Can a solar generator and panels be hooked up to a trailer home on a rural field?

Filed under: Self Reliance |

solar power home
Image by CERTs
At the Solar Works! Workshop, Attendees learned more about solar energy, heard from people with projects on their homes and businesses, and found resources to get started including a Home Energy Squad visit and a solar site assessment. Attendees also connected with experts serving Saint Paul that talked about their efforts to encourage solar energy including easing permitting for solar installations.

Question by Christopher T: Can a solar generator and panels be hooked up to a trailer home on a rural field?
I plan on moving a newly manufactured trailer home onto around ten acres of rural field. I need a source of power, i have found solar power can be fairly inexpensive in the long run, though i have been told trailer homes cannot be hooked up to solar generators and panels. Is this true? if not how do i hook six 80 watt panels up to the trailer home?

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7 Responses to Can a solar generator and panels be hooked up to a trailer home on a rural field?

  1. I don’t know, but my experience as a child living in a trailer (single wide, ugh) with my family during the drought of 88 was miserable because the sun baked that thing like an oven! It was horrible and that was before everyone had central air. I think you would be smart to soak up that sun before it has a chance to bake you.

    india wuvs Kushtaka too
    February 1, 2013 at 6:54 pm
    Reply

  2. Just stick the wires in the rear like I do.

    Lamp Crotch Girl
    February 1, 2013 at 7:16 pm
    Reply

  3. USA Yes you can, unless there is a local municipal ordinance against it – which I have never heard of. But, why 80 watt panels? The industry standard is 230 watt. Six 80 watt panels won’t even power a normal refrigerator (they’re usually 700 watts). If you have all the parts and equipment, or if you can get them for free, then it is worth it to hook them up. But, if you have to buy the items, the average cost is $ 5 per watt, which is $ 2400.00 for a 480 watt set up. Generating 480 watts per hour will total 5000 watts on a good day. That is about $ 0.50 worth of electricity. At $ 0.50 per day, it will take you 4800 days – that is more than 13 years – just to break even.

    You should add up the power requirements for everything in the home that might be used at the same time – cooking, refrig, cooling or heating, well pump, lights, TV – and base the size of your system on how many watts you will need. If you can, go more than what you need and sell the extra to the utility. They have to buy it from you.

    Dave
    February 1, 2013 at 7:52 pm
    Reply

  4. Generally, yes, you can. I know someone in Arizona that did that. But my suggestion would be to go around and see what the neighbors do. Living off-grid is a major lifestyle change, and if the local utility can run a hookup to you, it might be better than solar. You’ll have to see, yourself.

    roderick_young
    February 1, 2013 at 8:40 pm
    Reply

  5. Hire an electrician to do it for you. Better safe than sorry. Taht said. You can hook electricity up to anything. You need to have the proper panels. I suggest going on you Tube and watching the videos. Make sure You Learn Enough Not To Kill Yourself Before Proceding.

    Robert T
    February 1, 2013 at 9:00 pm
    Reply

  6. There are many things on which your solar panel hooking to trailer depend like is there any law in travelling state, are there sufficient solar power as solar panel need abundant solar light for charge up. You can contact the state solar panel company for full information.

    Ethan Hunt
    February 1, 2013 at 9:44 pm
    Reply

  7. is your trailer top big enough? you may mount the solar panel on the roof, and put other accessories such as battery, controller and inverters inside the trailer.

    Sunnyzhao
    February 1, 2013 at 10:27 pm
    Reply

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