Building a Solar Powered Workshop

[@HomeMadeModern]

HI! Thanks for all the questions and comments! Here is the post on our website: www.homemade-modern.com/ep115-building-a-solar-powered-workshop/ Here is a link to tour of the workshop: blog.homedepot.com/diy-solar-powered-workshop/ The full build post should be up on HomeMade-Modern.com soon! If you want to know about why we did the solar the way we did here is a link to my interview with Jason Andrade of West Coast Sustainables: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6DWg6ysfrRomJI Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions: How much did this cost? Right around $7800 (not including the tools) $4500 for the shed, $1100 for the solar kit, $800 for batteries, $200 for flashing + rails, and another $1200 for interior stuff. I did have some hardware and 2x4s already. Is this video sponsored by Home Depot? YES! It says so at the beginning of the video at 0:03 and again in the description box. In general my business is much more about testing design ideas and identifying media strategies than it is about generating views and most of the time posting a youtube video is not even in the contract. i was not contractually obligated to post this video but i wanted to and since home depot was involved in the project i put that the video was sponsored. i like that people are interested in the business side of things and it is exciting time in content creation but ask questions don't assume you know how my business works! last year i spent about $17k at home depot and less than a 3rd of that was covered by credit and gift cards. if you assume that sponsorship or some business association leads to a total lack of frugality you are wrong. if you assume that watching any content on youtube isn't part of or connected to some sort of media/marketing business you are not smart. i often talk about my business and thoughts on new media in lectures and on my podcast. If you want to hear me talk about my business check out the Modern Maker Podcast or some of my lectures: TrickleUp Design: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laqmmWeVas6Sa9E Modern Maker Podcast: www.modernmakerpodcast.com/ TEDx talk: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ2znqubi7Kar8k Is this video sponsored by Ryobi? No! I do a lot of work with Ryobi, but this video was not sponsored by them or anyone else other than The Home Depot. I have relationships with a lot of brands including ones for the clothes and I wear, the software I use, the cameras I use, the cars I drive, and the food I eat for lunch on a jobsite but that doesn’t mean the video was sponsored by them. What about inversion loses? Why not just use DC tools and lighting? Great question! We considered it but after looking at the actual amount we would save and considering the complication and the increased liability of DC we decided to eat the small losses and keep things simple. Jason and I discussed this topic here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6DWg6ysfrRomJI Which direction do the panels face? They face south east but more east than south. This is not ideal for energy production but they still get enough sunlight to charge the battery bank in two days. The battery bank lasts us about 3 days of our typical use. I considered orienting the shed differently but the layout of the building on the land was more important than little bit of electrical production. I have designed a lot of award winning solar powered houses for my architecture firm ZeroEnergy.com and have learned that rarely do you get to set the panels at the perfect orientation. Why did you choose white? Wont it get dirty? I have always had white workshops and they work great for me! I am filming and photographing as much as I am building and I like clean bright backdrops. For my Boston workshop I just paint the floors every 6 months which takes about 2 hours and they look great! Why didn’t you add insulation? good question! I love insulation and in my Boston home I used 14” of cellulose insulation in a double stud wall but this shed is just north of Santa Barbara CA which is a very mild climate. I personally like working in a cold shop so the heat would be more of a concern for me. One of the reasons why I chose double doors was to get cross ventilation on the few days a year that are excessively hot. Insulation would also be taking up space 365 days a year but would only be really needed (for our assessment of comfort) less than 10% of the time. these sheds can be insulated but it’s important to consider ventilation and humidity so that moisture and mold doesn't build up in the walls. Who is your jacked friend? That is Rod who has helped me with a few projects! Here is his Instagram: instagram.com/roderik823/?hl=en

[@fordclark1882]

Do you think solar panels are pretty cool?

[@TeeTirado]

Nice!!!! Any separate plans for those gutter light trough?

[@kirisanthiruchelvam]

HomeMadeModernJ

[@baconwizard8109]

It's good to note that when testing tools at the same time, apply stress to the tools, like cutting wood on all tools at the same time to really test the system.

[@1DerfulSniping]

You can tell you love your sister by how this came out and the attention to detail. Very cool build!

