How to Build a Solar-Powered Chicken Coop

There’s nothing like heading out to the backyard and grabbing fresh eggs from your own flock. But keeping your chickens safe and comfortable isn’t always easy. Fortunately, it’s not impossible either. Cause you’ve already got everything you need right above you: the sun.

A solar-powered chicken coop is a simple way to become less reliant on the grid. It’s good for you and great for your flock, and getting started is easier than you might think.

Why Go Solar?

Between keeping the lights on, fans running, and heat going in the winter, you’ve basically got to have a reliable power source all year round.

That’s why solar works for just about any setup. When you’ve got a few hardworking layers or an entire flock of Strombergs chickens, you’ll need to secure all the essentials any good flock will need to thrive: good lighting, proper airflow, and a clean, cozy space they can call home.

Best thing about going off the grid is that once it’s set up, solar pretty much takes care of itself. No more stressing about outages or your birds getting caught up in the wires. Just a setup that keeps your chickens happy and life a little easier for you.

Before You Start Building…

So, where do you start? First things first, you’ll need some equipment and a little bit of technical knowledge. Fortunately, the process is beginner-friendly if you follow it step by step.

• Solar panels, depending on your power needs
• A charge controller to manage energy flow and protect the battery
• Deep-cycle batteries to store power for nights or cloudy days
• An inverter, if you’re using AC-powered devices like a heater
• Durable cables and mounts to connect and secure everything
• A weatherproof box to keep batteries and electronics safe

Building Your Coop

Now that you’ve got your materials, you’re ready to start assembling your system. Follow these steps carefully, and your coop will be running on sunlight in no time.

Step 1: Figure Out Your Power Needs

Start by listing everything you’ll need to power in the coop. For example, A 10-watt LED light for the evenings, a 150-watt heater for colder months, a 20-watt ventilation fan for airflow. If you’re adding an automatic waterer or feeder, include those too.

Add it all up to get your total wattage. For smaller coops with just the basics, a 100-watt solar panel and one lead acid battery are usually fine. If you plan on a larger setup, you’ll need a 200-watt panel and multiple batteries to keep everything running, especially at night or during cloudy days.

You’ll also want to mind the changing seasons. In the winter, your coop will use up more energy with heaters running and less sunlight to recharge. Plan ahead so your system will keep working when you need it the most.

If the coop has a water system, try using solar-powered well pumps for coops from Solar Store. They’ll keep water flowing, especially in the summer when chickens need more fresh drinking water. This way, you can keep your flock refreshed without it breaking your budget.

Step 2: Choose Where to Put Your Solar Panels

Pick a spot that gets the most sunlight during the day. The roof of the coop usually works best, but you can also mount them on a nearby pole if that gives better exposure. More sunlight, more power you can store!

Pro-Tip: Angle the panels so they’re facing the equator, south if you’re in the northern hemisphere, and tilt them based on your location’s latitude for the best results.

Step 3: Install the Charge Controller and Battery

Place the charge controller and battery inside the coop. Alternatively, you can also place them in a weatherproof box nearby. The charge controller sends energy from the panels to the battery without overloading it or draining it too much.

Make sure everything is tucked away safely. Dust, water, and curious chickens can cause trouble if you’re not careful. Chickens will peck at just about anything, so keep wires and components out of reach to avoid issues.

Did You Know? Chickens peck more when they’re stressed. When this happens, keep an eye out for other signs of stress like feather loss, pacing, or excessive noise. A calm, roomy setup helps keep them relaxed and out of trouble.

Step 4: Wire Your Components Together

Connect the solar panels to the charge controller using insulated cables. Then, hook up the charge controller to the battery. Just make sure the wires are secure and in the right spots.

If you’ve got any AC-powered devices, like a heater, now’s the time to install the inverter so it can convert the power properly. 

Go over all the connections one more time and check the polarity (basically, make sure the positive and negative wires are hooked up right). It’s worth taking a few extra minutes to get it all right so nothing causes a problem later.

Step 5: Test Your System

Once the wiring’s all set, it’s time to see if everything works. Turn on the lights, fans, or whatever else you’ve hooked up and make sure it’s all running like it should. 

If something’s not working, check your wiring again to see if anything’s loose or hooked up wrong. It might take a little tinkering, but it’s better to catch any issues now than later.

Get Your Coop Running on Sunshine

Making your coop run on solar power might sound like a big job, but by the end, you’ll have a setup you (and your chickens!) can be proud of that’s cheaper to run and reliable off the grid.

Give your chickens a space to live and breed in, and you’ll find yourself having farm-fresh eggs from a flock that’s happy and taken care of. Before you know it, your chickens, your wallet, and the planet will thank you.