This is the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manual for CCAT green shed solar lighting. Please refer to it and keep it up to date with any O&M changes.
WARNING—Be very careful when working with batteries. Lead acid batteries can generate explosive gases, and short circuits can draw thousands of amps from the battery. Read all instructions provided with the battery.
Operation
This is how to operate. It should have a brief introduction and very useful images with labels. Also it may work best for your project to use the step by step how to template {{How to}}. See #Troubleshooting for an example.
Maintenance
- The PV panel located on the green shed roof should be cleaned every few months or so to prevent solar rays from being blocked by debris.
- The PV panel is expected to last approximately 40 years before needing replacement.
- The LED lights have a life expectancy of 50,000 hours. At an average use of 3 hours per day, the lights should last two years before needing replacement.
Schedule
This is when to maintain what. We are still working on the best format for this. It may be a table eventually, but for now use the bullets below.
- Daily
- A daily task
- A daily task
- Weekly
- a weekly task
- a weekly task
- Monthly
- a monthly task
- a monthly task
- Yearly
- a yearly task
- a yearly task
- Every __ years
- task
- task
Instructions
This is how to maintain. The step by step how to template {{How to}} is most likely best for this part.
Troubleshooting
This is only how to troubleshoot basic operation. For complex issues, the solution might just say contact ________. It should be a table in this format:
| Problem | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Example issue | Example solution or suggestion |
| Does not turn on | Make sure it is plugged in |
| Another issue | Et cetera |
Suggestions for future changes
Because of the green shed location and the panel direction and placement on the roof, the sun only hits the panel in the afternoon. The panel could be relocated or repositioned to better maximize its potential.
It may be beneficial for a timer to be connected to the solar lighting system that would shut off the lights after (for example) 30 minutes, in the event someone forgot to shut off the lights. This would prevent unnecessary draining of the battery.