[@willcox1209]

I think I'll just run an extension cord out to my shed

[@flagman515]

I am impressed! I always admire people who can build projects like this. Hats off to your skills and creativity. There are so many possibilities for work spaces such as this. Thanks!

[@HAHA-ni5in]

The spray painting the brand new tool boxes was hard to watch. You should have left them black it would have been a nice accent. And why is everything white it's a work shed ?.

[@b_uppy]

Love how the chickens helped you get started. Nicely thought out details.

[@vanessathomas175]

Exactly what I want as an art studio! Thanks for posting this video. Lots of great inspiration.

[@danieltaylor8347]

Love this build. Solar power is perhaps the best feature. I also like the white interior, and how the whole place looks so bright. Makes me want to build one like it. Great job!

[@brendanspafford206]

Looks really nice! Those chickens are hilarious . I love the longer format

[@gama6749]

This is definitely my favorite KZbin channel. Mahalo for posting. This channel empowers so many people to be creative. Aloha! 🤗♥️

[@chrisdawes7270]

and buy Ribobi!

[@m-word7498]

My workshop uses my tears of actual lacklust of a true workshop....

[@coconejococonejo]

You should check out "I like to Make Stuff", you'll love that channel

[@justinbudreau4814]

How to build a shed: Step 1: Pay someone to build a shed for you Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit.

[@marksuson5347]

spectacular. i'm already planning a workshop but the solar power part really impressed me. I WILL be using solar for my shop.

[@kaiprojectsdiy]

I've never seen so many unused tools in a shed. Makes me want to cry.

[@sharptoothtrex4486]

Excellent one. Everyone in the world loves to have their own solar powered workshop. Even that is terrific for all high schools, colleges and universities. Even all worldwide factories need solar powered upgrades as a suggestion.

[@elonmusk8667]

I would have insulated it and installed drywall.

[@JoseARomo-qv5fk]

Dude, this is awesome. I've been looking at a lot of these shed workshop builds, and this one definitely stands out due to the solar energy element

[@lucasshaffer3324]

Is this an ad for home depot? The newer brand tuff shed, husky, and the shelving. I mean home depot is the way to go so thumbs up.

[@NomadicGearhead]

It's beautiful! I think I'm going to be doing something like this soon -- but on a trailer for a mobile workshop, with an awning to work under outdoors next to it... I love how clean and open your space looks!

[@DeaconWoodworks]

Great video. Gave me some great ideas for a detached workshop that may be in my future.

[@archangele1]

I built a shed like that but just made a concrete slab.. I built my shed myself and insulated it really well. It has 5/8" plywood interior walls with insulation between the outer and inner walls as well as 12" in the roof. Also used a steel roof. As for mounting the panels? I prefer NOT to mount them on my building's roof. It is a maintenance nightmare. Panels do need to be cleaned now and then and if you have any issues with the roof, and you will with shingles, you will have to remove the whole system to fix the roof. If you must mount on the roof, at least go with a steel roof. You will also have to plan for enough room for the batteries. A stand alone solar system will not work well without batteries of some type. My shed has heat and AC and all can be run either off grid or via solar. My solar power is not grid tie but stand alone and works great. It has been in place for five years now.

[@sonnyantonio3442]

I want all foods names that's undesirable to acute gout.

[@sonnyantonio3442]

Reply please ?

[@2CommaClub]

That sounds epic! Do you have any pictures or videos of the shed so we can see? What do you do for dust/ventilation? I have a small business where I make miniature skateboards out of wood and I normally work in my garage but with no ventilation I usually only work in there in the spring/summer/fall months when I can keep the garage door open. The winter puts me out of commission for 3 months every year. My dream would be to be able to work year round... any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated! :)

[@mrlim282]

Dude, the chickens following you around is too funny!

[@KarlBunker]

Chickens are like that, especially if you start disturbing the ground in some way like raking or digging. They're hoping there will be some tasty worms or bugs for them to eat.

[@clydeperrine2959]

Yeah, they are funny alright. I bet they would be even more funny breaded and fried in a cast iron skillet. Did you see the size of those breasts? Yum!!!

[@showcase0525]

It was like a dream team came together to make this project work.

