Solar Possible for a Farmstand?

[Delkancott]

I am a newb. I have been reading online trying to get a clear answer, but am having difficulty finding it. This is all started from wanting to run a few solar lights at a farmstand for late season, night shopping, but seems to have morphed into more. Now, im curious if I can run a small fridge for selling eggs and/or a chest freezer off solar. I have met with an electrician and I'm on the fence whether I pay an electricitian $3-4K and deal with the utility to tie into the grid, or dump that into solar, but I guess I need to know if it's reasonable to run lights, a fridge and possibly a freezer off solar?

The stand is about 10x20 facing due south, no obstructions. Also, there's room beside it. Located in MA.

[Mike90250]

If you can run Grid power to the stand, for less than $20K, do it. Otherwise, panels, lights, batteries, security system to guard it, is going to cost you roughly $20K if you want to power a fridge too.

[Wy_White_Wolf]

Do a full workup on how much power you will need in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours daily. I find it usually runs between $2500 to $3500 per kilowatt-hour you need daily for an off grid system.

WWW

[Sunking]

How much money do you have? You are talking 5-digits.

Lights you can do, but requires no solar to be stolen. Just take the batteries home at night and recharge them. Fridge is not going to happen, I promise if you try. I will steal everything when you go home at night. As Mike said $20K to the power company is a bargain.

Do you have that kind of cash? That is a lot of apples and eggs.

[J.P.M.]

OP: Bottom line: It'll probably cost more in time and treasure than you, in your solar ignorance may have thought. Get informed and you may either see the wisdom of the comments here, or do the PV anyway, or something in between. Whatever the choice, more information and education will help the decision making easier and the outcome better.

[Logan5]

Farm eggs should not be refrigerated.

[SunEagle]

Farm eggs should not be refrigerated.

How long can they stay in the ambient temperature and how hot is that?

[Logan5]

as a kid we kept our non fertile eggs on the kitchen counter un air conditioned house for up to 2 weeks, we used the range hood light to candle them and always used 2 bowl method for baking. We never put eggs in the refrigerator except ones that came already refrigerated. If longer storage is needed, you can coat the eggs in veg. oil for up to 6 months. Eggs from the grocery are washed and bleached and must remain refrigerated. Farm fresh eggs, from a road side stand? I would not buy them. Especially if off grid with top load refrigerator.

[SunEagle]

Thanks. I just learned something.

[Amy@altE]

Check out the video I did on a solar powered kegerator in Maine. https://youtu.be/mfWZrVn2zRg I'm assuming your farm stand would not be open in the winter, so you'd get better sun than I got during ski season. The system I describe cost about $1400, so it's not cheap, but is do-able. Pay extra for a more efficient chest style fridge or freezer, it'll be worth it by needing a smaller solar system. If you already have a fridge you want to use, get a Kill A Watt meter to see how much power it uses over time to accurately size the system.

[Mike90250]

Farm eggs should not be refrigerated.

Depends on the food laws in your state. Your own eggs, not a problem. But selling to public is getting to be more and more restrictive.

[PNPmacnab]

Would that be western MA? I'd love to design a micro based system. My camp operates refrigeration with minimal battery and 1500W of power.

[Delkancott]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

The eggs do need to be refrigerated per Board of Health if we're selling them. Additionally, we're looking to market frozen meat so there's that too.

In terms of cashflow, the farm stand does well, but I had no idea I'd be looking over $10,000 to get solar for a efficient fridge and freezer. We are close to the grid (50') so I guess that's the way to go, I just figured I'd rather have one less bill.

And it's in southern Mass.

[Amy@altE]

It's closer to $2000, but you would need to deal with replacing the batteries occasionally. So getting the grid may be easier in the long run.

[Delkancott]

I'm not sure I follow. Some people are saying $1,500, others five figures up to $20,000. Those are very different numbers. I know that things are often priced differently but those are pretty big extremes.

[Amy@altE]

I added up the components I used for my kegerator. It was under $2,000. The higher estimates are exaggerated.

[KMac]

I'm not sure I follow. Some people are saying $1,500, others five figures up to $20,000. Those are very different numbers. I know that things are often priced differently but those are pretty big extremes.

Yep. The numbers are obviously not accurate. People naive to the realities of solar often arrive with outrageous hopes about "free" energy, and they're sometimes resistant to accepting the difficulties and expense involved. In an effort to save them from themselves, some folks seem to try to confront them with the shocking facts of solar life. It's just my opinion, but I think that effort becomes tiring and frustrating and so the shocking facts tend to become exaggerated.

Educate by yourself here, taking it all with a grain of salt, and a healthy bit of humor. There is plenty here you can use to teach yourself the basics. I haven't found a better place online to learn about it.

[PNPmacnab]

This board is definitely go big or go away. And that's really not a bad answer. If you have to have something work every day without fail for years, that is an answer. Our local farm stand in upstate NY closes before the short days of gloomy weather. If you have a fridge, your biggest hope is people will open it up and buy something. That is much different than a fridge at a cabin opened a couple times a day. Restocking it is also a major load on the fridge system. All that new stuff has to be brought to temp. Is lighting just enough or really bright?

That said you can create a system that is quite smart and schedules loads. You can adapt to get through clouds. A small generator can get you through those times, a better deal than spending thousands more on some equipment. I have an active power pole on my property 15 feet from my camp. The monthly basic charges, not electricity used, pays for my solar system by itself. You have a working stand now. Adding even marginal electric to it will be an improvement. PV could easily be done by some creative people. If you can get utility power under $2K, that is the way to go.