5/24/2023 0 Comments Best off grid solar systemTo make up for this, it’s worth your while to get more efficient panels that will still be able to generate power in less-than-perfect sun conditions. People tend to use more electricity during winter, when solar systems are less effective (shorter days = fewer sun hours). In an off-grid situation, you want to make sure your panels can supply enough electricity to meet your minimum consumption needs all year round. Solar Panels - Converts sunlight into DC (Direct Current) energy. If you're used to city power, you may have to make some compromises on what you use! Have a read of this article. This is where you can save a good amount of money on your kit, by working out what's absolutely necessary and what you can compromise on - learn more in our other article. This is the point where you should consider if you may need a backup generator, as it may affect your choice of hybrid vs standalone inverter. Now you can spec your components based on your energy requirements. You will need to consider a 20% energy loss in the system, so multiply this number by 1.2, and that will bring your requirement up to: 1775x 1.2 = 2,130Wh The fridge doesn't use the same power all day long, so the easiest way to work this one out is to look at the Energy Star Rating - take the yearly kWh consumption, divide by 365 days, and multiply by 1000 to get to the daily Wh number. Multiply the watts by the hours and add them all up for a daily estimate. Alternatively, you can compare our example usage on each kit page to your intended usage for an easy estimate.įor example, you’re running a 10W light bulb for 5 hours a day, a kettle for 15 mins (1800W) a TV(80W) for 3 hours, a phone charger (10w) for 8 hours, a minifridge for 24 hours and a fan (125w) for 4 hours. If you want to do this manually, simply calculate watt hours by using each appliance’s power rating, multiplied by the time (hours) it will be running. Keep in mind, heating and cooking are best done on alternative energy sources such as gas or wood-burning, not solar, has they have very high power usage. You can do this manually or you can use an online load calculator. The exact components will vary depending on how much power you need to generate and use for the lifestyle you will have, so your first step is working this out.Ĭalculate your usage - How much power am I using?īefore choosing your solar components, you will have to estimate your expected power usage. When you go off-grid, you take on the role of the power company, generating and supplying the power to yourself. A fully functional off-grid solar system comes with four essential components: solar panels, batteries, an off grid charge controller and an inverter. Off grid living means you have no connection to the electric utility’s distribution network. ![]() ![]() Learn the basics first with our Solar 101 article. ![]() Thinking of going off the grid with solar energy? We’ve created this complete off grid solar basics guide to help you!
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