New to Solar, Looking to implement system to power and secure barn

Ron_Robinson · Feb 3, 2023

In beginning stages of planning a solar powered systems to bring power and some security cameras to my barn. I have room currently for up to 8 panels max, there will be a 75' run from power building to barn. For those seasoned Solar people, would you recommend using an All-in-One style system or starting at the component level? More then likely system will grow to include chicken coop and additional areas (opposite direction from barn).

Plan is to use low wattage LED motion activated Flood lights less than 10 and up to 6 1080 outdoor cameras.

Last question is which Voltage system is best 12v, 24v, or 48v, or better asked, in your opinion which would you choose and why.

MichaelK · Feb 3, 2023

When you say "power the barn", I'm going to assume that means eventually running power tools, and other electrical equipment? Starting out with just cameras and some lights, 12V might be OK, but if you want serious system that can grow with you, then go with either 24 or 48V.

It really depends on the power levels you are anticipating you will need. Here's a loose rule of thumb. People here will argue.

12V: small systems powering less than 1000W loads
24V: medium size powering loads up to 2000W
48V: Big system, powering >2000 watts

Most all in one units occupy the low end of the quality spectrum. Component systems span the high end. The AiO units are cheaper for a reason. Poor design, marginal components, and maybe used, recycled electronic components. I've been told there are warehouse units in asian cities were there are teams of people pulling used components off scrapped circuit boards. That's what ends up in the cheapest, low-budget brands.

If you plan on running tools with electric motors, make sure you get a sine-wave inverter. I'd plan on creating a system that you can expand in 1000W units. You can start out with a smaller battery in the 100-200Ah range and charge it with 1000W of solar. Golf-cart batteries are a good entry-level choice. That would need three or four 250-350W high-voltage residential, grid-tie panels. With a high-voltage MPPT controller in the 200V range, you could wire three to four panels in series for 120VDC or so to easily cross the 75' run from building to building.

You might start out with a smaller 48V inverter, but you are not likely to find anything smaller than 2000W in 48V from the quality manufacturers. Look for brands like Midnight, MorningStar, Outback, Schneider, and Victron for quality, UL-listed components.

As you grow your system, add more solar in 1000W or so increments, then maybe bigger batteries at some point.

rodrick · Feb 3, 2023

Depending on the need for ac120 volt or not you could run dc only depending on you camera voltage required, led lighting comes in 12 to 24 volt dc
I set my barn up with a inverter with a 12 volt battery bank and a scc with 200 watts of pv but I just order dc led bulbs so the inverter is going away simpler and more efficient basic 12 dc system

Hope_CA · Feb 3, 2023

For a long time I to also was interested in using solar power in a agricultural setting and understanding how to design and plan a system that can grow and be expanded. For me any my location in the Western US, I need a small portable 12 volt system and also a high voltage system to power Higher volt equipment. No, I am not a expert but just trying to learn and understand. I am also in a area where there is a wide range in daily temperatures and has both high temperatures in the summers and very cold winters with snow and ice.
For a long time I did think Victron solar components where expensive but now in all honesty I think they might the right line of products.

one thing I wanted to design is a solar van that pulls a solar powered livestock trailer to be used for livestock veterinary care and treatment on both private property and BLM range land, so it has to be self contained. It also can be hard to contain the cost of building this type of system. Then the next question with expandability does it need to be a two or three power inverters to have split phase. I see in this system and designing it could get very expensive very fast and also a very expensive battery bank. I do see with some of the new Victron products it does make the designing and building much easer. In the summer the solar hours a five hours of good solar, in the winter the solar hours are in the three to three and a half hours of good solar sun.
I am not a solar energy engineer but I am slowly trying to learn and understand.
For me in my agricultural setting I have to do cost containment but also design a system that can be expanded, it truly is a double edged sword.
Thanks Will for your YouTube Video’s.

rodrick · Feb 4, 2023

You need to know your daily average power usage to size batteries and panels for the system
you will also need to know your highest load to size inverters, motor startup load ect.
victron is great equipment and you can parallel units to increase power output and supply 240 volt and 120 volt.
there are also aio units of descent quality such as growatt and mpp that will also do the job, they are not on the same level of quality that victron makes but are about 1/3 the cost when you figure in the scc and wiring.
some on this forum just keep a spare unit for backup in case one of the aio go down and still have a lower initial cost with some redundancy, you will have to decide which is best suited to your needs and ability to service the system.

Ron_Robinson · Feb 4, 2023

MichaelK said:
When you say "power the barn", I'm going to assume that means eventually running power tools, and other electrical equipment? Starting out with just cameras and some lights, 12V might be OK, but if you want serious system that can grow with you, then go with either 24 or 48V.

It really depends on the power levels you are anticipating you will need. Here's a loose rule of thumb. People here will argue.

12V: small systems powering less than 1000W loads
24V: medium size powering loads up to 2000W
48V: Big system, powering >2000 watts

Most all in one units occupy the low end of the quality spectrum. Component systems span the high end. The AiO units are cheaper for a reason. Poor design, marginal components, and maybe used, recycled electronic components. I've been told there are warehouse units in asian cities were there are teams of people pulling used components off scrapped circuit boards. That's what ends up in the cheapest, low-budget brands.

If you plan on running tools with electric motors, make sure you get a sine-wave inverter. I'd plan on creating a system that you can expand in 1000W units. You can start out with a smaller battery in the 100-200Ah range and charge it with 1000W of solar. Golf-cart batteries are a good entry-level choice. That would need three or four 250-350W high-voltage residential, grid-tie panels. With a high-voltage MPPT controller in the 200V range, you could wire three to four panels in series for 120VDC or so to easily cross the 75' run from building to building.

You might start out with a smaller 48V inverter, but you are not likely to find anything smaller than 2000W in 48V from the quality manufacturers. Look for brands like Midnight, MorningStar, Outback, Schneider, and Victron for quality, UL-listed components.

As you grow your system, add more solar in 1000W or so increments, then maybe bigger batteries at some point.

Thank you for the thorough reply, I for one will not argue the rule of thumb you mentioned, but use it as a guideline. As mentioned the primary goal is to provide some lighting and security around the barn and chicken coop to prevent further trespassing and theft of materials and animals from occurring. I might as well go ahead and plan out the electrical needs for the renovation of the barns loft. I am gathering power specifications for all planned equipment, so as to be able to know the required load and Wh. Plan is for the power building (8x16 block building) to be the supply point for all the AC needs to the areas. AC wiring should not be much of a problem, it is the power generation side which is my weak point. I'll more than likely go 48V to the inverter and review the suppliers you mentioned.

I have been reviewing the different battery types as well, no final decision yet as I need to finish the network and power planning for the areas. Thanks again and as the project progresses, I'll keep record and update, I am sure more questions will arise once the planning is completed.

New to Solar, Looking to implement system to power and secure barn

Ron_Robinson

New Member

MichaelK

Solar Wizard

rodrick

Free energy enthusiast

Hope_CA

New Member

rodrick

Free energy enthusiast

Ron_Robinson

New Member

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