My Sugar shed does not have electricity. Is anyone using a Solar/battery system?? I have a bunch of 12v LED lights that I'm tempted to use as an "off the grid" solution
My Sugar shed does not have electricity. Is anyone using a Solar/battery system?? I have a bunch of 12v LED lights that I'm tempted to use as an "off the grid" solution
Off gridder for 20 years. Our farm was ( is) all solar and wind. You can get a great system through Windy Nation. Ron had that and a wind turbine. Very affordable
I use a little solar system for my shack.... A car battery with a couple 40 watt solar panels..... A 75 Watt cigarette lighter inverter provides 120V for some lights and a clock radio... For lighting I run 4 x 8w LED household bulbs on pull-chain fixtures so I can turn a couple on or off when needed. Only other thing I plug in is a phone charger....
Have done 24 hour boils in all sorts of weather conditions and never run the battery dead.
I built a 12' x 18' sugar shack this year with a 6/12 roof pitch using conventional framed rafters. Bought (8) 4' long LED lights that were on sale at the local Farm and Home store for $20 each. Mounted them directly to the bottom of the rafters about 4' up from the walls on both sides so I have 16' of lighting running down each side of the ceiling. They turn on instantly when its cold out and light up the sugar house like a surgical room.
Clay Stroup
Stroup's Sugar Bush
Almont, MI
2016: 20 taps, 2 gallons
2017: 80 taps, 12 gallons
2018: 92 taps, 16 gallons
2019: 110 taps, 34 gallons
2020: 140 taps, 31-1/2 gallons
2021: 155 taps, 32 gallons
2022: 190 taps, 29-1/2 gallons
2023: 200 taps, 42 gallons
Leader WSE 2x6 drop flue
Mason Steam Pan finishing set up
D & G 7" Filter Press
Next Gen 180 HPRO RO
John Deere Gator 4 x 2
12 x 18 Sugar Shack built in 2019