What do I need in my shed?

Hello everyone!

Here is my first post, and just so you know, I know next to chuff all about all this electricity malarkey!

I've recently built a shed, approx. 75ft x 30ft, it is going to be used as a general farm building, housing tractors and machinery, and being a workshop of sorts.

I have a desires list, but am not totally sure how to go about it...

The biggest challenge is that Mains Electricity is out of the question, the price of connection to the grid is astronomical, so another option is required, I have considered a Generator that would be powered by one of my several tractors, but am open to other suggestions by those who know more.

I would want some lighting, LED if possible, and I have the idea of powering these by solar power...? A few to give good lighting where repair and general work will be done, less so, on a different switch for the remainder of the shed, where stuff is stored, and i wont be spending much of my time.

I would also want some 240V sockets, these would power general workshop equipment, pillar drill, 9ins grinder, power hacksaw, steam cleaner, arc welder, inverter welder, kettle etc, nothing out of the ordinary.

Any ideas, comments, suggestions, thankfully welcomed!

skip the LED lights and put in a clear roof / panels. doesnt help in the dark though

best option would be to wire it was normal but with an input from a generator, then if you do get a mains supply int he future its all ready to connect

Thanks Andy, I already have clear roof panels, but as you say, they don't work in the dark! 

Lights are a must I'm afraid...

then either its a lot of solar panels and batteries, generator or mains supply

You could do the lighting on PV but the batteries would cost a lot to buy & maintain...

Dunno what a PV install costs these days but Am guessing at least £1000 / kw then you need the batteries probably £200 each then all the other kit running into thousands...

Honestly a mains supply is what you need! 

@Blue Duck thanks, but the cost of Mains is prohibitive. 

Sounds like any other method is too, though...?

What kW generator would I need to power some lights and a welder etc? I have no real issue with buying a (relatively, compared to mains installation) Generator and running it off a tractor.

What size generator required, and how much horsepower do I need to run it? Another can of worms!! 

The size of generator depends on the size / quantity of things you want to run on it at the same time, so until we know that, no one can give you a definitive answer

@Richard-the-ninth

I would suggest that some lights, agains, I'd like LED ones, and a Oxford Arc Welder or Inverter Stick Welder would be the most power consuming.

It's only me working there on the whole, so multiple tools at once are not really a factor...

Same answer as before. But, you need to be specific. "Some " is too vague.

Reliably to run a welder from a generator you need to size the generator such that it is capable of powering the welder at full power continuously, even though it would only be used intermittently.

You don't say if your Oxford is single or 3 phase.

A standby generator would not be suitable, you would need to look at a long run type, for a 6kVA which is around twice 13A, so if your welder would run off a standard BS 1363 plug top, then this could be suitable, would be about £2k for single phase, for 3 phase an example would be circa £2k5.

The best way to find the size of a generator is to phone one of the hire companies  or a manufacturer  and tell them the loading  required .   The fact that only one person is important as everything won't be running at once .  

Surely the correct answer to the actual question "What do I need in my shed?" is just, a TV a comfy chair and a fully stocked beer fridge. When you said the price of connection to the grid is astronomical, was that a full price for the network guys doing everything? i.e. did you ask for a price if you organised some of the labour intensive work, e.g. digging trench, laying ducts draw ropes etc.(if applicable/feasible). You said how big the shed was but not how far away from the nearest supply connection point.

Doc H.

Is it too late to suggest building the shed closer to the lecky supply? That would save some money! :facepalm:

Murdoch said:

Is it too late to suggest building the shed closer to the lecky supply? That would save some money! :facepalm:

Click to expand...

its already built, but knowing how much they like to charge, it may still be cheaper to demolish and rebuild closer