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For my wife and I the choice to build a 12v system comes down to simplicity of life. We both prefer to be outdoors, and our electrical needs are a fraction of what is considered normal in the world today. We spend weeks enjoying tent camping with a portable 200w panels / 100 ah system that...

That's why I'm here. I hate to pay for things I can do myself. the more expensive the world gets, the more I want to do myself. I've got time to learn and add to my skill set.

If there is one thing my decades of maintenance experience has taught me- I would much rather scrap everything and build my own dockside rather than try to troubleshoot an unfamiliar system while bouncing off wave tops at a time of failure.

I remember when my "tech" buddy actually pulled me aside to show me all the cool stuff to learn when you tube first took off. I was shocked! I thought every man knew what I did. Dad had me handing him wrenches and parts at 8, swinging a hammer at 10 and swinging from trusses by 12. if it needed...

For me solar represents a way to live comfortably miles past the last power pole. I much prefer rustic life in nature and my electrical needs fall well below the average, so a modest solar system will be very ample. The portable system I just built will power our 12v fridge for days as well as...

Could build an electrolysis tank and pull the rust off old iron skillets,. Or pull the gold plating off cheap jewelry then reverse the tank polarity and gold plate your wrenches!

Maybe I'm too old school, but I don't buy it. I'd rather have a solid structure that will still be standing in a 100 years. A single layer of plywood in a header spanning the weight of snow load over a window with only one top plate? No jack studs under the header for actual support? how long...

This! I lived my entire life in the lower peninsula until I retired. It sure is NOT what it used to be. Wandering the country now, also in search of my off grid utopia.

Interesting thoughts guys thank you. I had a feeling this utility was not the only one using the phrase. I've been bitten by corporate contracts in the past and don't take their wording lightly. It seems a good lead in to keeping people locked into their system to me. Truth be told the...

I spent 8 yrs as head of maintenance for a 484 site campground before I retired in 12/ 2021. 2 things I know for sure, power is not cheap to set up, nor is there ever enough of it. An electrical renovation of 37 campsites that only had 30A service cost more than $250,000 for the supplies and...

I think I'll keep my v8 pickup. Although having a 1/2 price fiskers would give a pile of fun parts to play with...... and a battery pack for a solar array. I'm wondering about turning its motor into a hydro power plant I wanna build on our stream :unsure: I think I'll wait till the clearance...

To this day I can't leave a battery on concrete without hearing my Dad's voice booming in my head!

That looks like fun! We just returned from a 3 week adventure exploring the Appalachians from Pennsylvania to Georgia. Found our slice of heaven on earth and waiting for the closing date. Now back in Iowa to prep the Condo for sale and pack.

I'm not yet well versed in ground mounts, but this one sure appeals to me. Not having to dig into clay soil with rocks the size of a small truck means a discount on the sweat equity. There are already enough of those rocks and gravel laying about to hold it down. I do agree with about the...

I chose this fridge 12v compressor fridge 64qt. I operate it on a 100ah lifepo4. Spent 3 weeks wandering the mountains with this left at our base camp and only pulled out my solar after about 9 days. it's been a phenomenal buy. I plugged it into the wall at home to pre- cool it, then plugged it...

Thank you very much! the link and your experience is more than 45 min of internet poking provided. They must have a marketing dept. akin to Renogy. I can't believe I didn't think to use the search here for my query, It is usually my go to.

Never heard of them, but I poked around the internet a bit and they seem well reviewed with great customer service, and at a glance all products are UL listed. In business in Reno NV since 2001 Even PV Magazine had an article on these inverters...

That is awesome! Congrats. Two weeks to closing and I will be traveling that very same road.

I just finished a small build similar to this. I followed Will's video for the minimalist and just left off the inverter as all my loads are DC. Works wonderfully! No inverter needed

Part of my retirement plan is not to pay ever-increasing bills from the PoCo. My wife and I have been working diligently here to live comfortably while reducing our power consumption. The system I build will be off grid and my ROI will be peace of mind. Here in NW Iowa we have a county full of...

I found this site researching the exact same thing. I see it from the DIY side for 2 reasons. 1) if I build it, I can fix a failed component down the road because I know what is in it and where. 2) I am sizing components to factor in my intention to use it portable until I find my off grid...

My wife and I are preparing to go off grid very soon, so we have given this a lot of thought. For me personally I want less automation. I see all the issues here with AIO and firmware/software challenges and don't wish to get tangled into that world. Computers can be useful, but I personally...

Consider the structure as well. Starting with a clean slate means you can decide position of the house for best roof exposure and build the pitch to the prime angle for your latitude, or place the house in shade and ground mount the panels. Design in a dedicated room and leave it a bit bigger...

Lots of good points brought up here. For me, the world is going nutz, the more stability I can offer my wife and I the happier we both are. ROI doesn't really matter as much as peace of mind.

Holy smokes!This thread went nutz! And ya'll ain't even fighting for the last Fisker ever made!

I sure am glad I found this forum before buying anything. When I first started poking around the net Renogy was seemingly the only name to pop up. After some hours digging thru threads here I learned the truth. One heck of a marketing department, I'll give them that. I'm putting together a small...

I laughed my way through this entire thread! I could not agree more with @Farm Boy we are lucky to have a place like this. Where else could we go to find so many "glass 13mm full kinda folks?"

Ive got parts trickling in here too. Mine are for my first system. A small portable centered around a Victron 100/20. The wife and I will be powering a small car fridge and charging cell phones while wandering the countryside to find our slice of paradise. This year the cabin fever has hit...

My thinking there was the summer angle would be less than winter so the set might suffer a dual loss- less direct angle and lack of the reflective snow for albedo

Makes perfect sense. I have been way over thinking all this! Right now only about 20 amps in total loads.