How can I generate electricity for my garden shed.

[RATTER15]

I have a large garden that I am about to build a shed and a summer house in, the problem I have is it is not adjoined to the house and I have no water or electricity in the garden, The shed will collect my water into butts but I still need electricity, just for lighting in the shed and charging batteries etc.

Any ideas on how I could simply and cheaply generate enough electricity to do this.

[RATTER15]

Tony, I just need enough to run a couple of 12volt lights really but they would be on a fair bit in the winter.

[TonyV]

Very quiet (suitcase size) genys are available - will not disturb wildlife if it's a dull day - you thinking of using water to drink without treatment?

[RATTER15]

No we dont need to drink the water, the water is just for watering the garden.

I will look into a small geny but not sure.

[TonyV]

but you not living there so if you do split between turbine (winter) and solar (summer) you may be able to be self sufficient. What are you thinking about doing for heating, if mostly you will be using the shed in winter?

[TonyV]

Ratter - if it is literally 2 12v bulbs (say 4) a very small bank of batteries will run them - charged by fan in the flue of your wood burning stove!! Iniatally got impression you were spending days in your shed. Cheapest solution to charge a battery bank is a quiet geny, unless you feel the need to enhance wind / solar.

[DTCwordfan]

ratter - just buy up a Japanese or German nuclear power station; they are going cheap at the moment and the UK could do with some more tricity in the grid.

[modeller]

A gas generator can be used for heating as well as producing electricity.
You wouldn't need batteries at all unless you needed them for a special purpose.

[AlBags]

All that water? .. Build a Hydro-Electric plant!

Just run a 2.5mm armoured cable round the outside to it.

[RATTER15]

DT, I may look into the power station but shipping it over could be a little out of my price range, also im not sure if the neighbours would be happy about it.

Ive been looking at wind turbines on Ebay, they look pretty good, only £165.00

[AlBags]

As long as you don't hope to 'brew up' with them.

[RATTER15]

You mean as in, maybe distill a few gallons of Vodka to keep Sallabananas from drying up, now there's a thought!!

[paddywak]

Well Ratter, I suppose it depends on what you want but here's the approximate figures 100m of 2.5mm 3 core SWA cable £150, 3 way consumer unit with trips £20-25, buried cable tape £20-25, somebody to dig the trench ?, most people know somebody who'll do a job for a few quid in the back pocket. Sockets and lights and switches maybe £30-50 depending on what you want but you end up with a shed with lights and sockets to run heaters power tools etc

[RAV1D]

You could get a bag of potatoes and put a couple of prongs in them,We did this at school when we was kids,it gave enough power to light up a bulb!

[RATTER15]

Paddywak,My garden is 100mtrs up a public road im not sure the Highways people will appreciate me digging a trench across their road and then 100 mtrs up the side of the road.

Many thanks for the information though.