I installed shipping containers into my back yard this summer.
4 20ft Containers delivered by truck and crane, and 1 40ft by truck . The month before I put down 46 tons of gravel and spread it using a mini skid steer that I rented for a week, then detailed with a shovel.
I then got 8 4ft stacks of poly-iso rigid foam board delivered(factory seconds, 80% off).
I cut the holes for the dual hose portable air conditioners.
so far I have insulated 2 of the 20ft containers in 3 inches of polyiso with spray foam in the cracks. I have bits of the others insulated before they suddenly got filled. I need to put up shelving all over the place to more efficiently use my square footage in order to clear the walls to install insulation.
I also painted the roof with “apoc 243” an IR reflective paint. 96F outside temperature both before and after painting the roof. 1 coat. In a 20ft shipping container with 1kw of cooling 13 seer. Before = 94F inside. After=74F inside. The readings were 1 week apart taken at 4PM.
My solar project will probably be for the spring when they once again go into full sunlight.
Due to tall trees to the south across the property line:
My 40ft container is in 50% sun for 2 months a year, and full sun for 6 months a year, then full shade for 4 months a year (starting last week).
The 20ft containers get full sun for 4 months a year, 50% sun for 2 months a year.
There are a bunch of other details, I will post more soon as I put it together. I will keep updating post 1 with the summery.