[@MrJRW1]

This shed has really got me excited about the prospect of building a similar one myself! The double barn style doors was a fantastic idea, and your use of space and organisational skills were awesome! Sorry for the double posts, but I'm a little fired up! Absolutely brilliant!!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Wow, I lost track of how many interesting tips and ideas were packed into this video. Well done 👏👏👏 Love this bigger project and can't wait til the day you take on a full house build 💪

[@WatchMeDIYIt]

love the safety kit storage!

[@HomeMadeModern]

thanks!!!!!!

[@joonasfi]

EvanAndKatelyn, jesus you guys are everywhere :)

[@tonpa8888]

I also love this big project!! I din't need a small project every day, so I prefer the bigger projects!

[@bruceweaver9857]

EvanAndKa

[@oxintheshop]

Very awesome build. Love the clean look of the white. Now that Jesse has that shop you need to make a matching one. Great video. Makes me start thinking of my new shop I hope to build soon.

[@kathycovington7301]

So impressed! Looking into building solar powered animal grooming shop. Watching your video was so encouraging. Thank you for sharing the step by step process!

[@Geeksmithing]

Wow... This was fantastic!! It was great to see your dad have a cameo as well! :D

[@yertle38]

I spotted him too!

[@jakekidd5635]

This was a fantastic project! Would love to see more, and great to see a cool little collab with Mike!

[@kirksnyder6190]

My family lives pretty much in the boonies. We are always involved in building needed sheds, animal/stock housing, etc. This would be a cool and necessary project. Thanks for the info.

[@twitchblues]

Would be interested to see an update video after a couple of months. Having done solar for residential for a time, I'm always curious about how these little off-grid setups do for the average user. With the kit you have, just crunching raw maximums (not accounting for placement or your location), I would think you'd have very spotty usage on your plugged in tools. If you use infrequently (weekend warrior), it might be OK, but someone working in their shop daily, I think would have outages. Keep us updated.

[@JasonAndrade427]

twitchblues we planned on the loads being weekend based and if it takes a couple days to recoup it would be ok. I live off grid and have a system that allows me to weld and use my wood shop when ever I want, its possible just takes planning

[@jorgenlannock]

jup, would love to hear updates about it. it's a good thing he keeps batterys, but i would like to see if you never need external power. 400W max is not much in my idea.

[@rywolf01]

HAHAHA!! Run a welder from it! Neat concept, neat implementation. I would never be able to keep it clean and I'd probably burn it down with the heat exchange from the load on the batteries. I was sort of surprised that there was not a cooling setup for the batteries.

[@clambert2020]

Jason - We are partially off grid at our farm. I would love to run a welder off the system. Would you share the setup of your configuration?

[@douglasgoldstein8990]

I'll tell you the first step to building an affordable house...don't buy ALL your materials at Home Depot.

[@sue3424]

This is really nice. I never thought about painting the inside. You are so organized. Nice.

[@reiner0609]

I love the bigger projects. You could even go more into some details than you already did. You should look into LED lights for the shed that can run directly of your DC source to get more out of the available amount of solar energy. Maybe you could even convert the Ryobi 18V charger to run of the DC rail?

[@JasonAndrade427]

reiner0609 yes I actually took some 12vdc -RGB strip with me but it wasn't enough. I have some pretty awesome led projects instagram.com/p/BWNnFYDhmAU/

[@LifeofBoris]

the man has chickens. CHICKENS!

[@metlyze7124]

Cheeki breeki

[@What-sh6co]

Boris 🤣

[@wouldntyouliketoknow5064]

OPA IT'S BORIS :O Also boris I used to have chickens :P

[@GamingHistorySource]

Solar powered chickens ! :O

[@abjjeet]

Slav workshop build when

[@AMERICAFIRST223]

Clean, sharp, simple and beautiful. Love it

[@diemer2433]

This is again just amazing! Keep up the good work!

[@voltekka9815]

I would throw a bed and a toilet and live in there!

