5 Things to Consider Before Jumping into Solar Off The Grid Survival - Page 2 of 2

Instead of diving right into the world off solar power, make sure you're answering these questions below first. It's easy to be blinded by solar power's potential to save you tons of money each year on electricity so these questions will allow you to be fully prepared for a change in power source.

1.) What is your “payback period”?

“Payback period” is a phrase that’s thrown around a lot in regard to solar. So first, we need to break that down. Solar materials and labor cost (X) and your current electric bill costs you (Y) each month / year. What we want to know is: How soon will the solar system start saving me money? To determine how long that will take we just divide (X) by (Y).

2.) