OFF-GRID ENERGY SYSTEMS: DIY Solar & Off Grid Living

Have you ever wanted an off grid solar system to power your home or cottage? How about wind energy? I’d like to tell you a true story that you might find interesting . . . a story about a couple who built an off-grid energy system way back in 1998 that’s been powering a modern lifestyle ever since.

This system is what prompted me to create my online course on off grid energy systems back in 2018, POWER YOUR HOME WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY. Off grid solar systems and wind turbine systems are more practical than ever these days and I’ve helped hundreds of ordinary people gain self-reliance by getting off the grid.

If you’ve got questions about off grid energy systems, or about my course, send me an email at [email protected] The video below is a video from the course, and it’s where you can see a whole-house system close up.

• Reading Time = 12 minutes
• Video Watch Time = 8 1/2 minutes

This article includes three things:

1. A video tour of a real off grid power system (click above).
2. Technical details of a full-featured off grid power system.
3. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) section in the article that follows – 20 of the most common questions.

Solar Panels, Wind Turbines and More

When Anne and Fritz Kettling decided to build their dream home on a rural island in Canada back in the 1980s, they weren’t willing to compromise on location. That’s them above.

“If I can’t build on this property, I don’t want to build at all”, Fritz told a real estate agent who was trying to convince him to look at less remote pieces of land to buy back then.

That was more than 30 years ago, and true to his word, Fritz built where he wanted to and lived there. The project came with challenges, of course, and one of the biggest was getting electricity to their place when the nearest utility pole was 10 miles away.

Fritz told me that a connection to power lines would have cost $360,000 in the late 1980s (more than $724,000 in 2022 money), plus he’d have to pay for utility power forever after that. Naturally, Fritz and Anne said “no thanks”, then got to work creating their own alternative, renewable power system, even before it was nearly as mainstream as these things are now.

Sadly, Fritz has since past away, and Anne has since sold the place. But the system they lived with is still working and a great example of an off grid solar system that really works.

Using Renewable Energy Sources

The renewable off grid solar system I’m telling you about here is coupled with a windmill, a bank of batteries, a charge controller and an inverter to create enough AC power for a modern home. Total renewable power output is 10,000 watts and the original batteries , wind turbine and PV panels are still working perfectly today. The Kettlings’ experience is especially useful for anyone looking to create a large, full-featured renewable power system.

Their bank of mono-crystalline solar panels puts out 1400 watts on a sunny day. That’s the array of panels Fritz installed at his place you can see above. The Bergey wind turbine has been putting out 1500 watts of peak power year-in and year-out without need for servicing. That’s it below.

Since the Kettlings were entirely responsible for creating power on their own, they also installed a propane-fired backup generator just in case. That’s it below. Any full-time off grid power system should have a backup generator. This is actually much larger than they needed, but Fritz wanted something that could power the industrial-sized metalworking equipment he had in his shop.

Solar Panel Overview

Solar panels provide about half of the renewable power in the Kettling’s system. The other half comes from their wind turbine. The solar side of the system uses a ground mounted, mono-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) panels that sits on a fixed stand that does two things. First, the stand keeps the panels high enough to be safe, yet low enough for snow and ice removal during Canadian winters. Electricity from these panels feeds into a charge controller that determines how much energy the batteries get. Panels like these have a typical service life of 25 years. Today’s best panels guarantee an output of at least 80% of rated production over 20 to 25 years.

Determine Your Power Needs

Creating off grid power systems always begins with planning, and one good way to start is by looking at how much grid power you consume now. Most people are surprised to find how many kilowatt-hours they use when they look at that number on their utility bill, and this naturally leads to plans for energy conservation. The Kettling solar/wind system can deliver a maximum of 10 kilowatts of AC power at any given time, and this is plenty for modern living if the overall off grid system includes one important thing.

It’s far more economical and practical to re-direct heat-related electrical loads to something else such as propane or natural gas (if you have access). In the Kettling’s case, this means a propane cooking stove and space heating. Propane clothes dryers are also available, only using small amounts of electric power to energize the control system and rotating drum.

Charge Controller & Battery Storage Systems

The charge controller is the brains of any off-grid power system, and it’s the kind of thing found on all systems that include batteries. The charge controller monitors battery charge state and allows more or less power to the batteries for charging. The particular charge controller you see above was state of the art 20+ years ago, but today better units are available for less money.

One of the keys to long battery life is to minimize the extent to which lead acid batteries get discharged during use. Fritz always maintained batteries so they didn’t discharge more than 20% of their battery storage capacity and that’s why they’ve lasted so long. His system uses a collection of 4 volt deep cycle marine batteries normally used as part of the electrical system of ocean-going ships. Taken together the batteries power two 5000 watt inverters – one that powers the home and another that powers the smaller loads in Fritz’s metalworking shop.

Power Inverter

This part of an off-grid energy system converts the direct current (DC) of battery power to alternative current (AC) needed for most household items. Inverters have gotten a lot better lately, delivering more power than ever, and with much less standby losses. That’s an inverter you see below.

Off-grid solar and wind power technology continues to advance, with gains in efficiency and reduction in component prices happening all the time. Got questions? Send them to me at [email protected], or scroll through the FAQ section below.

++++++++

Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) About Off Grid Energy Systems

Here are 20 of the most-asked questions to do with off-grid energy and solar/wind power systems.

What’s a Solar Inverter?

In the world of off grid solar systems, an inverter is an electronic device that changes direct current (DC) electricity from what’s stored in a battery into alternating current (AC) usable by most household items. AC power is what comes out of your wall outlets, for instance.

++++++++

How do I find the best off-grid solar systems?

The best large, off grid solar systems are designed, and not something you can buy ready-made. Your energy needs must be examined, and your local conditions taken into consideration. The good news is that designing an off grid solar system is something that anyone of normal intelligence can figure out. I’ve coached many inexperienced people to design and build their own off grid power systems.

++++++++

What are the 5 main parts of an off-grid system?

Solar panels, a wind turbine, battery storage, charge controller and inverter are the 5 main parts of a full-featured, off grid power system. Small system size might not include a wind turbine if local conditions aren’t right, but generating power off grid is something that ideally involves these five parts.

++++++++

How do I base my solar setup size on usage?

Assuming you live on-grid now, the best place to begin is by looking at a year’s worth of utility bills. The figure you want to notice is total electricity consumption per month. This figure is expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh). These numbers are the best place to begin determining the solar setup size you need. Most people find that it makes sense to reduce electricity consumption so solar power system size is manageable and affordable.

++++++++

Identifying which solar charge controller to buy?

When it comes to choosing a solar charge controller, more expensive is almost always better. There are essentially two types: PWM (pulse width modulation) and MPPT (maximum power point tracking). MPPT charge controllers yield more energy from solar panels and longer battery life, though they do cost a bit more.

++++++++

What equipment does an off-grid solar system require?

Basic off grid solar systems can be as simple as a solar panel connected directly to small items via special hardware. The next step up is a portable solar generator which has a battery, charge controller and inverter that connects to one of more external solar panels. Full-feature, house-sized off grid power systems will have these things, plus a wind power system if local conditions permit.

++++++++

How can I calculate my total electricity usage needs?

Add up all the electrical loads you expect to power at the same time. All electrical items have power consumption figures printed on them, so this is where you’ll find the numbers you need. Another option is to use one of the online calculators used to determine the size of gas-powered generator needed for a given situation. Click here for a great calculator. It’s made for selecting a generator, but this is the same process to determine your power needs.

++++++++

How can I calculate instantaneous load requirements?

“Instantaneous load” refers to the way electrical items that have a motor draw a much higher current than normal for the first few seconds after startup. Electrical meters are available to measure this, but there’s a simple way to ballpark instantaneous load requirements. Take the current draw stamped on the item you’re considering, then multiply it by 3x. This is a safe determination of the power draw spike on start up.

++++++++

What are the different uses of off-grid solar power?

