I want to install solar panels on a 10x10 shed for heat. Is this at all possible?

[lilahblue]

Hi there!

I don't know anything about solar panels and I have been googling trying to understand and figure out if this is possible but I just can't seem to figure it out. What I would like to do is get a 10x10 (insulated as possible) shed that will house a couple cats. I live in Ontario, Canada. Little north of Toronto. It gets pretty cold here, the average low in winter is -12C (9F). We get a lot of snow. It would be in my backyard which is 1/3 of an acre and southern exposure. Could I get a solar panel kit like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Sol...3#.Ujtwkj_odk4 and use a heater like this http://www.wayfair.com/Eco-Heater-Wa...U-EQH1004.html ?

Thank you so much for any help!

[Naptown]

Short answer no
I would suggest building a much smaller cat house ( minds out of the gutter please) for them. Insulate it very well with a pet door for access next to the house and plug it in to the house
With a small (2') baseboard heater on a thermostat inside

[FloridaSun]

Short answer no
I would suggest building a much smaller cat house ( minds out of the gutter please) for them. Insulate it very well with a pet door for access next to the house and plug it in to the house
With a small (2') baseboard heater on a thermostat inside

but what kind of cats... if he has D9s? Those Cats are big!

[Naptown]

Think miniskid not D9
And a D9 won't fit in that she'd
Personally I prefer 55's or larger

[inetdog]

Hi there!

I don't know anything about solar panels and I have been googling trying to understand and figure out if this is possible but I just can't seem to figure it out. What I would like to do is get a 10x10 (insulated as possible) shed that will house a couple cats. I live in Ontario, Canada. Little north of Toronto. It gets pretty cold here, the average low in winter is -12C (9F). We get a lot of snow. It would be in my backyard which is 1/3 of an acre and southern exposure. Could I get a solar panel kit like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Sol...3#.Ujtwkj_odk4 and use a heater like this http://www.wayfair.com/Eco-Heater-Wa...U-EQH1004.html ?

Thank you so much for any help!

Instead of trying to use solar PV with batteries to keep electric heat going all night, look at combining solar thermal heating with some kind of bulk heat storage (concrete, water tank, etc.) but it still will not give you a lot of heat just from the roof area. Insulation is critical. Spending money on insulation rather than solar PV will give you much better bang for the buck.

[FloridaSun]

Hi there!

I don't know anything about solar panels and I have been googling trying to understand and figure out if this is possible but I just can't seem to figure it out. What I would like to do is get a 10x10 (insulated as possible) shed that will house a couple cats. I live in Ontario, Canada. Little north of Toronto. It gets pretty cold here, the average low in winter is -12C (9F). We get a lot of snow. It would be in my backyard which is 1/3 of an acre and southern exposure. Could I get a solar panel kit like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grape-Sol...3#.Ujtwkj_odk4 and use a heater like this http://www.wayfair.com/Eco-Heater-Wa...U-EQH1004.html ?

Thank you so much for any help!

400w heater x a minimum 12 hours use = 4800 watt hours, not something you are going to find daily with 400w of panels. PV is not the way to go for heating. If you need the shed anyway you might think about a loft for the cats, maybe some reptile hot rocks (with towels over them?) connected to grid power. Anything heated on the floor... the heat will go up.

[SunEagle]

Even if your shed is over 100 feet from the house it would much cheaper to run a power line for your heater than going with the solar pv / battery system.

Your location has minimal sun and is way too cold to use any type of solar source to run a heating load as you plan.