Building a Solar Powered Workshop

Thanks to Jason Andrade of West Coast Sustainables and to Mike Montgomery of Modern Builds

This project was sponsored by The Home Depot

[baconwizard]

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.

[flagman]

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!

[vanessathomas]

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

[JoseARomo-qvfk]

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

[HomeMadeModern]

The full build post should be up on HomeMade-Modern.com soon!
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:

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.  


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.  

[gama]

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

[danieltaylor]

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!

[MrJRW]

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!!

[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!

[b_uppy]

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

[NoumanAli]

Came here just wandering around on Youtube! 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. 😜

[mjkaye]

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.

[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 💪

[kaiprojectsdiy]

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

[angelcolin]

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

[jakekidd]

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

[willcox]

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

[ProRallyDriver]

That looks beautiful! I would love to see more .... a good idea is to share step by step on how to build this for beginners

[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.

[marksuson]

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