Small, medium and large are the best ways to think about this. Small systems are available to directly connect some items to a solar panel, with no need for a battery or charge controller or inverter. Medium solar systems are still portable, but include most of the components of a large solar power system, but with limited power output. Large systems are stationary systems can power an entire home and feed power back to the grid as a grid solar system.

++++++++

How can I create a small DIY off-grid solar system?

The best way to create a small, DIY off grid solar system is by following some plans. These units are often called “solar generators” and I have an online course that covers this called 3 Solar Projects. It covers everything you need to know to build your own solar generator, and includes plans, instructional videos, and buying recommendations for the various components.

++++++++

How do I decide on battery storage capacity for a solar system?

Generally speaking, with a whole-house off grid system, half a day’s energy capacity is usually enough. More would be better, but for whole-house systems battery bank cost can certainly be an issue. The main thing with an off grid system you rely on is to have some fuel-powered backup generator to prevent the batteries from getting too deeply discharged.

++++++++

Are lead-acid batteries okay for a solar off the grid system?

Yes, absolutely. Lithium ion battery backup for a solar power system is an up-and-coming technology, but lead acid batteries still offer the best bang for your battery backup buck.

++++++++

What are the pros and cons of off-grid solar systems?

The main advantage of off grid solar systems is freedom from relying on the power grid, the flexibility to build a home far away from power lines and the enjoyment of self-reliance for your energy needs. The cons of off grid solar systems include high upfront installation costs, the need for technical knowledge about how to operate an off grid system, and the need to be something of your own repair technician in the event things go wrong.

++++++++

Isn’t off-grid inverter power consumption a big deal?

Not any more. Today’s inverters use much less power than older designs, so there isn’t much in the way of standby power losses. Before, 10% to 20% of power use was wasted by the inverter itself, but the standby power consumption now is very small.

++++++++

What’s the best place to buy large and medium off-grid solar system kits?

There are a handful of leading suppliers, so do a Google search to start. Missouri Wind and Solar is one of the best suppliers I’ve found. In addition to selling everything you need, they also create their own innovative products that no one else has.

What are the best lithium off-grid batteries?

Lithium iron phosphate (abbreviated LiFePo4) batteries are the best type of lithium battery bank for an off grid system. They still cost a lot more than lead acid batteries for a given energy storage needs, but technically they are an excellent battery technology.

++++++++

How do I size an off-grid solar system?

Start by looking at your current energy consumption and work back from there. There are two parameters that determine the size of an off grid solar system: peak wattage required, and total energy consumed over a period of time. Peak wattage is determined by the size of inverter, and total energy consumed over over a period of time relates to how much power you’re making with solar panels and/or a wind turbine.

++++++++

What’s the best racking system – roof or ground?

A “racking system” refers to the way solar panels are supported. My preference is a ground-based system where space permits, and there are two reasons. First, ground racking systems are easier to keep clean of snow, ice and dirt. And second, a ground system does not make it more difficult to replace roofing materials when they’re no good any more. It can cost as much to remove a roof racking system and replace it after re-roofing as it does to shingle a large part of any roof.

++++++++

Can off grid solar systems power household air conditioning?

Yes, but electric air conditioning takes a lot of power, and it can be quite expensive to build an off grid solar system to meet the needs of air conditioning. By contrast, natural gas air conditioners use just a tiny amount of electricity to operate the controls and make a lot of sense for an energy system that doesn’t use grid power. Here’s a link that explains natural gas air conditioning.

++++++++

What can a solar generator do to help me get off grid power?

Solar generators are small, portable systems that have most of the components of a full-size system, but much smaller. Solar generators are great for powering electronics, small cooking appliances, and for lighting. There are many models to buy on the market, but you can save money and get a better system if you build your own from high quality components.

++++++++

I hope you found this article useful. Please consider helping me cover the cost of creating and publishing content like this. Click the “buy me a coffee” button below for a safe, simple and fast way to contribute. Thanks for helping to keep this website  up and running.

– Steve Maxwell