Hello everyone,
First of all: I have checked all the subforums, and there isn’t one specifically dedicated to garages, so I hope this topic fits here.
In 2014, we bought a semi-detached house (see my previous thread on D&Z construction) and only chose the standard two parking spaces. One of the parking spaces is wider, as it was intended for a garage. However, we were the only party in the development who decided not to build it at that time. Now we want to make up for that by building a double garage. I have already clarified this with the local authorities – I have permission to build a suitable garage. The question now is how to best approach this, as I am still in the idea stage.
Reasons why we want a garage: to keep the car protected from the weather. In 2022, we plan to get a fully electric vehicle. Its charging station will be installed inside the garage. Charging will be powered by photovoltaic panels, which we plan to place on the garage roof. Routing electricity from the house is not an option because it would require crossing two other properties.
When thinking about garages, we imagine solid masonry garages – are there other alternatives? Ideally, we would like the foundation, garage, and solar installation all from one provider. However, that doesn’t seem to be available. Some garage manufacturers still offer foundation installation, but rooftop solar solutions rarely appear – and if they do, it’s usually just in preparation stages or links to specialized partners that lead nowhere.
I have contacted a few major manufacturers for quotes. Since the width is fixed by the parking spaces (5.45m (17.9 feet)), some options are already ruled out because they generally only build 6m (19.7 feet) wide garages.
I now have two quotes for a garage without foundation – one for $13,000, the other for $18,000. Both include sectional doors with electric openers.
This seems very expensive to me, and the price difference is huge. Are there cheaper types of garages? Is it advisable to have the foundation done separately, or should everything always come from one provider?
Is it also possible to build the garage with traditional "brick on brick" masonry, or is this not very practical? When I visit the garage manufacturers’ websites, some offer to deliver the garage as a kit. Is that recommendable, or is it unrealistic for a layperson whose experience is just “has assembled IKEA furniture once or twice”?
Best regards,
StuttgartDHH
First of all: I have checked all the subforums, and there isn’t one specifically dedicated to garages, so I hope this topic fits here.
In 2014, we bought a semi-detached house (see my previous thread on D&Z construction) and only chose the standard two parking spaces. One of the parking spaces is wider, as it was intended for a garage. However, we were the only party in the development who decided not to build it at that time. Now we want to make up for that by building a double garage. I have already clarified this with the local authorities – I have permission to build a suitable garage. The question now is how to best approach this, as I am still in the idea stage.
Reasons why we want a garage: to keep the car protected from the weather. In 2022, we plan to get a fully electric vehicle. Its charging station will be installed inside the garage. Charging will be powered by photovoltaic panels, which we plan to place on the garage roof. Routing electricity from the house is not an option because it would require crossing two other properties.
When thinking about garages, we imagine solid masonry garages – are there other alternatives? Ideally, we would like the foundation, garage, and solar installation all from one provider. However, that doesn’t seem to be available. Some garage manufacturers still offer foundation installation, but rooftop solar solutions rarely appear – and if they do, it’s usually just in preparation stages or links to specialized partners that lead nowhere.
I have contacted a few major manufacturers for quotes. Since the width is fixed by the parking spaces (5.45m (17.9 feet)), some options are already ruled out because they generally only build 6m (19.7 feet) wide garages.
I now have two quotes for a garage without foundation – one for $13,000, the other for $18,000. Both include sectional doors with electric openers.
This seems very expensive to me, and the price difference is huge. Are there cheaper types of garages? Is it advisable to have the foundation done separately, or should everything always come from one provider?
Is it also possible to build the garage with traditional "brick on brick" masonry, or is this not very practical? When I visit the garage manufacturers’ websites, some offer to deliver the garage as a kit. Is that recommendable, or is it unrealistic for a layperson whose experience is just “has assembled IKEA furniture once or twice”?
Best regards,
StuttgartDHH
Is the electricity from the photovoltaic system sufficient to charge an electric car? You will definitely need an energy storage system for that. Often, the car is probably only parked in the garage at night for charging.
And also for the electric gate opener, of course. Are you sure that this will work solely with photovoltaic power without a connection to the grid?
And also for the electric gate opener, of course. Are you sure that this will work solely with photovoltaic power without a connection to the grid?
S
StuttgartDHH2 Apr 2021 22:44Ralle90 schrieb:
Is the electricity from the photovoltaic system enough to charge an electric car? You will definitely need an energy storage system. Often, the car is probably only parked in the garage at night for charging.
And of course, also for the electric gate opener. Are you sure this will work with just photovoltaics without a grid connection? I think it should be sufficient. I’m also concerned about the storage system. However, we don’t drive much or often—about 10,000 km (6,200 miles) per year. So the car can take its time with charging.
