First of all, it is completely undisputed that everything that helps to make the energy balance a little more favorable in favor of renewable energies is basically worthwhile for our environment. So what could be better than using the tool shed or the roof of the gazebo to generate the electricity you need for your kettle, radio or drill?
Is a solar roof useful on a garden house?
A solar roof on a garden shed can effectively provide energy for small electrical appliances. Complete systems cost between 1,000 and 2,000 euros depending on performance and enable possible independence from external energy sources in the garden.
Solar panels have become increasingly cheaper over the years, are available in user-friendly complete sets and are particularly suitable for garden owners who do not have their own power connection on their plot. And finally, solar power is also available free of charge, apart from the one-off investment costs of a photovoltaic system. All right and what's more, you basically don't even have to have a roof.
There are now also high-yield, mobile modules that can be easily set up anywhere in the garden and catch even the smallest ray of sunlight. We took a look at the prices for small solar systems from a German manufacturer to get an initial idea of the expected costs. Graded according to power, the complete systems for self-assembly start at just under 1,000 euros (120 watts) and end at around 2,000 euros and 2 times 150 watts. The power requirement of a lawnmower is probably much higher, right?
Energy requirement in the allotment garden – how high is it actually?
In order to avoid bad investments, the expected individual daily requirements must first be determined. To do this, the nominal power of these electricity consumers is multiplied by their estimated duty cycle, which could look something like this:
| Consumers | Rated power | Duration/day | Consumption/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radio set | 15 Watt | 4 hours | 60 Wh/day |
| TV | 40 watts | 3 hours | 120 Wh/day |
| Receiver | 40 watts | 3 hours | 120 Wh/day |
| Lighting | 10 Watt | 5 hours | 50 Wh/day |
| Camping fridge | 50 watts | 6 hours | 300 Wh/day |
| Total: | 165 Wp | 650 Wh/day |
Wp=Watt Peak (maximum power)
The listed examples of the most common electricity consumers alone show that complete independence from other energy sources, exclusively with the help of a photovoltaic system in the garden, is in principle possible, but is likely to have some restrictions, at least in the variant as a complete set. If you want to use a coffee machine (approx. 600 watts), a computer (around 100 watts) or a microwave (approx. 800 watts) outdoors, you are better off with a professional system, planned together with an expert. This then runs the robotic lawnmower itself, which we would like to introduce to you in our last article for this month.
