How to Make a Solar Powered Walkway

I sure loves me some sun jars!  They incorporate several of my favorite things to mess around with:  LEDs, Solar panels, hot glue, man it's all there and they look great to boot!

However, there is one big fat problem:  the sun!  When it's dark out, oftentimes the places I'd really like to have a little extra light are just the spots you can't leave a sun jar due to lack of direct exposure to sunlight. 

The obvious solution to this dilemma is to separate the solar panel from the sun jar.  I extrapolated this a bit further and realized that the only thing you actually need in the jar is the LED, and since you don't have to cram all the other electronics in there, you don't have to stay with the classic sun jar shape.

With this in mind, I combed craigslist for some suitably shaped glass blocks, went to Home Depot for the appropriate solar light, stocked up on speaker wire and came up with the Solar Powered Walkway!

***UPDATE 5/5/10:  If you build this project yourself, or something similar, post some pictures and I'll send you a patch!***


****UPDATE 1-1-11
If you are the first person to post a picture of your completed light-up walkway to the comments, I've got a 3 month pro membership to instructables that's all yours!

Step 1 The Walkway

Here is the little path that goes from my driveway to the front door.  I decided this was the best place to put the lights, mostly because I wouldn't have to move a bunch of concrete, but also because I'd get to walk the path each night when I came home from work.

I figured I'd put one of the glass blocks in the path first just to see how it would look during the day.  I dug a little hole, just a bit deeper than the end result would be.  I poured a little fine gravel into the bottom of the hole, so you wouldn't just be looking at dirt through the glass.  I filled it back in around the block, and left the top just a bit higher than the surrounding gravel, as I figured it would settle out a bit.  Everyone who saw it thought it looked nice, so it was off to the next step.

Comments

[solarstudent]

did you need to edit the battery holder to have all of the batteries in parallel? I find it common with LED projects that batteries are in parallel to help increase the brightness. Your LEDs look pretty bright tho, so if you left the battery holder as is I guess it works out pretty well too.

[solarstudent]

For the in-ground lights: isn't the circuitry on those limited to 1.2V usually (enough to charge the one battery it needs)? If so, could we just wire three of those in series to get the 3.6V we need? I'd prefer to not spend $25 for a solar light that has the circuitry to charge three lights if I am just going to be tearing it apart. Wouldn't mind spend like $6 on a few of those garden solar lights though.

[depotdevoid]

Really the main reason to use the single light is to have one source driving multiple lights. It's perfectly feasible to use one garden lamp for each in ground light, but then you have one battery, one circuit board, and one solar panel for each of those lights. If you're only doing two or three that should be fine, but I was going for six and that would have been a mess!

[surf_frog34]

Great project. I couldn't find if this was covered, but how long do the lights stay lit with that setup?

[depotdevoid]

Thanks surf frog! Depending on the time of year, they're good for 3-6 hours. I suspect dropping in some better rechargeables would extend that significantly.

[lschwartz]

Around the 4th of July in the US, many stores, e.g., Walmart, Home Deport, Lowes, sell single stick-in-the-ground lights, decorated for the holiday, for as low as $1 each. The ones I found have everything contained in the cap that just snaps off. Next year, I'll get some and disassemble them to use as you suggest! Thanks for sharing.

[depotdevoid]

Awesome, I hope you share the results!

If you're going for the one light per block method, you might check Dollar Tree, every couple of months they'll get in a shipment of solar lights.

[shilicious]

Right now I am living in an apartment complex, and am trying to find any excuse to make these! They are so whimsical looking, and the possibilities are almost limitless. Thank you for such a great instructable. I can't wait to make these. C:

[depotdevoid]

Thanks Shilicious, I'd love to see the results if you do!

[eamc317]

This is a great project and will try to make it soon! Do you know how much weight these can hold, like could these break if stepped on over a long period of time, or are they pretty sturdy. Thanks again!

[depotdevoid]

They are crazy sturdy actually, you're in more danger of slipping on them when they're wet. I recommend getting some clear griptape if you make this, but you don't need to worry about breaking them!

If you do make something like this, please post some pictures, no one has yet!  If you do, I'll not only send you a digital patch, I'll send a 3 month pro membership your way!

[eamc317]

Cool, thanks! Will try to make them soon. Thanks again!

[porcupinemamma]

Briliant. awe- "sun" . way to go!

[depotdevoid]

Thanks!

[Galonii]

do you think you could set the glass blocks in concrete I was thinking of doing my drive way in Feb. and think this would be really cool.

[DetoxinatorSmith]

My Dad and I put some blocks (without LEDs unfortunately) in his backyard patio about 10 years ago, we ended up using 3/4" cedar boards to make a form to set the blocks in so they were not sealed in place by the concrete, nice thing about cedar is you dont have to take them out, we left ours in and they give the blocks a nice little 'picture frame' look to this day.

[porcupinemamma]

Pictures? Sounds so hot!! (sun/hot) tee hee hee

[depotdevoid]

I don't see why you couldn't set them in concrete. The only thing I would do differently would be to seal everything about ten times as thoroughly as I did, and test it all fifteen times before installation. Once that concrete hardens, if it turns out something is wrong with your setup, that's it!

