Off Grid Solar - Build You Own Solar System for Under 8K

In this article I will explain everything you need to power all, a portion or build a backup home or portable solar power system.

Let me start off by saying never do On Grid Solar. It is a waste of time and money. With On grid solar you are tied to the power grid and thus when the grid goes down you still will be without power because your system will be down as well as it’s tied to grid. Pointless right? In addition, what they tell you will "save" is minuscule.

Now let’s get to it- Off Grid Solar is just that, it is a solar power system that is independent from the solar grid. One of the goals of this article is to remove the complexity of a solar system because it actually is very simple. If you have basic electronic and electrical competence and knowledge you should be able to build it yourself. If you don't know or cannot comprehend what Ohms Law is I would advise you to consult a professional as you could harm yourself as you are dealing with high current.

Now let’s get to it.

There are really only 4 major components to an Off Grid Solar System. They Are:

* Solar Panels

* Lithium Batteries

* Change Controller
* Pure Sine Wave Inverter

The below 3000-Watt System can power a full-size refrigerator, all house lights and small appliances like TV's and computers for a 2000 Sq ft home continuously 24 hours a day. I must note and stress this is for small low watt appliances. Ovens and heating appliances are high power and are out of scope for this system. Microwaves are high power but operate for a short amount of time so can be used in this system.

What you need-

20 - 100 Watt Solar Panels $2000
8 - 200 Amp hr Lithium Batteries $4000
1 - 12 Volt 120A MPPT Solar Charge Controller $500
1 - 3000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter $500

1 - Misc Cables / Solar Wire / Tools $500

Your total is about $7,500!

Once you procure these items, read up on how to assemble you system. There are YouTube videos, but I would go with a known trusted source. I found this book helpful to me: