For a school project I want to show how a solar panel in the roof can produce renewable energy. My uncle gave me a solar panel from Maplin (12v 1.5w).
http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-12v-1.5w-battery-trickle-charger-98358

Can I use this to trickle charge some batteries and have them power a LED light? Is the panel too powerful? What spec circuitry would I need? What capacity Resistor and Diode? If I have the requirements I can pop in to my local Maplin in Ireland and buy all the bits.

I have looked at this circuit on Evil Mad Scientist but it is for a much smaller capacity panel. http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/solar
(I have also noted the warning: These are small simple circuits. In building these, we will quite intentionally gloss over a number of minor details and issues that are unimportant at these low powers, but could become critical if you were to try to scale up.)

Can I use this to trickle charge some batteries and have them power a LED light?.

Yes.

Is the panel too powerful

Much more powerful panels exist; I'd have a hard time describing this one as "too powerful."

What spec circuitry would I need? What capacity Resistor and Diode?

The diode should handle all of the current that this can source. P = I*V, so I = P/V = 1.5 W/12 V = .125 A. Just about any "power" diode should be fine, as would most "small signal" diodes. Don't use an LED.

If I have the requirements I can pop in to my local Maplin in Ireland and buy all the bits

You might consider using it for its design application, to just trickle charge 12 V lead-acid batteries.

Hi Windell,

A question about LED and solar Panels: could one actually consider feeding (radiate) a solar panel with LED and oriented mirrors. Would be it possible to achieve sustainability?

thanks in advance

Pedro

If by sustainability you mean that the light from the LED, collected by the solar panel is enough to power the LED sustainably, the answer is no. The solar cell is less than 100% efficient, as is the LED. If you mean something else, please let us know.

As my old Pappy used to say, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

--Jeff in Texas

Quote by: Jeff in Texas

As my old Pappy used to say, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

--Jeff in Texas

thanks Jeff
that's what I meant

Pedro