diy solar

diy solar

Surely my math is wrong

Thanks a ton to you all! I've been reading and reading, and I think confusing the heck out of myself with all that reading. I was afraid I'd post here and get run outta Dodge with a bunch of "read the f'ing posts newb". You seem like a nice bunch of folks.
To answer a few questions/points, I'm planning on a 4K BTU AC unit, and insulating the shed with rockwool between the studs, 2" foam on top of that, then the wall material. Same on the ceiling as well. The floor will be insulated, but not as much since I'm not insulating against frozen ground.
Interesting idea about going with 12V lights and laptop. The laptop will actually be a very small draw since the screen is closed while in use. I think the laptop itself was around 12 watts???
Since bgflyguy mentioned about 12V lights, maybe I should look into a 12V A/C unit for an RV? Is your thought process that if i'm running lights, and maybe A/C from 12V I can get a smaller inverter, thus minimize that draw?
 
IF you can put the foam on the outside then add nailbase and exterior finish, it will be much tighter with less thermal bridging. You are insulating the floor to keep the cool inside, not to prevent freezing, so it's just as important as your roof.
Midea makes a window unit that is a great little heat pump, very efficient but it's 120V.
Since you will need 120v anyway, I wouldn't worry about using 12V AC. Those units are normally much more expensive than a window unit or a 120v mini split.

You also need to think about humidity control, I'll bet that will be very important if you build a super insulated shed.
You might try looking at the Q&A forums over at Green Building Advisor for some construction and humidity recommendations.
 
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