How To Set Up Solar Electric Fence
Electrical fences accept long been relied upon to protect state, livestock, and property. From farmyards and afar fields, to domestic gardens and vegetable patches, sometimes the merely way to ensure that your animals, land and produce remain condom is to enclose them in an electrified fence. However, electric fences can frequently require many hundreds of metres of expensive wiring, in improver to a generator which constantly requires expensive fuel to operate.
Solar-powered electric fences are relatively inexpensive to buy, and like shooting fish in a barrel to install. The solar panel which charges the electric fence needs just sunlight to generate electricity; a resource which is space and free. Here at Semprius, nosotros suspension down the installation of solar-powered electrical fences step-by-step.
Installing a solar electrical fence can dramatically reduce your farm or home's running costs, eliminating the need to purchase gas to fuel a generator, whilst remaining just equally efficient and dependable as a fossil-fuel-powered electrical contend. When looking to install a solar electric fence, there are several of import considerations to make, and steps to take. Follow our comprehensive installation guide below to install your very own solar-powered electric fence.
Pace ane: Choose Your Argue
This is undoubtedly the most important step in the whole process. Solar electric fences come in various lengths and strengths, and with varying intended functions. Choosing the right solar-powered electrical fence for yous depends entirely on how y'all plan to use it. If you're looking to seal off a vegetable patch from pesky rabbits and rodents, then you will demand a much shorter length of fencing, and amuchlower voltage solar charger, than yous would if you were protecting a large field of livestock, say, from bears, wolves, coyotes, and the like.
Solar-powered electric fences are each designed to work effectively (and humanely) confronting a range of animals, and across a range of distances, simply it is paramount that you make sure the animals and distances you wish to cover are within the range of your chosen solar electric fence's capabilities.
Step two: Lay the Boundary with Posts
Having purchased a solar-powered electric fence best-suited to your needs, it's time to lay the boundary around which the contend shall run. If you're keeping foxes out of a chicken coop, the the boundary is going to be the craven run; similarly, if you're keeping horses in a field, the boundary is the perimeter of the field. Pretty self-explanatory, but worth making sure you are aware of the purlieus you need to cover, and have enough materials to practice so.
The first step in laying the boundary is to found wooden corner, or end posts at the corners, or extremes of your boundary, around which the electrical wiring will bend, to line back up with the T-posts in betwixt each corner.
Dig the holes for your end posts/corner posts with a postal service hole digger, excavation downwards near 2-3 feet. Having positioned your pole in the hole, you can make full upwardly your excavations with cement in order to secure the pole firmly. Before leaving the cement to ready, be certain to use a level and record measure to ensure that your corner posts are all level, and at the same height. Your cement should take 24-48 hours to fully fix, earlier you tin move onto the next phase of the solar-powered electric debate installation.
Next, information technology's time to lay the metal or plastic T-posts. T-posts should be spaced at well-nigh 15-xx foot intervals, with shorter distances between them on steep, hilly sections, and longer distances between them (if y'all like) on flat, open spaces. You can use a length of string fastened to one pole and pulled taught to marking the location of the next.
To install T-posts, employ a T-post driver, and crush the posts into the ground, down near 2 feet (on 5.5 ft T-posts), ensuring that the posts' brackets face away from the country you are surrounding with electric fence. It is on these brackets that you will hang your electric wiring in step three.
Footstep 3: Hang the Wire
At present, it'due south time to hang the actual wiring, which volition be electrified by the charger you connect in the next step. To do so, unspool your wiring every bit y'all become around your corner and T-posts, hanging the wiring on the brackets of the T-posts at an equal acme, the entire manner around your perimeter. You may be installing a unmarried wire, or many at dissimilar heights, depending upon your requirements, and the height(due south) of the animals you seek to control or keep out.
When you come to your corner and end posts, you can affix the wire to the posts with U-pins, or but wrap the wire around the post and use the tension of its connection to the side by side T-post to proceed information technology in identify. You can kickoff and stop your wiring wherever you like on the perimeter.
