For the solar I might be able to help a little. My sugarhouse is solar powered, I have 6320 watts total solar panel array. I actually am grid tied and net metered too. (I sell the utility any excess at retail until my meter shows I sold more that I used at my anniversary date of connecting to the grid, then all excess is sold at the utilities cost price.)
1st. You must do a worksheet for your energy needs. Add the hourly watts time the longest time you will need them. Then send me a PM with the info. You also need to look up the solar insolation for your location. You can not go by the hours of daylight. Insolation will give you the equivalent number of full noon sun you get. Next, if this will just be for maple season, look at those months only. You should use the lowest number during maple season. It might be Feb-Mar-Apr. (Jan?)
PM me this info and I'll help you thru, to decide if you can afford solar. (basically, realize that the panels sold in Harbor Frt catalogs and other variety tool etc catalogs or web sites are not worth what they charge. I can steer you to better panels at the best prices.
Dave
Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.