diy solar

diy solar

Heating My Shed/Office off Solar

I actually use my solar system to heat my house to avoid waste energy, my design is complete diy 120v 55s lto battery bank 10 kwh, buck charger contoller, 120v to 230v two stages insulated diverter at 3 kw, it has a buck stage for battery bus voltage control and pushpull insulated stage open loop as voltage adaptor and insulator.
I have some issues with insulating transformer, despite is made on e 70 core it tends to overheat at full load.

I run two heaters of 1.5 kw each, for long periods of time I do not need other heat source.
 

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So.

Efficiency of power use is a concern here right? I don't know what the budget is, but a heat pump is the most efficient fuel-free method. A mini-split with heat pump option can be a very good option for heating as long as its not TOO cold out there. But they aren't as cheap as a diesel heater of course.

Some have a heat strip in them which will still provide heat in cold weather, but with reduced efficiency. However the total efficiency will still be much better than straight up resistive heating.
 
Just caught up and boy there are some ideas...
I would like the OP to seriously think about this and consider not only "today" but the long run and the costs associated...
Have a Really Good Peruse HERE: https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/Space_Heating.htm
There are ways to heat a Home / Building that do not cost ongoing dollars, nor requires extensive equipment or gear and most importantly does not require a Large Cash Outlay !

A point to note about the above resource.
There are many contributors on that site, several from the "deep north" and I ain't yapping about New York State... REAL North !
These systems and methods WORK and we even have other members here who are using that exact same knowledge for their places. ALSO I suggest you look at THIS SECTION on Cooling: https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/passive_cooling.htm

Heating / Cooling are BOTH Energy Pigs (regardless of what produces the energy) the more passive systems used, the more you save and believe me when I say that within 12 Months all tallied up and WILL see the savings. As my Home and my Powerhouse are both Passive-Haus hybrid designs I can tell you with 100% Absolute confidence that it does work and well.
 
Diesel heater might be a good option. Electric is a huge energy pig, and with the limited amount of solar (even with a huge array, solar radiance is low during winter) running a mini split might not be an option.

Also, depending on the model, minisplits do have its limitations. Their efficiency drops when the outdoor temp is very low, or it won't work at all if running at very low temps.

Another option, when you're in there, might be IR panels. Those heat up you instead of the shed.. It's not a huge amount of heat, but due to its effectnes it does feel like it is.

( https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/tech/infrared-heating-panels/ )
 
Solar generated battery-saved electricity is not really a viable option very often. Unless you can spend tens of thousands of dollars on batteries and panels, think of a different heat source. A typical space heater for home use draws 1500 watts and would not heat even one room in a cold climate.

A nice LED light bulb uses 9 watts. A typical fan will use 40 - 100 watts. A computer 100 - 300 watts. A dinky heater will use 1,500 watts. I always cringe when I see someone suggesting that heat from solar power is feasible. It's not.

BTW an "oil" heater is just an electric heater soaking in oil to "buffer" the heat output. They use 1500 watts also. I use mine for load-testing my system, usually for just a few minutes at a time :)
 
Solar generated battery-saved electricity is not really a viable option very often. Unless you can spend tens of thousands of dollars on batteries and panels, think of a different heat source. A typical space heater for home use draws 1500 watts and would not heat even one room in a cold climate.

A nice LED light bulb uses 9 watts. A typical fan will use 40 - 100 watts. A computer 100 - 300 watts. A dinky heater will use 1,500 watts. I always cringe when I see someone suggesting that heat from solar power is feasible. It's not.

BTW an "oil" heater is just an electric heater soaking in oil to "buffer" the heat output. They use 1500 watts also. I use mine for load-testing my system, usually for just a few minutes at a time :)
You should have a look through the thread.

A heat pump uses a fraction of the power for the same heat output, and diesel heaters... well, consume fuel but use less than 60w for as much as 18k btu/5kw of heat.

Heat from solar is absolutely feasible with a heat pump and sufficient insulation though.or, as has been pointed out, solar collectors rather than photovoltaics.
 
Been using passive solar air heaters for 13 years now. Motivated by greedy propane supplier in 08. $2000 for 400 gal. Solar cut my propane from 800 gal per year to 200. Works out pretty good in Wisconsin. Nov and Dec isn't very cold but overcast. Jan and Feb is bitter cold but sunny.
Think of it as a huge south facing window that doesn't lose heat at night.
Here the one on my garage Materials payback took about a month.

collector B reduced.jpg
 
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