# Very small scale solar system



## marineman (May 6, 2009)

Hi everyone, I've been a long time lurker finally bought a property to start our homestead. We have 6.5 acres in central wisconsin. I have a 40x50 pole barn about 500 feet away from the house that currently doesn't have electric run to it. I will only be using the barn for storage but would like a couple lights in there so I can see what I'm doing at night. I think 4-6 low wattage LEDs would be enough light for my needs. I would guess not much more than 20 minutes of useage once or twice a week. The ridge runs east west on the building so I have great southern exposure on half the roof. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to solar power but it seems like for my needs it would be more effective than 500 feet of trench and conduit. If anyone has any advice about this project or recommendations for what I should get it would appreciate any help. Thank you


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## ShannonR (Nov 28, 2012)

When I first moved offgrid I managed pretty well with one of those RV solar battery chargers and just one or two beefy deepcycle marine batteries. I did have to add a small charge controller. Sounds like if this is just for lighting it would be workable for your situation.

I don't reccommend anything harbor freight, but with that said I used a small ($20 or so) charge controller from them for my RV solar panel. You could get away with no inverter by using DC lighting, or use a small inverter and go the AC lighting route.

It has only been 2 years but everything is still holding up and functioning just fine. I've since upgraded my system but still have the old stuff around and use it to charge my electric fence battery.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Renogy makes cheap 100w panel kits. Add a 75ah marine deep cycle battery and that would be most of what you'd need. Run 12vdc lighting so you don't need an inverter.

That would be way more than you'd need but going smaller will cost about the same if not more. I've seen 20watt kits cost as much as this Renogy kit.

http://www.renogy-store.com/100W-12V-Mono-Solar-Starter-Kit-p/kit-starter100d.htm

I would work out a mounting system that would be taller than what the kit has. The increased air flow will keep the panel cooler if you can get 4" under it.

WWW


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## marineman (May 6, 2009)

Thanks for the help, that kit looks like it will do the trick.


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## Tall Grille (May 4, 2011)

http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-solar-panel-kit-10-pc-kit-68751.html

I have this kit set up on the roof of my pigs feed house. I had it connected to an old car battery and it worked fine to power the two LEDs th as came in the kit. I upgraded to a big deep cycle marine battery to power my 12volt fence charger. I have a 4500 watt power inverter as well so I can charge my cordless tool batteries and run small electric items. I haven't really put the inverter to the test yet.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Tall Grille said:


> http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-solar-panel-kit-10-pc-kit-68751.html


SKip the harbor freight kit. Its not worth the money, even if you get the coupons for it. 

GO with a 100 watt Renogy panel kits and a deep cyle battery. Some of the stip led's will brighten up even a larger barn.


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## mike3367 (Dec 15, 2004)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Solar-100-Watt-Off-Grid-Solar-Panel-Kit-GS-100-KIT/203505908 this is a pretty nice kit too


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

mike3367 said:


> http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Solar-100-Watt-Off-Grid-Solar-Panel-Kit-GS-100-KIT/203505908 this is a pretty nice kit too


The grapes system is ok, but dont buy from Home Depot, You can get the same thing on amazon for less.

For this simple lighting requiremnet. You should be able to build out the entire system for around $250 and that includes the battery.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Years ago I bought a kit on amazon by a company called Solar Force, or Sun Force..not exactly sure. It was a 60 watt starter kit and it is still kicking after six years.


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## gpforet (Dec 24, 2013)

I did exactly this with my barn. I had a direct burial cable run, but pine tree roots eventually took it out. When I looked into the cost, it was more viable to put together a small solar rig.

My system consists of a 115ah deep cycle 12v battery, a 100w panel, and an inexpensive controller. Total 12v LED lighting on the barn consists of 3 ea. 10w floods inside, and 2 ea. 20 watt floods on a motion detector outside.

It's been running for 5 years, and in that time, I've only run out of battery a couple of times, likely the result of overuse of the outdoor motion lights.

At the time I did it, panels were $2/watt and the entire system cost me about $800. 



marineman said:


> Hi everyone, I've been a long time lurker finally bought a property to start our homestead. We have 6.5 acres in central wisconsin. I have a 40x50 pole barn about 500 feet away from the house that currently doesn't have electric run to it. I will only be using the barn for storage but would like a couple lights in there so I can see what I'm doing at night. I think 4-6 low wattage LEDs would be enough light for my needs. I would guess not much more than 20 minutes of useage once or twice a week. The ridge runs east west on the building so I have great southern exposure on half the roof. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to solar power but it seems like for my needs it would be more effective than 500 feet of trench and conduit. If anyone has any advice about this project or recommendations for what I should get it would appreciate any help. Thank you


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## gusty60 (Jan 18, 2010)

Get a used Coleman lantern. You can find them at yard sales for ten bucks. You can burn regular unleaded gas in them. Cheap, bright light.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

City Bound said:


> Years ago I bought a kit on amazon by a company called Solar Force, or Sun Force..not exactly sure. It was a 60 watt starter kit and it is still kicking after six years.


