There may have been more to the situation (disabled windmill) than a disgruntled neighbor. I think both of these people are a little bit nuts. But, my point is the farm being subject to the easy interruption of service.
Your idea of having the solar panels on the shed roofs is a great idea. My question has always been, what does a solar panel do to your roof? Wear and tear? I’ve never had that question answered. I’d think that there would (or could) be some damage with snow and high winds (like we are subject to). My husband isn’t interested, and nobody wants to answer my question seriously.
Around here, I’m starting to see commercial applications on the ground — a raised panel set at an angle. Takes up a lot of space and doesn’t look too pretty.
I would love to add a new garage to our property. I’d love to consider a panel on the roof of the garage to heat the interior for a workshop. It’s probably a dream that will never come true. But, you always have to have a dream, or you just stop living. Right?
There are several residential systems in our area installed on the ground and they don't look particularly nice, which is why I didn't want mine on the ground. Luckily we have the huge equipment shed. They will have to run the wires underground and under the pond to the breaker boxes in the house. Plus, I didn't want anything else to mow around.
With the tax breaks that are currently being offered for alternative energy systems, we simply couldn't go wrong. If you are only looking to heat a workshop, there are probably small panels available at a home improvement type store.