Overwhelmed newbie looking to power a barn with solar in upstate NY

[trrads]

Hi guys, i'm looking to set up a solar build to provide lights and run a few outlets in a 24x16' barn/shed in upstate NY. I have zero experience with solar and very limited electrical knowledge aside from splicing wires and putting in outlets and breakers while helping my dad put in his electrical "on grid" systems. I'm sure this question has been asked multiple times by many newbies so if there is a redirect that seems appropriate please show me the light. I'm mostly concerned about getting the correct battery situation set up given the cold winter climates we deal with here in upstate NY.

Thanks for any help.

 

[45North]

Welcome!
Stick with lead acid batteries then: Li must not be charged below freezing or they'll be damaged

 

[G00SE]

What type of power demand does said barn have?

 

[wheelman55]

Ok. Lighting is simple. Adding outlets gets more complex and likely more expensive.

If adding outlets you need to know what you want to power.

Some items like laptop computers are happy with modified sine wave.

Other items, like certain battery chargers for mobile tools require pure sine wave.

Bigger power tools have large startup current draw. Welders and plasma cutters need a lot of power.

Each step up this ladder will cost more money.

Might be easier to dig a trench from house to shed and add a sub panel connected to your main house service.

Whichever direction you head, do quality work, use quality components, build to code and get a permit.

Should your work somehow cause a fire, your insurance company will be quick to decline coverage if your work is not up to code.

Have fun and stay safe.

 

[trrads]

For outlets I would just mostly be using it to charge marine batteries, charge power tool batteries, and to run power tools like meter saw and table saw at this point.

I could go through digging another trench to the house, but it would be probably close to 300 feet and it's technically difficult given the layout of the property and the numerous rocks/boulders our soil holds. Plus I really want to use this project as an opportunity to learn more about solar power and electric etc.

Lead acid batteries I guess is what I should be going with then unless I do a Li setup with a heater to keep the batteries from freezing or would that just be too risky? But if i'm going totally "off grid" with this project can a battery heater be powered by the same battery it heating? That somehow seems to a violation of physics with conservation of energy and all, but maybe there's a way of doing this with a separate Pb battery?

Also i'm just trying to determine how many solar panels to get, inverter, etc. Are there any recommended kits I might be able to buy to provide me with enough to just get me started and then slowly customize up from there? I've seen several on Amazon, but with Amazon being Amazon, I just find it difficult to know when i'm getting quality if that's even possible going that route.

 

[wheelman55]

My advice is to do it once and do it right. The tools that you want to power require a stout system. If you do a small system you’ll discover its limitations pretty quickly.

If you’ve got the financial resources to do it right and want to do it yourself, I recommend using a certain offgrid consultant who posts on the other solar forum.

I used his services and am very happy with the system that we put together. We run all of the tools that you mention, plus AC, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, clothes washer, blah, blah, blah..

Message me if you want his info.

 

[wheelman55]

PS. Try to find tools that have a “soft start”. Much easier on your solar gear.

 

[HarryN]

Step one is to go outside tomorrow at ~ 8 - 9 am and 3 - 4 pm.

Look at where the sun is hitting the barn at those two times of day - that is where you should put the panels.

There is a reasonable chance that it won't be where people normally put panels.

For AGM battery installations, the number of hours available to charge are often more important than total max possible solar power.

The goal is to try to have the batteries as full as possible at the end of the day when possible.

Consider that a panel mounted vertically under the eaves will stay relatively clear of snow vs one that the snow falls on.

 

[HarryN]

Here is a section of the forum for the batteries that might be interesting for you.

Lead Acid Batteries

Good ol' fashion lead acid!

diysolarforum.com

and Cold weather systems

Cold Temperature Systems

Extreme Temperatures? Advanced Autonomy Systems? Talk about it here!

diysolarforum.com