Off Grid Solar at the Ranch

[Running Arrow Bill]

Does anyone use Solar power for their water well or house or buildings at their property?

We are in process of closing on another property that has no electric or water service nearby and will have to go solar. Utility companies wanted an arm and a leg, plus some of our organs to run power & water to the property.

Interested in hearing any good, bad, indifferent (and/or success or horror stories) about your Solar power use!

Thanks,
bill

 

[bigbull338]

hey bill i cant help you with the solar power.but i might can help you on getting water to your new place.will they let you buy the pvc pipe an lay the waterline yourself.thats what we did when we built the dairy barn an house.the waterline belongs to us.no 1 can hook on to it.then all you pay them for is the water meter.if we have a leak we fix our own leaks.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Know a couple of people who use a wind generator for power. They swear by it.
Something to think about and look into.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

hey bill i cant help you with the solar power.but i might can help you on getting water to your new place.will they let you buy the pvc pipe an lay the waterline yourself.thats what we did when we built the dairy barn an house.the waterline belongs to us.no 1 can hook on to it.then all you pay them for is the water meter.if we have a leak we fix our own leaks.

Probably not. I think "this" water service is a little primadonna and services several counties. They also said to run the line one would have to cross ANOTHER rancher's property (easement issues, repair of damage, etc.,). The other side is that they wanted $10. a FOOT to run the line.

P.S.: The nearest water hook-up point was minimum of 3/4 mile away....

 

[bigbull338]

so you cant run the waterline in the ditch.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

so you cant run the waterline in the ditch.

Nope! Their rules, their stuff...

We plan to dig another well [there is already a low volume DC pump solar well on property] for higher volume for livestock watering and limited irrigation. Will use 240V pump on new well and power it with a propane generator when we need to fill stock tanks and some close in watering.

Since the well water in that area (according to well drillers) is "gyp" water (supposed not suitable for drinking or running thru faucets in house due to high mineral content) we'll have to put in a storage tank for domestic use and haul up to 1,000 gal a month from our present property (when we eventually need "household" water at new place).

Time will tell about new well water...will "taste test and lab test" the water then...go from there.

 

[Bluestem]

so you cant run the waterline in the ditch.

Nope! Their rules, their stuff...

We plan to dig another well [there is already a low volume DC pump solar well on property] for higher volume for livestock watering and limited irrigation. Will use 240V pump on new well and power it with a propane generator when we need to fill stock tanks and some close in watering.

Since the well water in that area (according to well drillers) is "gyp" water (supposed not suitable for drinking or running thru faucets in house due to high mineral content) we'll have to put in a storage tank for domestic use and haul up to 1,000 gal a month from our present property (when we eventually need "household" water at new place).

Time will tell about new well water...will "taste test and lab test" the water then...go from there.

Have you considered rain water harvesting? May help cut down on water hauling. I'm planning on using rain water on the new ranch house. Well water tends to burn around open flames. Didn't figure I wanted to waste much time drilling for it, much less drink it.

 

[milkmaid]

Can't you just put in a well at the house? We live in the country where everyone has their own well and the only connection we have to our neighbors is that most of us have tapped into the same aquifer (250+ feet down).

Haven't heard too much about solar, can't help you there. We do have a small solar panel that runs the electric fence and works well, but that's all I know.

 

[Bez+]

Does anyone use Solar power for their water well or house or buildings at their property?

We are in process of closing on another property that has no electric or water service nearby and will have to go solar. Utility companies wanted an arm and a leg, plus some of our organs to run power & water to the property.

Interested in hearing any good, bad, indifferent (and/or success or horror stories) about your Solar power use!

Thanks,
bill

Well, out here in the desert we are using solar - and it needed a bigger battery bank - so I installed it a few days ago - also I put up a windmill - solar by itself does not cut it in my opinion - you need to take advantage of the wind - that trickle charge at night from the wind sure makes a difference in the battery charge levels.

Cannot help you with brand names they are all written in Arabic and Hebrew!

Charging is fine - but it is the batteries that make the system - got to have good ones.

Lots of folks in Alberta using solar and wind to pump water - go to Alberta Gov department of agriculture - bet you find a truck load of info.

Bez+

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Can't you just put in a well at the house? We live in the country where everyone has their own well and the only connection we have to our neighbors is that most of us have tapped into the same aquifer (250+ feet down).

Haven't heard too much about solar, can't help you there. We do have a small solar panel that runs the electric fence and works well, but that's all I know.

There is already a LOW volume solar DC pump on a well there. We are planning on drilling a new well to use for livestock watering and limited pasture irrigation using a 220V probably 2 HP well pump. This well pump will be run off a generator when we need to fill tanks and do some limited watering.

The well water at the new location, according to well drillers, is very hard with a high calcium/magnesium component (aka "gyp" water) which they say is very adequate for livestock and farm irrigation. But, "they" say the water is "not good" to drink. Until I actually taste the water and have it tested at a Lab I can't offer an opinion one way or another on its actual quality. If, in fact, the water sand at the place is very hard then it would be difficult, inconvenient, expensive to treat it sufficiently for household faucets, appliances clear of mineral/scale buildup.

On a sidebar, "rainwater" collection in our neck of the woods is not feasible. Our "average" rainfall in our area between 2002 and 2008 that we've been around here has ranged from about 16 to 26" a year! Average is about 22" a year. We get hot in the Eastern Texas Panhandle, have lots of year around wind that discourages rain...lol. We can go 2 to 3 months without even a rain "shower" (when its needed the most for pastures, etc.)

 

[Bez+]

Can't you just put in a well at the house? We live in the country where everyone has their own well and the only connection we have to our neighbors is that most of us have tapped into the same aquifer (250+ feet down).

