How to Install a Solar Fence Charger?

Solar fence chargers are the perfect solution for remote pastures, temporary corrals, and any remote area that does not have access to any electrical outlets. There are solar chargers available in sizes ranging from those that are tiny enough to deter rabbits from your garden to those that are huge enough to hold bulls and everything in between. 

Solar fence chargers are built to withstand the elements of the outdoors and provide the power necessary to maintain a low-impedance fence that is up to 30 miles long. Reading this post will provide you with all the information about how to install a solar fence charger for your existing electric fence.

What is a Solar Fence Charger?

Setting up a low-wattage electric fence is one of the quickest and easiest solutions to ensure the safety of our farm animals or our land. On the other hand, we require a charger in order to maintain a fully charged version of that fence at all times. 

Solar Chargers are a perfect alternative for animal confinement or exclusionary fences in situations where 110v electricity is either unavailable or difficult to get. These include places such as deserts, mountains, and other remote locations.

Solar fence charger is an excellent technique to charge an electric fence using solar energy and maintain it. For people who wish to keep their animals secure from predators without worrying about the cost of maintaining such property, this power source is ideal since it can be utilized in rural locations as well as farms and does not need the connection to grid energy. 

If anyone is interested in using green energy and saving money, installing a solar fence charger is a good option to look into. These chargers are constructed to withstand adverse climates, such as precipitation of any kind, including snow, hail, and rain.

It is equipped with a solar panel that can convert sunlight into electricity, which may subsequently be stored in either a battery or a capacitor, depending on the situation. This power is restored into alternating current (AC) at high voltage for use on an electric fencing system.

The solar fence energizer has all the standard parts one would anticipate seeing in a solar energy system. These pieces include the following:

• Solar panels that use photovoltaic (PV) technology to convert sunlight into power.
• Charge controller to regulate the voltage of the entire system.
• Battery for preserving remnant electric power to utilize later, particularly when no sunlight is present.

Solar-powered fences are just a psychological barrier, but they still have to be created to the point where they can endure the pressure that comes from animals and the environment.

The size of the EnergizerEnergizer is quite essential, and it has to be big enough so that it can handle the fence’s overall length and the kind of animal that needs to be restrained.

How Does a Solar Fence Charger Work?

A solar fence charger is often used with electrically powered fences to contain goats, sheep, swine, poultry, horses, and cattle. It’s effective against any predators, such as coyotes, bears, stray dogs, and foxes. Also, it can be used with wildlife and garden fences for keeping out raccoons, deer, rabbits, woodchucks, opossums, and skunks. 

Chargers for solar fences operate in the same manner as their standard electric counterparts. A startling electrical shock is produced in either a person or an animal coming into contact with the fence’s metal, and this shock is then transmitted via the fence.

Though the shock it delivers is completely safe, it is meant to be surprising and unpleasant for the recipient. However, there are various ways the charger may be powered up. 

A solar energizer incorporates a solar panel into its design. This solar panel, which may also be referred to as a photovoltaic cell dashboard, is constructed out of a grid of solar cells responsible for collecting solar energy. The solar energy then turns into usable power, which is utilized for powering the rechargeable battery in the fence charger. Ultimately, solar energy helps keep the rechargeable battery charged.

The EnergizerEnergizer, which is anchored to the ground, is powered by a battery and, at regular intervals, transmits a single pulse of electrical energy along the fence. When an animal makes contact with the fence, a brief, severe, but utterly safe shock is delivered to the animal since the connection involving the fence and its surface has been completed.

The panel’s functionality may be hindered by various factors, including snow, fog, ice, rain, bird droppings, and even dust; nevertheless, the power stored in the battery is often sufficient to overcome all of these obstacles. The fence must be maintained clean of any extra debris so that the EnergizerEnergizer can charge its wires as efficiently as possible.

Solar Energizers offer a number of features, but one of the most fundamental ones is an LED flashing light that blinks whenever there is a pulse of energy. This light indicates that the product is functioning as it should.

How to Install a Solar Fence Charger?

The following is an in-depth instruction that will walk you through the process of installing a solar-powered fence charger:

First Step

Before the solar charger is even installed, the most important phase in the charging process takes place. Chargers for solar fences usually arrive with a pair of batteries already installed, which then need to be fully charged. If you want the battery to have the longest possible life, you should leave the charger turned off outside in the sun for a minimum of three days prior to switching it on and using it for the first time. 

