# Barn with no power



## MercuryXS

Our barn has no access to power so we are thinking about battery power. We only need lights 5hrs or so a week. My thought would be deep cycle battery inverter and a few LED lights. We thought about solar but really dont want to spend that much for such little use. Thoughts?


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## liz

Before I had power to my barn, I used flashlights at night and early mornings but my barn is only 100 feet or so from my back door 

My current power to the barn is by way of a heavy duty extension cord, plugged in inside my back door and hard wired to the wiring/fixtures my hubby placed in the barn, I have outlets and switches and flourescent lighting for the different areas in my 18x16.

LED's that are battery operated or even better would be solar for lighting, depending on the areas and how much light you need.


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## JaLyn

Liz mine too. my red barn has electricity all through it but not hooked up so i have it hooked into an extension chord til jay finishes wiring the pole barn we are almost finished wiht lol...


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## MercuryXS

The problem is the barn is not located near a power source. We would need to have the power company run lines to the barn which would be at least 1/4 of a mile.


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## liz

In your case then, I think it would end up being cheaper in the long run to use a solar type lighting.

Once again though, it would totally depend on the size of space you'd need the lights for.

There is a company that deals with barn specific lighting, FarmTek is the name.... not sure on website though maybe doing a search with Yahoo or Google may help direct you.


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## Arkie

The local power co will put power to a "utility pole",similar to what contractors use when starting a new project building for something like $15./month which includes more KWH than you'd ever use for lights and maybe even a small heater. We haven't bothered having it done though. We're using a couple automotive driving lights with a deep cycle battery and solar panel. 

Bob


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## kiddoe

No electricity (or running water) in my barn, either and every day, I have to cross a creek to get to the barn while carrying feed, 1 gallon bottles of water, or anything else that needs to get to the barn. Glad I have my kids to help! I have a riding mower with trailor that I used, but the extreme cold caused the battery to die. So now it has been abandoned at my barn, as I don't have a battery charger.  .....

It was difficult to use a handheld flashlight when two hands were needed to complete a task or when the kids were dropping their flashlights causing them to break, then the kids would fight over who gets to use the working lights. So about a month ago I purcahsed LED "head lamp" or helmet lights. They are lights on an elastic band that you put around your head (incase you didn't know what a helmet or head lamp was)  for easy and hand free usage! They work well and shed light just where it's needed! My kids don't fight anymore, either. I got mine in the dollar value bins at Target for $3 each. They have 7 LEDs with three brighnesses and are adjustable to fit your noggin. It was a good investment for me!


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## clearwtrbeach

Arkie said:


> The local power co will put power to a "utility pole",similar to what contractors use when starting a new project building for something like $15./month which includes more KWH than you'd ever use for lights and maybe even a small heater.
> 
> wow that is super cheap! It's hundreds of dollars here, not including running the actual line to the structure. I'm in the wrong place, first no small animal vets will agree to run a goat fecal, so when he's out of town we're SOL, now the power option wow


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## MercuryXS

I'm waiting for the local power company engineer to return my call but from what I have heard it's not cheap around here. They would have to set probably 4 poles maybe 5.


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## mjgh06

We don't have a barn per se - but several shelter areas from 24x20 to 4x8. We use the LED laterns and head lamps and it works very well for us. It's amazing how much light those LEDs give off. They'll blind you for sure.

To get an electric utility pole run in our area is $150.00 just to put it up and then the monthly fee additional.


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## onehorse_2000

I would look at solar. We have been considering it for our one shed just haven't gotten too it yet, as we both wear headlamps through the winter, to feed and water in the mornings. You can get solar, in that size, pretty inexpensively. I think it was Graingers that we were looking at some solar lights.


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## imthegrt1

Guys and girls

Very simple hundred or so foot of wire breaker for the box and a couple of plugs 200 bucks or so and bam 
LET THERE BE LIGHT


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## MercuryXS

That doesnt solve the problem when your main power source is 1/4 of a mile away...


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## Used2bmimi

I have little solar units from harbor freight. They were like $20 or $30 each. One is a pull string light with a small solar panel that I mounted on the roof. I don't like it because my hands are always full when I need it. But I love the other one. It is really a security light but it fits my needs exactly. It has a motion sensor on it so as soon as I walk in it lights up. It also has a small panel that I mounted on the outside of the building. I have had an older one on the corner of my house for seven years now that was made by the same company, so they are pretty good bang for the buck.


