Tips to Set Up an Electric Fence to Run on Solar

Many horse owners and ranchers use solar-powered fence energizers to electrify their pasture fences. The units are particularly useful if the pasture is isolated or located a great distance from grid-supplied electrical power. A solar panel mounted on the unit converts sunlight into electricity and charges a battery housed within the unit. Once your fence wire has been strung, installing the energizer is a fairly straightforward task.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Select a fence post where you will install the solar energizer. It should be in a sunny area with no shade. In most cases, a southern exposure provides the solar panel with the maximum amount of daylight.

   • 2

     Drive screws or hammer nails into the fence post. Hang the fence energizer on the screws or nails.

   • 3

     Drive the grounding rod into the soil with the sledgehammer. Drive it until only 3 to 4 inches remain above the soil surface.

   • 4

     Attach the power wire to the power terminal of the solar energizer. The color of the power terminal may vary, depending on the manufacturer, but it is usually red. Follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions in this regard. Wrap the other end of the power wire around the fence wire. Secure it with a generous amount of electrical tape.

   • 5

     Attach the grounding wire to the ground terminal of the solar energizer. Wrap the other end of the grounding wire tightly around the top portion of the grounding rod; it is not necessary to secure it with electrical tape.

   • 6

     Turn on the solar energizer. If the batteries are already charged, the pulse light will begin blinking as electricity is sent down the fence wire. If the pulse light does not come on, or if the integrated voltage meter reads very low, turn the energizer off for several days to give the solar panel time to recharge the battery. Once this interval has passed, turn on the energizer.