You lot can use tensioners and insulators to fix the wire firmly in place, and can install plastic safety handles at intervals should yous need, which would permit you to safely disconnect the electrical debate in social club for y'all or your machinery to laissez passer through it. One time you take covered the entire perimeter with your wires, you can move onto the next footstep.
Step 4: Install the Solar-Powered Charging Unit
Now that the perimeter has been marked with poles, and the wire(due south) attached to those poles, making a tight purlieus all the way effectually your called area, information technology's time to prepare-upwards the unit which will electrify the fence: the solar electrical fence charger.
Whilst some solar fence chargers differ in installation methods, typically they are designed to exist mounted on T-posts. Thus, to start, we're going to take to plant a T-post abreast the debate at one point along the line. The about important decision to make hither, though, is exactlywhereto mountain the charger. The solar panel built-into your charger requires as much exposure to sunlight as possible in order to keep your electric debate powered to the correct voltage at all times. In society to ensure that it receives the necessary sunlight, you should choose a mounting position for information technology with good, solid southern exposure, and no obstacles around which might cast shadows on the panel during the day.
Once y'all've decided on the spot, plant a T-post into the footing just like you lot did when setting upwardly the poles along the boundary. Make certain the T-postal service is close to the electric argue. Next, mountain the solar charging unit on top of the T-post, and swivel it to confront south (provided y'all're in the northern hemisphere, thus maximising its potential for sunlight exposure).
Call up: Keep the charger turned OFF at all times during installation, especially during the grounding process.
Step five: Ground the Charger
Next, it's time to ground the charger. To do this, y'all'll demand to sink earthing poles into the ground nearby to the T-post you've only planted. The type, number, and depth of the poles you'll require will depend on the force of your specific solar electric fence charger, and then check the transmission which came with it to determine how best to ground your charger. We'll connect up the right clamps to the grounding rod(southward) in a moment.
Lastly, it's time to connect the positive and negative clips/clamps of the charger. Take the positive pb(s) and connect this to your electric fence wire(s), then have the negative lead(s) and connect this to the grounding rod(due south), remembering to keep the device switched OFF throughout this process.
If you are using a battery to store and transmit the solar-generated electricity, connect the leads to the bombardment first, and then to the electrical fence.
Stride 6: Complete the Initial Accuse
Your new solar-charged electric argue is going to crave an initial charging menstruation ofat least 24 hours before it's gear up to use, though you could go out it for 48 hours if you have the fourth dimension. (Proceed the device OFF, or in charging mode throughout, and if unsure almost any part of the charging process, please refer to the device's specific manual.)
Step 7 (Terminal Footstep): Conduct Tests
One time your solar charger has had time to accuse, examine the charge status of your bombardment or device, in order to ensure that your ready-up is running as planned. Next, turn the device ON (carefully, taking all appropriate safety precautions).
At present, it'southward fourth dimension to test the voltage y'all're receiving from your solar electric fence charging unit. To do so, use an electric fence tester/voltage tester on the electric fence. Information technology's worth testing the voltage of your solar electric contend at regular intervals, and adjusting it accordingly (notation that disruption along the fence from weeds and droppings may crusade fluctuations in voltage).
Once happy with output voltage and battery capacity/charge status, y'all tin can leave the solar charger ON and call the chore a skillful one! You accept successfully installed your own solar-powered electrical fence, which should at present work continuously, requiring trivial to no maintenance, except regular testing of the line, weed maintenance, and the occasional cleaning of the solar panel (for which the equipment should be turned OFF).
Benefits of a Solar-Powered Electric Argue
Nosotros've discussed in smashing detail the installation of a solar-powered electric fence, simply what if you remain unconvinced that i will really run into your needs? Let'south take a quick look at the main advantages to solar-powered electrical fences, which we feel confident will allay your fears, and instil yous with confidence equally to solar power's capabilities.
Humane livestock protection and pest prevention
Obvious, right? An electric fence is built to keep your livestock, pets, and animals from escaping their assigned fields and living areas, and keep pests out; so, obviously a solar electric fence would also? Well, aye! Information technology is a common misconception, all the same, that a solar-powered electrical fence would not be every bit good at the job every bit a generator-powered, or mains-powered electric contend would be. We're here to correct that misconception!