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## kiddoe

Used2bmimi said:


> I have little solar units from harbor freight. They were like $20 or $30 each. One is a pull string light with a small solar panel that I mounted on the roof. I don't like it because my hands are always full when I need it. But I love the other one. It is really a security light but it fits my needs exactly. It has a motion sensor on it so as soon as I walk in it lights up. It also has a small panel that I mounted on the outside of the building. I have had an older one on the corner of my house for seven years now that was made by the same company, so they are pretty good bang for the buck.


Can you post the product's brand name so we can type it in the search bar at Harbor Freight? The price sounds reasonable if it was bought recently, although the price may have gone up significantly in 7 years if that's how long you have had them all! LOL I treally love the idea of the motion sensored light. About how long would the lights stay on at night before losing power?


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## Used2bmimi

The one I bought in August is by Bunker Hill Solar. It is labeled as a solar security light. I just looked on line and I can't find it under lights, but look up Bunker Hill and it comes up under 36 led... It is listed at 19.99 right now. I am not sure how long it will stay lit as I am never out at night for very long. It stays on dusk to dawn at a low level of light and when it senses motion it goes bright for a while. It has gone out a couple of times while I was still out there, but just to the low light level and immediately as soon as I move again it comes back on. I don't have the box anymore or I would try to find out how long you can expect full light. I do know that the one on the corner of my house ran every night for almost a week with the solar panel removed while we were reshingling the roof. I really like them.


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## imthegrt1

MercuryXS said:


> That doesnt solve the problem when your main power source is 1/4 of a mile away...


Ok 1350 feet of wire lol


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## serenityfarmnm

http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-shed-light-95573.html

We have 3 of these, we plan to be fully solar within 2 years but these work for the barn & shed


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## Used2bmimi

serenityfarmnm said:


> http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-shed-light-95573.html
> 
> We have 3 of these, we plan to be fully solar within 2 years but these work for the barn & shed


Yep, that is the other one I have. I am just to lazy to use the pull string


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## fd123

i have an led landscape lighting kit that consist of 3 led flood type lights , and 1 solar panel.The wires on each light can be connected to either light..or the solar panel..I have them staggered through out the woods in the front of my property with the solar panel placed out front so it can catch the sunlight. Mine stay on all night long...>unless its been a very cloudy day.. I think i bought them on clearance at walmart a couple of years back! Needless to say im very satisfied with them!


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## Goats Rock

We built our house and barn in the woods, 1/2 mile off the road. I put in all underground utilities! ($26,000 for poles, $5000 underground!).
Maybe someday you will decide to do the underground route- if that is permitted- some places really don't like it, not sure why.
My wethers and bucks are in a barn with no lights- so I went the head lamp route, too. That works really well!


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## MercuryXS

Ok here is what I came up with. One deep cycle battery, inverter, wire and 3 LED lights. Lit it up great with power add 4th if needed.

Took about 30min to install.


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## kiddoe

Wow! That's nice and bright!


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## imthegrt1

MercuryXS said:


> Ok here is what I came up with. One deep cycle battery, inverter, wire and 3 LED lights. Lit it up great with power add 4th if needed.
> 
> Took about 30min to install.


Nice little herd you got


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## Used2bmimi

Nice!


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## MercuryXS

I received the quote from the power company today. The cost would be approximately $8000. I think I will stick with battery power.


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## goatiegirl

serenityfarmnm said:


> http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-shed-light-95573.html
> 
> We have 3 of these, we plan to be fully solar within 2 years but these work for the barn & shed


Thanks for the link! I am going to order one. Good price!


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## Goats Rock

Forget power company electricity, Battery power is good! That is alot of
money ($8000) for lights! 
That looks like a nice barn, and your goats look all happy and healthy!


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## MercuryXS

Their doing great considering all the rain. February is going to be full of babies so we needed to light it up.


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## fd123

MercuryXS said:


> Ok here is what I came up with. One deep cycle battery, inverter, wire and 3 LED lights. Lit it up great with power add 4th if needed.
> 
> Took about 30min to install.


Thats ALOTTA LIGHT!!! Nice goats!!


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## cherioneal

Hey that's neat. I need to do this.

Sent from my iPhone using GoatSpot


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## lovemykidds

Checking to see how everything is out your way


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## HoosierShadow

That's great! What was your final cost and supplies needed to do all that? 
Our barn is small, and it's right behind the house, but because of the septic tank pump & electrical wires, we can't dig to put electric into the barn.
Instead I run an extension cord out there to an outdoors type power bar that has 3 plug ins and I use that. I only need 2 lights, so it works great. 
But I always toy with putting a couple of battery operated lights in there that away I don't have to run the extension cord out there all the time. Typically the only time I need anything is if we feed later than usual <after dark>, or during kidding season.


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