Haven't heard too much about solar, can't help you there. We do have a small solar panel that runs the electric fence and works well, but that's all I know.

There is already a LOW volume solar DC pump on a well there. We are planning on drilling a new well to use for livestock watering and limited pasture irrigation using a 220V probably 2 HP well pump. This well pump will be run off a generator when we need to fill tanks and do some limited watering.

The well water at the new location, according to well drillers, is very hard with a high calcium/magnesium component (aka "gyp" water) which they say is very adequate for livestock and farm irrigation. But, "they" say the water is "not good" to drink. Until I actually taste the water and have it tested at a Lab I can't offer an opinion one way or another on its actual quality. If, in fact, the water sand at the place is very hard then it would be difficult, inconvenient, expensive to treat it sufficiently for household faucets, appliances clear of mineral/scale buildup.

On a sidebar, "rainwater" collection in our neck of the woods is not feasible. Our "average" rainfall in our area between 2002 and 2008 that we've been around here has ranged from about 16 to 26" a year! Average is about 22" a year. We get hot in the Eastern Texas Panhandle, have lots of year around wind that discourages rain...lol. We can go 2 to 3 months without even a rain "shower" (when its needed the most for pastures, etc.)

What I just read tells me you will need two inverters as well - they usually come as a 110 unit - so 220 means two inverters - with that wind, I would for sure be looking at a mill as well.

Bez+

 

[pdfangus]

best resource I have found is Backwoods Solar. they have web site and tons of experinece. Most of them live in alternative energy homes. Helped me when I had a solar water pumping problem.

 

[backhoeboogie]

What I just read tells me you will need two inverters as well - they usually come as a 110 unit - so 220 means two inverters - with that wind, I would for sure be looking at a mill as well.

Bez+

Careful there Bez. The two 110 ssources have to be in phase with one another. Pulling a 110 leg off of two inverters doesn't give you what you need if the power is not in correct phase. I am not sure how you would get the vars and voltages in phase with the method you are describing. You motor could become a generator drain if the magnetic fields are not in correct phase. You would probably just burn up the motor tho.

If it were me, I'd buy a 220 inverter to ensure everything works in the correct phase.

Batteries are the biggest cost for both solar and wind in my opinion.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Maybe its already been suggested above but if all you want is water for the animals the cheapest way to get that is by windmill - no electricity envolved. With big enough blades on the windmill you can pump water from pretty extreme depths.

In any electric solution your second biggest expense will be batteries followed by solar panels or wind powered generator followed by inverter. Your first expense will be the water well. I don't know what the drilling costs are in the panhandle but around my part of the country I think it runs about $25/foot.

Without actually sourcing the equipment I would estimate $25K to $50K for a solar powered system big enough to handle your water well needs in the panhandle of Texas.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Without actually sourcing the equipment I would estimate $25K to $50K for a solar powered system big enough to handle your water well needs in the panhandle of Texas.

That's a pretty good guess. I am looking at well over $25K for a system with a windmill. The doggone windmill is more expensive than having the well punched -and I am going deep.

The best prospect is to find an old windmill and retrofit it if you can. If you go with a new one, you'll find they are awfully proud of them.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

To Clarify:

When we get our new well drilled it will be on a 220V (probably 2 HP) submersible pump. Our longest run down an alleyway to our farthest stock tank is about 2200 feet. Will use a generator to pump into stock tanks, into a back-up storage tank. An hour of generator power will pump a lot of water from a well. We are not considering using solar to power a new well pump. It would take forever to pump the amount of water we need with a DC pump.

A windmill is out too. After considering the initial cost to put one up, it is a "mechanical thing" that stuff can go wrong with the gears, blades, sucker rod & leathers. To get one serviced would be a major repair & maintenance expense. When a submersible pump goes out, it's a 2-3 hour visit from our well man to jerk old one out and put in a new one (I know, we have had our well pump at our homeplace replaced several times over the years).

 

[aztumbleweed]

Bill,
Look at the grundfoos sq series of pumps they are a helical srew pump instead of diaghram like the smaller dc pumps runs off of solar a gen. or wind. I have one installed last year at 680 feet and it works like a champ. If I get a little behind on the storage just pull a gen. to it.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

Without actually sourcing the equipment I would estimate $25K to $50K for a solar powered system big enough to handle your water well needs in the panhandle of Texas.

That's a pretty good guess. I am looking at well over $25K for a system with a windmill. The doggone windmill is more expensive than having the well punched -and I am going deep.

The best prospect is to find an old windmill and retrofit it if you can. If you go with a new one, you'll find they are awfully proud of them.

I had no idea that windmills had gone up that much, BHB. No wonder folks stop by from time to time to see if they can get my old one (for free of course).

Thanks for the follow up Bill. I couldn't tell from your original request exactly what your requirements were. What I was suggesting was not, however, a 12V DC pump that I can out pi$$. What I was suggesting, without knowing the rest of the story, was a 10 to 15KW, 240VAC inverter system that ran off batteries (lots of them) and a huge solar panel to recharge the batteries. This, of course, is way overkill to providing water to the cattle so there had to have been some other requirement.

I think your plan will work just fine for you. And since you've got it all figured out already we're off the hook.

Good luck and have a great one. ;-)

 

[dieselbeef]

a brand new windmill can be had from some dealers offa e bay for under 10 grand...easy.
also a water pumping wndmill will run in almost zero breeze and by only keepin the oil topped off not even changing it my early 1900's aeromotor is still running and pumping. if the water doesnt run out the leathers will last as long as an electric motor...lotta windmill dealers and servicers selling used in texas. they will pump water from quite deep(cant remember) and quite far as well....im sure an 8 ftr wouldnt cost 10g even w/the tower. inst extra of course

check this out on ebay item # 220268190559