Solar panels collect energy from sunlight, and these batteries preserve it for later use. A solar battery with a full charge can store energy for up to 14 days, even when there is no sunlight. If handled properly, these batteries have a lifespan of between three and four years without requiring replacement. 

Second Step 

After the solar panel’s battery gets fully charged, the next step is to look for a good spot for placing the charger. You should install the fence charger in a clean and sheltered location. 

Mount the charger elevated off the ground and positioned in an area that gets plenty of sunshine during the course of the day. Position the solar panels so they face south, where the sun will be at midday in the northern part of the globe. Make sure that neighboring trees or constructions do not shade the solar panel, and additionally, ensure that you clean the solar panels on a regular basis to remove any debris that may have accumulated.

 Position the solar charger close to the grounding rods you have installed to shorten the distance that your connection cables need to travel. Put the solar charger at the center of the fence so that the farthest point along the fence line is not excessively far from it. This will allow you to get the most out of the power distributed along the fence lines. 

Third Step 

Take the following actions before turning the solar charger for your electric fence into the “ON” position: 

•  Ensure that the grounding wire is appropriately connected to the ground circuit. (The sign for “Ground” should be visible on the charger).
•  After that, you will need to use insulated cables and ground pole clamps in order to attach that wire to the surface rod circuit. 
• Finally, make the connection between the fence wire and the fence termination. (There should be a sign that says “Hot fence” on the charger).
• After you have ensured that the connections on the charger are well-secured, you are now able to switch the device on.
• Check the charger to see if there is a light on it, and apply an electrical test or fence tester, to see whether or not there is the appropriate voltage on the fence line. This will verify that your device is operational. 
•  After verifying that there is sufficient electricity for the system at different points along the length of the fence, you can expect to place the charger successfully. 

If you take the time to install and maintain your animal confinement system correctly, it will serve you well for many years to come. 

How To Replace The Battery of  Solar Fence Charger?

The solar-powered fence energizer needs a battery to retain its electrical energy to function at night. Regardless of whether there is no sunshine for charging it, the battery continues to keep the fence electrified.

The length of time you need the fence to remain operational and the area you wish to divide from another through the fence will determine the battery bank’s size. Typically, it takes to have a single solar charger battery for each five hundred feet of fence.

Unfortunately, if there is not enough electricity to run your fence, it will be of little use. Therefore, the cattle you are attempting to confine will be able to wander away with no difficulty, and trespassers will also be able to enter your land via the same opening.

The batteries are what you need at this point. Your solar fence energizer will store any surplus power that it creates during a usual sunny day in those batteries. This process will take place automatically. After that, as soon as the sun sets, the battery will release its stored energy and continue maintaining the electrified fence.

Because of this, the fence will continue to provide protection for your property both during the day and at night. However, changing the battery in the solar charger is straightforward. A screwdriver and other spare minutes are all that are required to complete the task.

• First, locate the screws used to secure the battery compartment lid. Take out the screws and put them in a separate container. 
• The next step is to raise the lid of the battery compartment and then remove it. After that, take the older battery and unplug it from its charger. 
• The next step is to attach your newly purchased battery. First, connect the power cord’s one end to the male connector located on it. Then, connect the other end of the power wire to a female outlet on the charger. 
• After ensuring everything is linked, replace the battery compartment lid and secure it using the screws provided. The solar-powered fence charger is now fully charged and ready for use. 

Maintenance on the Solar Fence Chargers

When it comes to continuing maintenance, solar fence chargers need minimal effort from the user once they have been installed. There may be times when they need cleaning, and the connecting wires need to be inspected for any signs of damage. 

At certain times, you must conduct a test to determine the voltage levels present in the fence. This allows you to keep one step ahead of any potential loss of power on the solar fence lines that may be caused by external sources such as the growth of weeds, weather-related events, or other things that are pulling the fence’s energy down.  

Final Thoughts

So, now you know all about how to install a solar fence charger. Solar power fence chargers provide a number of advantages over traditional electric fence chargers, including lower running costs, more dependability, lower total costs, and increased safety. However, while selecting fence charger size, you must take the fence length, wire numbers, power source, and contained animals. 

Frequently Asked Questions