more or less seamless automated transition from grid as opposed to seperate distribution panels amd wiring, the inverter needs to be able to charge (possibly not) while powering loads or passing through grid power.

In that case 1000W has a bottleneck at least for passthrough. It does not have to have 100A service if you dot intend it to, but it needs to handle the max you require and possibly room for expanded power levels. This will be the overlap of usual present loads (lights?) and the tools you intend to run.

You can usually buy a good makita or whichever well made tool in lower power models, like 9A sawzalls instead of 16A ones etc. I have had 1500W inverters not power a worm drive saw but operate my direct driven makita just fine. Same with shop vacs, table saws, just about everything.

If all that is not what you are looking at id throw an appropriately sized extension cord out there and solar charge an off the shelf door opener as Delmar said.

Way more fun to provide small scale full ise electrical in the building. If you are not flinching at a 200$ 100Ah agm battery, id shop 2000W inverter chargers. Some may be 400-600$

I will say a golf car battery would get you 235Ah and cost 245$ 1.4KWh usable. Power tools in a home maintenance workshop largely operate short durations even if high powered.

And thats where it winds up unless you put on the brakes and keep it simple!

Id still go for the shebang if its fun.

 

[Delmar]

I like the idea of just charging a battery back up equipped door opener with pv instead of grid power. Its simple and easy to have up and operating in an un wonky fashion.

Preaching to the choir.

but if you wanted to run "shop lights" or tools the inverter suggests itself.

There is no shortage of automotive LED lights that can be repurposed as shop lights.

You can usually buy a good makita or whichever well made tool in lower power models, like 9A sawzalls instead of 16A ones etc. I have had 1500W inverters not power a worm drive saw but operate my direct driven makita just fine. Same with shop vacs, table saws, just about everything.

I am still grinning about JeepHammer buying 12V cordless tools with bad batteries and wiring to his car battery. Could fill a shop with cheap 12V tools. Pure redneck genius. eBay search for 12V-14V saws

 

[kernel]

Preaching to the choir.


There is no shortage of automotive LED lights that can be repurposed as shop lights.


I am still grinning about JeepHammer buying 12V cordless tools with bad batteries and wiring to his car battery. Could fill a shop with cheap 12V tools. Pure redneck genius. eBay search for 12V-14V saws

Most of my reply which you quoted was an agreement and acknowledgement of your previous replies, which i read beforehand.

 

[Naraize]

First, I was making a budget solar power plant for my detached garage. And for this project, an ordinary automotive lead-acid battery 12V 60Ah was quite suitable. Next, I needed a 220V step-up converter. As the converter from 12V to 220V, I used a UPC. I took a solar panel with 32.4V, a current of 9.26A, and a maximum power of 300W. When the garage door replacement for a new system was needed, I had to change the original PWM controller with current up to 30A to charge the battery to the MPPT controller, which can convert extra, higher voltage into the current to charge the same battery or to power another consumer. There is nothing left to get a full-fledged solar mini-power plant but to add an inverter from 12V to 220V to the assembly.