If you do end up doing something like this, please post some pictures! A lot of people have talked about making their own version, but not one person has posted a picture of the final result. I'm dying to see someone else's take on my idea!

I'm going to up the ante a bit here . . . I've got a 3 month pro membership to instructables that I'll give to the first person who posts a picture of their completed light up walkway.

[mrdudej]

Do you think this would survive a canadian winter?

[depotdevoid]

I dunno, Canadian winters are pretty harsh, but do you have problems with regular solar garden stake lights? If not, there should be no problem with this.

[Dr. Newell]

I just found this instructable and I'm considering a version for my ongoing backyard remodel. I plan to pour two concrete walkways in the upcoming weeks, and thought about incorporating about 20 of these lighted blocks into the surface. Here's my plan:

1. Power everything from a 12 volt automotive battery in my shop, charged with a 18. 8v, 170 mA solar panel from a Volswagen New Beetle battery charger placed on the roof of the shop.

2. When I form up the walks, I plan to build forms for each block and connect them all with pvc conduit for the wiring. Add a little slack to the wiring and I should be able to make all my connections, then drop the blocks into place. This system should allow me to remove blocks as needed for maintenance, and the conduit will let me run additional cabling to the blocks later if I decide to get really crazy.

[depotdevoid]

Awesome, sounds like quite the project!

I like that you're planning on making the bricks removable, I'd hate to see something go wrong with one and then have to pull up the whole walkway to fix it.

I've been thinking of doing something similar in my back yard, I've got a brick patio and was thinking of replacing 20 or 30 of the bricks with some of these tiles.

If you do this, please post some pictures, or even a full instructable! If you do, make sure to let me know, I'd really like to see how this turns out!

[mrtsunami92]

where do i get thoose glass blocks ?
from ebay?
can anyone send me a link please ;)

greets

[depotdevoid]

You might try Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=glass+blocks&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I just kept looking on craigslist until I found someone selling them.

Post a picture if you make this!

[moogeez91]

hey the link candor posted isn't working. is this product gone too?

[depotdevoid]

Hmmm, good point . . . I can't even remember what exactly the lights Candor mentioned looked like now! Here's one option, searching IKEA for solar lights:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70200939

A quick search on Amazon gives some decent looking results as well.

Thanks for pointing this out, I rarely go back and revisit my old ibles, this has also reminded me to mention that the dealextreme lights aren't very good.

[frikkie]

very very beautifull!

[depotdevoid]

Thanks frikkie, glad you liked it!

[Caribsailor]

Very Cool!! Great Job!

I've done something similar disassembling a solar landscape set & conch shells.

But I'm going to us this one for sure at the canal lot. Love it!

Cheers
Caribsailor

[depotdevoid]

Thanks Caribsailor! Post some pics when yours is done. Also, you should consider subscribing to me, I've got version 3 of this concept in the works, hopefully to be completed in the next 2-3 months.

[quilt45]

Wow!  These are super cool!  I love the look of your pathway.   I think that this would look fabulous around a pool if there was a way to get them non slippery.  Would the etching that someone suggested be textured enough do you think?

But what did you do with the bundle of wires at the end?
Don't they have to go up to the charging station, and wouldn't that leave them just sort of hanging there?  I get the burying them underground as you go closer to the charger, but you said that you had mounted yours on the roof.  Did you just feed them through a PVC pipe that is the color of your house?

[depotdevoid]

Thanks a lot, glad you like it!

As to slipperiness, I'm not sure how the etching would do.  I suspect it might not be enough around a pool.  I was thinking of doing more of these around the house, so I've been thinking of ways to reduce slipperiness.  I know you can purchase see through grip tape for steps and walkways, so maybe that would be the way to go.  You could even cut out different patterns or pictures and stick them to the bricks!

The bundle of wires from the ground to the charger is still visible for about a foot and a half . . . I had planned on running them through some PVC and never got around to it, but it wasn't too noticeable.  Between the charger and the panel are only three wires, and I ran them along natural edges, so they're pretty well hidden.

If you do your own version of this, please post some pictures!  I'd really like to see the results!

[DIYDragon]

If you do want clear griptape. Try look looking for the kind that is for skateboards. Should be very easy to apply and locate. : )

Great project.

[shtihl]

what about using clear epoxy with grip sand? you know, the kind of sand you usually mix with latex paint to make a non-slip area for use on decks and steps and ramps?

[depotdevoid]

I hadn't heard of that, can you get it at Home Depot or Lowes or one of those places?

[shtihl]

The yes. Ace too

[depotdevoid]

Thanks! I'm going to build a set of these for a friend, I may look into that.

[shtihl]

amendment to previous answer. i looked at home depot and they dont have it but Ace does. its called Tread Tex. http://www.homaxproducts.com/products/tilecare/09/index.html on that link you can find out all pertinant(spelling?) info

[depotdevoid]

Awesome, the local Ace is a little out of the way, but not too far. Thanks again!

[thecolor]

 not sure if it's been said/asked yet (to many comments to read through... but, had you considered putting the solar panel inside each block... to avoid running wires all together?  While not getting as much light as the roof... it could be a cleaner and easier setup.

Either way, love the idea!  Still trying to find the most convenient way to solar setup my condo.  :)  So many rules and regulations in a community.  :|

Thanks for the tutorial.