Not only is solar power upward to the task (provided it is installed correctly and provided enough sunlight), it is more humane than the power sources used in traditional electric fencing. Solar electric fences are designed to deliver a consistent, reliable voltage specifically designed to humanely ward-off intruding animals, and safely contain your livestock. On the other hand, 'traditional' electrical fences can often kill animals by delivering far too loftier a voltage.
Availability
Solar power products accept never been every bit affordable and accessible every bit they are today. In that location are simply hundreds of solar electric fence chargers and kits on the market place, each tailored to a different user, and all readily bachelor.
Gratis, green, renewable energy for life!
What could peradventure exist more attractive than costless electricity? Solar panel products generate electricity simply through their exposure to sunlight, which is not just incredibly beneficial to our planet (reducing our dependency on destructive fossil fuels), just also saves you an absolute fortune in utility bills and coin previously spent on fuel.
Minimal maintenance
Nosotros've mentioned it before, but we'll mention it over again: solar panel products require seriously lilliputian maintenance. Just go on the panel make clean, and check the voltage it's putting out from fourth dimension to time, and your solar electric fence can run for years and years. Some of these solar panel electrical fence chargers can actually work for 2 whole weeks on a single full-charge, without any additional sunlight, so even low light or poor weather condition conditions aren't necessarily enough to stop a solar electric debate.
Impedance applied science
Many of today's top electric contend solar chargers come up with built-in 'impedance technology', which, in brusque, is designed to recognise the impedance of weed growth and debris touching the electric wire along your argue, and to ignore this (rather than electrifying the line and continually wasting electricity). Moreover, weeds and brush won't touch on the charger's ability to send a shock forth the wire when an animal actually does come in contact with the argue.
Conclusion
Solar power has never been more affordable, attainable and, frankly, necessary. Our world is in the midst of a climate crisis, and the more nosotros can do to assist it out, the meliorate our future and our children's future will be. Solar electric fence chargers are a reliable, safe, and powerful off-grid alternative to mains-powered or generator-fuelled electric fencing, and deliver humane protection to livestock, whilst preventing pests and predators from inbound your land. Installation of solar electric fences is easy and tin be completed alone, past even an unskilled individual. Only call back to follow appropriate condom precautions, and follow our instructions in this guide carefully. If you lot come upward against whatsoever problems, consult your solar charger's manual, or a professional person electrician.
FAQs
Tin can I install a solar-powered electric contend on my own?
Aye, y'all can install a solar electrical fence on your own, without needing any help from a professional or even another person. To acquire how to do and then safely, efficiently, and confidently, merely follow the footstep-by-stride guide we've laid out for yous to a higher place.
Is solar power strong enough to reliably accuse an electric argue?
Yes, solar ability is stiff enough to reliably charger an electrical contend. In fact, solar power is more efficient at generating electricity than a traditional gas generator, and can produce all the ability you lot need to keep your animals in, or sure animals out. Merely exist certain to buy a charger advisable to your needs, and you lot won't exist disappointed.
How will I know what grounding rods to utilise, or how many?
Different solar electrical fence chargers will crave different amounts or lengths of grounding rod, depending on their voltages (some may not fifty-fifty require grounding rods, just may only require yous to ground them to an existing nearby post). Read the manual which came with your solar fence charger carefully to determine how to properly basis it.
Practice solar-powered electric fences work overnight and in depression lite?
The answer to this all depends on your setup. If you lot are connecting your solar charger direct to your electric fence, then it will merely be able to electrify the contend when it is exposed to sunlight (i.east. during daylight hours). Nosotros would, therefore, recommend that you first connect the solar charger to a high-chapters battery, andand soto your fence. This way, surplus free energy generated by the electric fence solar charger tin can be stored in the battery for usage during low low-cal hours and overnight, keeping your solar-powered electrical fence up and running no matter the weather, or the time of solar day.
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Author Bio
Robert is a renewable energy and sustainability specialist with 10+ years of feel in the solar and renewable energy space.
With feel in different organizations in the industry, he operates semprius as a passion project promoting sustainable renewable energy ideas and products.
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