Off grid solar for beginners

[chocomocha]

I bought a few panels and a lead acid battery bank but I realized quickly that I cannot run my hair dryer or a microwave. I am looking at moving to lithium batteries because they can handle a deeper discharge without dying. It is a big upfront cost but the weight savings on a trailer are massive. Did you build your own power system or did you buy a plug and play solar generator?

 

[green ninja]

You have to be brutal with your power budget. I switched all my lights to 12V DC so I don't have to run my inverter all the time. The inverter itself uses a bit of power just being turned on so I only flick it on when I need the 110V outlets.

 

[valak*]

I started with a portable solar generator but I found it was hard to expand. Now I have a fixed system with 800 watts of panels on the roof and a dedicated inverter. It was a steep learning curve to wire it all up but now I actually understand how my power works.

 

[wifflesaffle]

Do you have a backup plan for a week of snow? I keep a small 2000 watt gas generator in my shed for those times when the sun just doesn't show up. It only takes a few hours of running to top off my batteries and keep the lights on.

 

[Alan]

I bought a few panels and a lead acid battery bank but I realized quickly that I cannot run my hair dryer or a microwave. I am looking at moving to lithium batteries because they can handle a deeper discharge without dying. It is a big upfront cost but the weight savings on a trailer are massive. Did you build your own power system or did you buy a plug and play solar generator?

Lithium is usually the point where people stop improvising and start planning a proper system