SunForce = Coleman Consumer products. Easy Plug & Play but at a premium price because of their target market, just like Grape Solar... Best to buy on discount sales from EBay or Amazon or clearing houses.

NOTE on such Consumer Kits: They are more often than not at least 3 generations of technology behind. Not only for their controllers but their panels as well... So you are already buying product near end of production cycle.

Using current High Watt - 24V Panels with a small MPPT controller will deliver double the power and charge your 12V batteries (the controller steps down the power).


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## SueBee (May 28, 2010)

Look into the motion sensor LED solar lights. We got 2 for outside because we have no power to those areas, they are 900 lumins and don't be looking at them when they kick on, blinding. There is a toggle switch on the bottom that you can use to have them on constant or motion, they work very well and are not very much on Amazon, in fact we got 2 for our daughter for Christmas last year. Next on our list is finding a solar attic fan for the barn. Just a thought, sue


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

As someone who has been in your shoes I recommend that you put in the effort and the investment now and just bite the bullet and install traditional electricity now, while you still have the energy and are in the mode to be taking on big projects to get your place set up. If you don't, the next thing you know it will be 10 years, you'll be wanting to use electricity down there every day, and you'll always be finding other things to take up your time and money. I guarantee that you will be wanting to use more than just a few solar lights in a very short time. 

Since the major effort and expense will be the trench or poles, I strongly recommend that you also install at least a 100 amp sub panel, and not just one circuit from the house. The money for the extra needed equipment will be completely forgotten in a year, even if you have to hire an electrician, even if that means that you have to skimp in some other areas for a little while to include it in the budget. 

While you are at it, if you go the trench route I also strongly recommend that you consider running water down there now too. I know that I'm spending a lot of your money, but those two things are things which I would do immediately if I had to do it all over again. When I finally did, I was not the slightest bit sorry, but I put in years of extra work before hand, because I wanted to cut a few corners. Penny wise and pound foolish.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Agriculture said:


> As someone who has been in your shoes I recommend that you put in the effort and the investment now and just bite the bullet and install traditional electricity now, while you still have the energy and are in the mode to be taking on big projects to get your place set up. If you don't, the next thing you know it will be 10 years, you'll be wanting to use electricity down there every day, and you'll always be finding other things to take up your time and money. I guarantee that you will be wanting to use more than just a few solar lights in a very short time.
> 
> Since the major effort and expense will be the trench or poles, I strongly recommend that you also install at least a 100 amp sub panel, and not just one circuit from the house. The money for the extra needed equipment will be completely forgotten in a year, even if you have to hire an electrician, even if that means that you have to skimp in some other areas for a little while to include it in the budget.
> 
> While you are at it, if you go the trench route I also strongly recommend that you consider running water down there now too. I know that I'm spending a lot of your money, but those two things are things which I would do immediately if I had to do it all over again. When I finally did, I was not the slightest bit sorry, but I put in years of extra work before hand, because I wanted to cut a few corners. Penny wise and pound foolish.



Wise Words Here.

As I get older---I get wiser!! I cut a lot of corners years back and it did take a lot of extra work. One Example, I installed a water line to my Tractor shed and stopped. I could have ran 200 more feet to my hog pen---but I did not. Several hogs drink a lot of water. I hauled water to my hog pen for a long time, Finally I took a little time and not much money to install a water line right up to the side of the pen----I wish I had done that a lot earlier.

I do not know how your County is but some years back I put up a service poll at my Tractor shed, had it inspected and the power company hooked it up.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

marineman said:


> Hi everyone, I've been a long time lurker finally bought a property to start our homestead. We have 6.5 acres in central wisconsin. I have a 40x50 pole barn about 500 feet away from the house that currently doesn't have electric run to it. I will only be using the barn for storage but would like a couple lights in there so I can see what I'm doing at night. I think 4-6 low wattage LEDs would be enough light for my needs. I would guess not much more than 20 minutes of useage once or twice a week. The ridge runs east west on the building so I have great southern exposure on half the roof. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to solar power but it seems like for my needs it would be more effective than 500 feet of trench and conduit. If anyone has any advice about this project or recommendations for what I should get it would appreciate any help. Thank you


 Just for Info----I do have a Harbor freight 45 watt Kit that I been using for a remote shed for probably 10+ years. One deep cycle battery(which I have replaced 3 times I think) and a better charge controller. I have had some light there for all these years.


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## gpforet (Dec 24, 2013)

Open flames and wooden barns have a long history of being a bad combination.



gusty60 said:


> Get a used Coleman lantern. You can find them at yard sales for ten bucks. You can burn regular unleaded gas in them. Cheap, bright light.


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