Comments by David T.

Understanding battery capacity: Ah is not A

I have a project that I am hoping you might help me with.
I have an outdoor lighting project in a remote area, thus I use lights, solar panel, and battery with a solar panel control box.
What I want to know is, do I have the right mix of components to keep the battery charged to use the lights all night long?

Battery: 12V, 35 Amp Duracell
Lights: LED drawing 1.5 amps each (2 of them), and 18Watts
Solar Panel: Pmax, 20W; Vmp, 18.2V, Imp, 1.1A; Voc, 22V, Isc, 1.21A

What I have found thus far is that that after about a week, the battery is no longer able to provide power to the lights. I am using the largest Amp battery that I can fit into the space/housing.

Questions: Obviously, I could reduce the power needs of the lights, or cut back to one light. What is the brightest light that I could use for about 8 hours each night (sun down to sun up) and still be able to charge back up?
Do I need a larger solar panel if I get 6 hours of light a day? 4 hours of light a day?

Thanks, David