[@BusterrLTU]

Really nice perfectionistic application. Without budget limit. 10/10

[@infl]

Home Depot: “You can grab anything you need for free my man” My man: *cops every single product in existence*

[@HomeMadeModern]

here is a link to my interview with Jason Andrade of West Coast Sustainables: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6DWg6ysfrRomJI

[@HomeMadeModern]

and here is a link to Jason's youtube channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4O8iKCgm6mtabc

[@prmicrotech]

This is part Home Depot commercial and part Bad Ass... Nice Work!

[@DicksonDee]

Definitely an awesome and well executed project and video didn't feel long at all. Love your work and hope to apply some of your recommendations in the very near future.

[@NoumanAli]

Came here just wandering around on KZbin! I really loved this setup of yours. I myself have installed 800W of solar panels at home but they are used to power up the household utilities. I loved this idea of yours to go completely green. I'll probably make my workshop like yours someday. 😜

[@Video13ification]

Wow!!!! I have been looking for information on using solar power to power provide my yard with power. This has given me some excellent ideas. Thank you.

[@mjkaye4187]

Thank you for the high quality, info-dense content. Looking forward to your affordable DIY living space ideas. Here"s hoping your generosity and goodness return to you.

[@czar89031]

Since Thailand has a power voltage output of 220 volts, i manage to create me a solar power grid of 110 volts all my power tools are all run a 110 volts AC,. i enjoy working in my work shop 24 hrs,. everything are all battery operated equipment,. thanks for sharing your video awesome, i give you double thumbs up,..

[@czar89031]

i brought all my equipment that comes from USA to Thailand even they are Made from China at least there are US signature on those equipment, & play music by flash drive thru computer,. I brought American workshop to Thailand, & enjoy it every single day,..

[@Linkz03]

This is why i want to be a carpenter. This is amazing

[@angelcolin3770]

Men that was a beautiful master piece!! congratulations! Specially for the PV system.

[@grimspyre]

I would love to see your take on a shipping container...

[@nameless-og]

They sell shipping containers at Home Depot too?!

[@Yoh23]

Beautiful build, the idea of just a solar powered work space that is (how it appear) off grid is amazing

[@AndreaArzensek]

Renewable energy workshop is my dream workshop! 😍❤️

[@Yonatan24]

A total dream. I'd love to have this!

[@turboflush]

Andrea's Workshop Unf the batteries are not. Chemicals involved in making batteries and panels are arguably worse. Though i still want panels myself

[@danielkeener5140]

Stop dreaming an do it

[@BAK87]

Sad but true.

[@chrisdawes7270]

solar panels are toxic and need to be dumped in 10+ years... billions of them that is... not good for environment

[@JS-fb6ww]

How long you been working for Ryobi?

[@Thedamped]

The Ryobi label is owned by Home Depot, who sponsored this video...

[@sheldonpopesp]

@@Thedamped Ryobi is a hong kong brand Owned by Techtronic Industries (interestingly they also own Milwaukee). Home Depot is just the supplier in the US :)

[@JohnMartinez-sm1sk]

I bought a tough shed I really like it. Well built, great crew set in up in the same time. I want more of them

[@Grimm_Book]

Damn, your painting friend is proper fit!

[@delraydad7516]

came by to do some paint on the way to a Porn shoot

[@samclemens8157]

And then some......

[@ngenes1]

When watching the video, the sun was shining on the other side of the roof. ; ) Great vid.

[@TheColonelJJ]

Dyum! The most amazing product advertisement, And "I WANT THIS SHED", I've ever seen. Thank you for making it something I was actually very happy I watched!

[@GiacoWhatever]

Awesome! It looks great!!!

[@JasonAndrade427]

Giaco Whatever hey any time you want to do solar in Italy I'm down !!!!

[@hzrecords2555]

dude.... yours is the best in the world

[@alienware409]

This guy probably hates the song "Paint it black"

[@Befread]

I hope she doesn't have OCD otherwise she's going tho be spending ALOT of time in there cleaning all that white

[@TechGently]

Surprised he didn’t paint it fabulous.

[@goldboyjr]

BLACKED

[@nicholasjimenezco]

I absolutely love this workspace! Industrial Designers should take note!

[@tetohh12]

Keep doing what your doing man. Some people get mad when you’re doing better than them. Awesome project it looks great!

[@whisperingsage]

I love how the chickens follow him around.