But just because of the gate opener, a storage system is necessary. It should be installed in the garage.
M
MM1506zzzz2 Apr 2021 23:01I am a fan of garages, but I have some concerns about your project for the following reasons:
Are you sure the width is really 5.45 meters (18 feet)?
From the site plan, I see 7.10 meters (23 feet) width for the three parking spaces, which means 2.36 meters (7.7 feet) per parking spot. Adding 2.98 meters (9.8 feet) for the "garage space" results in a total of only 5.34 meters (17.5 feet).
From that, you still have to subtract the wall thickness, for example, 17.5 cm (7 inches) for a calcium silicate block.
That leaves an interior width of just 5.01 meters (16.4 feet). The clear door opening width would then be only about 4.60 meters (15 feet).
That’s pretty tight for two cars...
What fully electric vehicle are you planning?
A base Volkswagen ID.3 has a battery capacity of 48 kWh, while a base Tesla Model 3 has 52 kWh. To charge these with a photovoltaic system, based on quick research, you would need at least a 10 kWp system. A larger system probably wouldn’t fit on the garage roof. The grid estimates the cost for such a system to be around €16,000.
What does your driving profile look like?
Usually, electric vehicles are charged overnight when you’re sleeping and not driving or at work. Photovoltaic systems don’t produce much electricity at night, or none at all. Therefore, you would need a battery storage unit in the garage that is continuously charged whenever the solar system is producing, but large enough to fully charge the car. I found prices online of around €800 per kWh (!!!).
Have you considered these aspects?
Maybe you’re planning something like a Renault Twizy (6.1 kWh)...
Are you sure the width is really 5.45 meters (18 feet)?
From the site plan, I see 7.10 meters (23 feet) width for the three parking spaces, which means 2.36 meters (7.7 feet) per parking spot. Adding 2.98 meters (9.8 feet) for the "garage space" results in a total of only 5.34 meters (17.5 feet).
From that, you still have to subtract the wall thickness, for example, 17.5 cm (7 inches) for a calcium silicate block.
That leaves an interior width of just 5.01 meters (16.4 feet). The clear door opening width would then be only about 4.60 meters (15 feet).
That’s pretty tight for two cars...
What fully electric vehicle are you planning?
A base Volkswagen ID.3 has a battery capacity of 48 kWh, while a base Tesla Model 3 has 52 kWh. To charge these with a photovoltaic system, based on quick research, you would need at least a 10 kWp system. A larger system probably wouldn’t fit on the garage roof. The grid estimates the cost for such a system to be around €16,000.
What does your driving profile look like?
Usually, electric vehicles are charged overnight when you’re sleeping and not driving or at work. Photovoltaic systems don’t produce much electricity at night, or none at all. Therefore, you would need a battery storage unit in the garage that is continuously charged whenever the solar system is producing, but large enough to fully charge the car. I found prices online of around €800 per kWh (!!!).
Have you considered these aspects?
Maybe you’re planning something like a Renault Twizy (6.1 kWh)...
S
StuttgartDHH2 Apr 2021 23:33Regarding the width: I'm not completely sure. You are right about the measurements you have determined.
However, I am not entirely clear on why the space wouldn’t be enough. One parking space is made extra wide because of the garage walls. If it becomes a double garage instead of a single garage, I wouldn’t have more garage walls because of that. Or do the walls need to be twice as thick?
By double garage, I don’t mean a garage with two single doors, but a garage with one wide door.
The car will be a BMW iX3. However, €16,000 for the photovoltaic system is too expensive for me. That plan is off the table unless I possibly ask the neighbors if it would be possible to have a cable laid under the walkway.
Exactly, a battery will probably be necessary. But it might not have to be that large since the car is not used daily. So, the expectation is not that the car has to be fully charged from zero to full overnight.
However, I am not entirely clear on why the space wouldn’t be enough. One parking space is made extra wide because of the garage walls. If it becomes a double garage instead of a single garage, I wouldn’t have more garage walls because of that. Or do the walls need to be twice as thick?
By double garage, I don’t mean a garage with two single doors, but a garage with one wide door.
The car will be a BMW iX3. However, €16,000 for the photovoltaic system is too expensive for me. That plan is off the table unless I possibly ask the neighbors if it would be possible to have a cable laid under the walkway.
Exactly, a battery will probably be necessary. But it might not have to be that large since the car is not used daily. So, the expectation is not that the car has to be fully charged from zero to full overnight.
MM1506zzzz schrieb:
The garage space adds up to only 5.34 meters (17.5 feet).
From this, the wall thicknesses must be deducted, for example 17.5 cm (7 inches) for a calcium silicate brick.Minus construction tolerance for the garage on the right side.Similar topics