Sunday, April 7, 2013

Solar-Powered Electric Fences Promoted in Minnesota

A statewide program sponsored  by the Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) and their Rural Minnesota Solar Initiative is promoting the use of solar-powered electric fences by the state's livestock producers. 

Like a normal electric fence, a solar-powered electric fence can be used to protect livestock, pets, or land from wildlife and pests. However, unlike normal electric lines or battery-powered fences, a solar electric fence charger use a small solar photovoltaic (PV) panel to collect and convert sunlight into energy, which is then stored in the battery so that it can charge the fence.

Solar electric fence chargers need little maintenance and can work with most existing fencing systems. The solar PV panels reportedly can produce enough energy under cloud cover to power a fence, and the storage battery can provide power to the energizers for more than two weeks without light.

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