[@jewdd1989]

What a sweet brother!!! Mine needs to take some lessons from him ;) Beautiful she shed and love the eco friendly solar panes put into it!!!

[@Mark-by6en]

Dude didn't mention his underwear brand. Missed sponsorship opportunity!

[@saulgoodman2018]

Maybe he wears none.

[@lyeNom]

Obviously RYOBI solar powered underwear..

[@Im_Interested]

This video is sponsored by MeUndies. lol

[@SurrealTouch]

Mark Jolles n

[@FormalFistFight]

@4:39

[@funny-video-YouTube-channel]

Great workshop. It will lead to more great projects, when you have such an amazing space for building. A small metal container would have been fun too, and you can also sell it, because it's mobile from the start.

[@anonymous_bot_bot]

Great business idea for off grid builds

[@marysmith8823]

That's a great idea. By the way here are the best woodworking plans online: NiceWood.xyz

[@DoItProjects]

OMG how have I not watched this all the way through until now!? Amazing build, Ben. Nice to have so many talented friends to help out.

[@Mr.SetApart]

That was the coolest thing I've ever seen! I can't wait to show my son! He is a DIY in the making! Awesome Job guys!

[@josef596]

Ryobi really loves you.

[@susanrees8696]

Love this video you make it look so easy. I want a shed like this in my garden in Scotland!! Seeing the chickens was nice too.

[@CraigMansfield]

That looks fantastic. The only thing you're missing is a coffee pot :) Very well done.

[@will5244]

It'll be the 1 year anniversary of the workshop in a few months, any chance we can get a 1-year update? :D

[@JuanramonOsoHervas]

Solar powered shop, something I have thinking about. Very nice.

[@jediluke8582]

my uncles shed is an old boat that somebody illegally dumped on his friends land. He cut a door into it and made shelves. It also looks pretty cool.

[@tmx63]

Nice job. Not necessarily the kind of shed I'd build, but several good ideas to take away from this nonetheless. Hopefully you've added some gable or ridge venting by now.

[@jmd1743]

This is one of the best applications for solar.

[@hawkdaddy64]

You can pay them $3-5k for a simple shed or spend $1500 building the same with your own two hands...

[@HomeMadeModern]

yes! I agree in general I would expect labor to make up about half the cost.

[@lucho3410]

I totally agree and thats actuality the exact amount it cost me to build mine and i even did it with treated wood on all exposed areas

[@letsnotmakethispersonal6021]

In the time it would take me I would have made more then paying someone else to do it. Plus I would mess things up costing me more money but more importantly, really piss me off.

[@sportsrevisited9699]

you agree? in the video you said you could have built it yourself but you wouldn't save much money so you bought a pre fab.

[@avishchand298]

Or.......you could make a cool gaming pc :D

[@rap5374]

I would seriously live in that shed

[@isaurobanuelos499]

Rap ! just pay the rent lol

[@scottanderson691]

Add a beer fridge, grill station, satellite TV, and a La-Z-Boy and it could totally work!

[@riopery]

This design and build out is absolutely AWESOME!!! You Killed ever bit of this one ... WooooHoooooo

[@philipdavis6888]

Wow, so many negative comments. I just appreciate the how to on Solar. Question, why 2 6v batteries. Most I have seen use 12v deep cycle. I am looking to power a warehouse with 2 or 3 20amp breakers that run about 40 LED lights on 1 or 2 of the breakers and a camera system on another. Not a lot of power needed. The lights are on timer switches and used maybe 4 times a week for about 20 minutes each and the cameras run 24/7. Any recommendations?

[@JgHaverty]

400w panels; oh 1200$ for some good ones. Inverter ~3-500$ depending on your wattage. 300$ for 2 good reliable batteries. At least 2 grand for "off the grid". At 8 hours of maxed out use per day, it will take roughly 15 years to break even. IF it even lasts that long... Neat, and a cool idea, but not very practical yet.

[@chrismills498]

JgHaverty that is just what I was thinking if it was in the middle of nowhere then maybe

[@ceasetruth]

You can do 400 watts with batteries and all for under $1,400 and in sunny places like AZ, it makes a lot more power and for longer hours.

