Hi everyone. I am so happy to be part of this forum. I have been geeking out on everything solar for the past 3 years, with a long-term plan of supplying a modest amount of electricity to my 3 season offgrid cabin in the woods. I first bought a Honda inverter generator, and then last year an Ecoflow Delta Pro. The cabin is on a lake in the near north of Ontario. It is 500sqft, 100yo, with no wiring, and an east-west facing roof, with trees nearby. My power needs are modest: a solar fridge, 10 bulbs, a few laptops and a TV screen. It is used in sping, summer and fall.
I have a limited budget, so I can not purchase a full solar setup yet. I didn't want to run a generator 24/7 while there (emissions, kills the lakeside quiet vibe) so I bought the Ecoflow Delta Pro last year, which can be charged with the generator in 3 hours and gives me about 2-3 days of power. It sits in the kitchen with extensions cords to lamps, laptops, and a direct cable to the solar fridge. Having to unplug everything and haul it outside to charge it every two days is not fun, and it means we have to empty the fridge and unplug everything everytime we leave for more than 24h. I have about $2000 Cdn budgeted each year to move toward my PV setup. I know that the Delta Pro won't meet our needs in the long run (Solar Charging: 1600W Max, 11-150V, 15A Max), but I want to use it for as long as possible, seeing as it is an expensive investment. It can be connected to an electrical panel but there are many considerations and limitations to this.
So... my question (finally!) is: What next? Get the place wired with an electrical panel and transfer switch to hook up the Delta Pro? Get solar panels on the roof to recharge the Delta Pro and use the generator on cloudy days? Which one should I do first? Any suggestions, experiences and/or tips are welcome. TIA!
I have a limited budget, so I can not purchase a full solar setup yet. I didn't want to run a generator 24/7 while there (emissions, kills the lakeside quiet vibe) so I bought the Ecoflow Delta Pro last year, which can be charged with the generator in 3 hours and gives me about 2-3 days of power. It sits in the kitchen with extensions cords to lamps, laptops, and a direct cable to the solar fridge. Having to unplug everything and haul it outside to charge it every two days is not fun, and it means we have to empty the fridge and unplug everything everytime we leave for more than 24h. I have about $2000 Cdn budgeted each year to move toward my PV setup. I know that the Delta Pro won't meet our needs in the long run (Solar Charging: 1600W Max, 11-150V, 15A Max), but I want to use it for as long as possible, seeing as it is an expensive investment. It can be connected to an electrical panel but there are many considerations and limitations to this.
So... my question (finally!) is: What next? Get the place wired with an electrical panel and transfer switch to hook up the Delta Pro? Get solar panels on the roof to recharge the Delta Pro and use the generator on cloudy days? Which one should I do first? Any suggestions, experiences and/or tips are welcome. TIA!