Pole Barn solar lighting?

C

Cloverleaffarm

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Jun 4, 2009
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I've got a 30x60 pole barn that is basically empty except a camper/bass boat and my pickup truck. I keep a fridge running to keep my shop beers cold, uses about 10 kWh a month. The shed itself is used for cold storage, anything major gets preformed up at the farm (1/2 mile up the road) or in the garage.

this months power bill was around $37 , $35 of the $37 was "customer and meter charge" (those prices have doubled over time)
So I'm going to tell the power company to stop supplying power to the barn and put that $ towards something else that'll run what I "need" to run more economically.

Does anyone have experience with any of the solar setups? don't really need much, just something for 5-6 125watt bulbs (are only one for 2-3 minutes a day) and "maybe" the beer fridge ?
 
I don't have any input on the solar but I see why you want to do it. I can tell you volts x Amps = watts. so if your refrigerator used 4 amps and it was supplied with 118 volts then it would require 472 watts. The inrush would be a little more so I would oversize your supply by 1.5. Also it would likely pay for itself for you to install led lights that pull 1/10 the wattage with the offset cost of cheaper power supply. Nonetheless less I'm following because this crap interests me.
 
ComnRailPwr said:
I don't have any input on the solar but I see why you want to do it. I can tell you volts x Amps = watts. so if your refrigerator used 4 amps and it was supplied with 118 volts then it would require 472 watts. The inrush would be a little more so I would oversize your supply by 1.5. Also it would likely pay for itself for you to install led lights that pull 1/10 the wattage with the offset cost of cheaper power supply. Nonetheless less I'm following because this crap interests me.
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Volts x Amps = VA. Volts x Amps x power factor = Watts :)


A battery bank would help tremendously with the startup load of the compressor on the refrigerator.
 
Battery back up will be a big expense.

We have a 10kW solar system installed since 2014 and it was a very good investment at the time when all the pay back money was huge.

I believe in solar power 100% and it works great and saves money, we don’t have a battery storage system installed at this time.

If the offer incentives for the option, I would take them up.

Talk to a local installer for advice, most companies are very easy to deal with.
 
Local is going to be the challenge. I’ve asked numerous people and I can’t find anyone, not even the all power google can find a “local” business/dealer near me in Illinois
 
might even be worth looking into junked prius batteries as backup? or other hybrid setups?
 
Their website says to give them a call and they will custom build a kit for any demand.
 
I sent them an email to see if they have a smaller version of a kit. I'd get rid of the fridge if need be to get by with a smaller/cheaper kit. just move the beer fridge to the garage next to my compressor
 
Bob Wagner said:
Battery back up will be a big expense.

We have a 10kW solar system installed since 2014 and it was a very good investment at the time when all the pay back money was huge.

I believe in solar power 100% and it works great and saves money, we don’t have a battery storage system installed at this time.

If the offer incentives for the option, I would take them up.

Talk to a local installer for advice, most companies are very easy to deal with.
Click to expand...

Bob- are you off the grid? I want to say I read a while ago that you weren't, just curious. Being in the Pacific NW, do you have any issues with the weather being overcast?
 
WUnderwood said:
Bob- are you off the grid? I want to say I read a while ago that you weren't, just curious. Being in the Pacific NW, do you have any issues with the weather being overcast?
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Will, we are not off the grid and we resell our unused energy back the the power company.

We have full southern exposure and have full sun from dawn to dusk.

The Pacific NW is well suited for solar power, even on overcast days the power production is great.

This was a great investment with great payback and zero regrets.

The solar incentives are not that great any longer, so back pay times are increased.

Bob
 
when I sent them the email I linked that one into it to see if they had a smaller one and if not would I need to purchase a battery for the storage or not.
$1500 kit + $250 battery
wouldn't take more than a couple of years to pay for itself
 
Depending on how whole hog you go into it, bringing in big amounts of energy means needing a place to put the surplus.
Personally, I want all the extra places to put it I can, because I want to be totally independent of the grid, but to do so requires a large amount of storage.

Even on a small set-up, plan for at least double the storage you will compute as needing, because there WILL be times when you have to rely on battery power for an extended period of time.
It also helps to understand that you can ever have too many batteries, because even new ones can fail and sometimes when they do, they can take some others with them.

Murphy's Law reigns supreme, always. :)

Mark.
 
Personally I'd be addressing the raping the power company is doing. There is absolutely zero reasonable reason to be paying essentially $3.70/kWh. Not knowing details of your situation I have to believe something is up.
 
Mark Nixon said:
Depending on how whole hog you go into it, bringing in big amounts of energy means needing a place to put the surplus.
Personally, I want all the extra places to put it I can, because I want to be totally independent of the grid, but to do so requires a large amount of storage.

Even on a small set-up, plan for at least double the storage you will compute as needing, because there WILL be times when you have to rely on battery power for an extended period of time.
It also helps to understand that you can ever have too many batteries, because even new ones can fail and sometimes when they do, they can take some others with them.

Murphy's Law reigns supreme, always. :)

Mark.
Click to expand...

Just small scale power needs for this application. Few light bulbs, and possibly fridge "depending on package price". all power tools-compressor and such is in the garage. Completely separate building-bill than the shed

wwentzler said:
Personally I'd be addressing the raping the power company is doing. There is absolutely zero reasonable reason to be paying essentially $3.70/kWh. Not knowing details of your situation I have to believe something is up.
Click to expand...

I've called and talked with customer service and even the "customer service manager" and the monthly minimum amount is the $35.They said that its $35 because I basically rent the meter and if there's any issues that need fixed/repaired then they would come out "free of charge" to fix anything
 
Cloverleaffarm said:
I've called and talked with customer service and even the "customer service manager" and the monthly minimum amount is the $35.They said that its $35 because I basically rent the meter and if there's any issues that need fixed/repaired then they would come out "free of charge" to fix anything
Click to expand...

How close proximity is this to another building with supplied power? Preferably one you own.
 
the shed is about 40 yards away from the house. It's considered "commercial" because it is " a uninhabitable" structure. So it has to have its own meter/bill.

if I can't find a solar option I've considered running an extension cord over to power the lights.
or last resort is trenching an underground line directly to the garage where the house fuse box is located in. We do our own water and power trenching for the farm and we have everything for it already
 
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