[@Sandriell]

You can get a Renogy 100 watt monocrystalline solar panel on Amazon for $140, so only $560 for 4 panels.

[@JohnnyJoannou]

Errr, it's pretty easy to find solar panels for $0.30-0.50/w.. The rest can be done on the cheap if you know where to look.

[@realflow100]

400W panels are only 99$ on amazon where im at. so it'd be only about 400$ so a whole lot cheaper and more affordable (I got one myself)

[@Coach-TMAC]

This entire presentation was LEAN as filet. great job

[@hans57tube]

Looks great. What was the total build cost? Also, I hate the fact that you lose so much energy going from DC to AC back to DC to charge the RYOBI batteries. Maybe in the future the tool companies will make DC chargers.

[@Aepek]

Love watching these vids, even though in the business....as you can always learn new tips & tricks, ALWAYS. That said, thanks for the tip of using a rain gutter for up lighting, that's genius & so cool, especially, cost saving! Cheers, A

[@justaninja1]

Wow...that turned out to be really nice

[@tanoryjakaperdana1419]

I learn something after watch this video.. "Go get a lot of moneys and your dream will come true"

[@jamescraft2789]

Absolutely great job!!! Just wished I had the overhead income for this project lol

[@cgnieves1]

Beatiful workshop. She’s going to be really happy.

[@workshop_edits]

Jesus dude. Just wow.

[@anand26138]

The Cutting Bored d

[@andrewmarvell982]

The Cutting Bored ij

[@Redryno1227]

This seems like the 'glamping' version of making a workshop.

[@jhovsuico8533]

There are several components to doing a pro job. One plan I found that succeeds in merging these is the Wilfs Shed Formula (check it out on google) without a doubt the best course i've seen. look at this incredible site.

[@BattleOverride856]

Victor Uribe he did say he was making it for his sister, so....

[@JENNISWISS]

great project👍🚀💥

[@purplemonkeydishwasher9360]

It looks fantastic. I would love a shed like that for a workshop. It looks very spacious for the size that it is. Excellent work.

[@TM-bg6vl]

The resell value of this shed is more then most houses 😂

[@WerrinLotsuvhats]

"when I got sponsored for this video, I decided to use this brand shed because it's good"

[@Latomian]

Come October, I'm going to see if my Dad wants to do this. If we try it now in August, in FL, we'll die. But his shed could use some updating and these storage options look like a dream.

[@fpsfein]

This is pretty cool! How do I sell out and get companies to give me things?

[@lucascorreia3203]

Ya that was sponsored

[@TheRealFoxist]

and it's illegal to not say so...

[@C8TheGreat214]

Lucas Correia Yea exactly

[@BryanSalyersXD]

Wow, you sure are perceptive!

[@dbbd9890]

Lucas Correia very much so, yet entertaining.

[@jjgunt]

Lucas Correia what's wrong about that?

[@billybike57]

Outstanding work, wow it looks like a surgical suite!

[@TheWoodPastor]

I love it Ben! I love all of the thought and design that went into what seems like such a simple building with so many extras. Gave me some ideas for my own shop as well. And enjoyed following piece by piece on Instagram as well. Keep it up man! Inspired.

[@JasonAndrade427]

The Wood Pastor hey there where are you located ? Aren't you on Instagram as wood pastor

[@le_th_]

Wow, a lot of work and it seems incredibly expensive for a work shed. I appreciate the video, though. Would love to see a breakdown of the costs along the way.

[@scifi5219]

Wow! you are making it to easy for me to just pack up and go to Montana with your idea. This is what I was thinking about doing. Meaning, having a workshop that will not only be completely solar but, having my cabin use some of the solar to power my cabin as well. I hope that made since. Thank you so very much.

[@vegasheat71]

Should have insulated the walls and drywalled it in even if it was only 1/4" drywall. This allows you to heat your shop with less energy in those cold winter months. Since your using solar I would suggest a solar passive heating system with a cover for the summer months these things can get toasty in the winter, but are way too hot in the summer to use hence the cover. Also instead of the down lights you should have installed flat panel LED lights. They are super bright and more energy efficient. Nice build for a small shed, and good job with the video. The solar installation explanation made it so clear a cave man can do it. 😂🤣