Solar Energy for Mapling

[SapLover]

I am surprised there is not more talk amongst my mapling friends about integrating solar energy into their systems.

We are starting tubing and I have just bought a 60 watt solar panel, a 2088 Shurflo pump, some tubing, an inverter, a deep cycle battery, and a solar controller. I will keep everyone posted on our progress as we experiment.

I spoke to Maple Enthusiast who is several steps ahead of me and he is getting 2X the sap from his 40 tree bush based on the 50% on a solar vacuum system.

Why are more maplers not leveraging solar or wind energy?

If we want to fight climate change and preserve this important agricultural tradition, our industry needs to take the lead and move away from fossil fuels when we maple. We cannot be decrying the changing climate, while we contribute – even in our small way – to a warmer earth.

Thoughts?

[mellondome]

We are all taking advantage of solar. How do you think the sugars are made?
In the world beyond backyard production, solar is not advantageous. It would take a lot of panels to run a 10hp vac pump at a time of year when the sun is limited (let alone multiple pumps). Panels also dont work well in the woods or at night. This is not to say that some of us dont use solar to off set our usage throughout the year.

[maple maniac65]

I use solar to heat my sap on a south slope so I can make more dark syrup. Should I be getting a patten on this concept?

[maple flats]

I do use solar but it would not do the whole job with what I have. I've got 6320 watts of solar at my sugarhouse but it is also grid tied and net metered (my meter runs forward or backwards based on which way the energy is going at that moment). When I'm making more than I'm using the meter goes backward and vise versa.
On my system it is a dual system. First I have 1480 watts of solar panels (8x185 watts) that charge a 48V bank of batteries. When those batteries are fully charged the Xantrex 6048 inverter is set to send excess to the grid. That feeds thru my 225A main panel. My second system is 4820 watts (22x220 watts) the feed a 5000 watt Fronius inverter. That power goes directly to my 225A main panel. (It is 225A because the code restricts how many amps can be fed into a 200 A panel, you are only allowed to go 10% over and on a good day I can produce over 26 amps at 240V + the 200 the grid supplies. The panel is rated 225A but the main breaker is 200A).
With all of this, I couldn't run my BB4 pump on a cloudy day because the battery bank could not handle it. My current battery bank is 8 batteries 225 AH in series for a 48V 225 AH bank. Those batteries are 7 yrs old and are only rated for 7 yrs, when I need to replace I will get bigger batteries. In fact for another off grid system I just bought 4 batteries that were about $1000 ea. (Rolls Surrette 6CS 21P 5000 series) 683AH 6V batteries. When I need to replace the 48V battery bank, if I use those batteries I'd need 8@$1000 today's prices.
Solar is good but it has it's limitations.
Even if I had 8 of those bigger batteries and I only ran my vacuum pump on the batteries on a rainy spell I could only run for about 50 hrs before the batteries would need to be recharged. Solar can't do it all, that's why I also have grid power. Besides, in good weather, after maple season my excess power gets applied to my home meter, paying part of that bill.

[bigschuss]

If we want to fight climate change and preserve this important agricultural tradition, our industry needs to take the lead and move away from fossil fuels when we maple. We cannot be decrying the changing climate, while we contribute – even in our small way – to a warmer earth.

Thoughts?

Interesting question. As a small time hobbyist I've got 50 buckets and boil with wood. No pumps, no RO machines. My carbon footprint is probably fairly low.

Now, a hypothetical big time producer with thousands of taps, RO machines, vacuum, pumps, blowers, tractors, etc., yeah, they are going to have a larger carbon footprint. But, they also own MUCH more land, let's say 125 acres, and that land already off-sets their personal carbon debt. I'm guessing even the big time producers are not in carbon debt.

With that said, everybody can do their part, sure. Every little bit helps.

[Tmeeeh]

We use wind power solar power, biodiesel and firewood to make our syrup. Take a look at our website. northfamilyfarm.com

[seandicare]

i don't subscribe to the Climate Change theory. the only reason i could see going to solar panels/wind turbines is if it would cost lest than from the regular grid.....which at this time in the technology it is not......not to mention the land you would have to clear to put in the panels or turbines would counter any carbon footprint you would save from the panels.

i have priced putting panels on my house a couple times (without government subsidies) and found that it would take nearly 20 years for the panels to actually pay for themselves. and the life of the panels are only 15-20 years for the very best ones.

[CampHamp]

We use wind power solar power, biodiesel and firewood to make our syrup. Take a look at our website. northfamilyfarm.com
Nice looking woods and operation in your videos. I want to copy your wood trolley system! Solar is on my short-list of investment opportunities (without batteries) primarily for the long-term savings but also to lessen my impact on the atmosphere (CO2 along with other fossil fuel pollutants that cause acid rain, mercury, etc).

[bigschuss]

i don't subscribe to the Climate Change theory.

The theory that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels? Or simply the theory that the globe is warming? The former...sure, I guess that's up for debate. The latter...man, I can't see how anybody can think the Earth is not in a warming trend, human caused or otherwise.

[highlandcattle]

See our face book page under Highland Hills Farm,Charleston NY. We are off grid since 1996. Sap house runs on a microturbine and solar. We heat with wood. House and barn have 2 windmills and 6 solar panels. 12 batteries. We have all "normal" household items. Watching our big flat screen TV on Dish satellite right now. Just finished bottling several gallons. Bulk tank loaded for boiling tom.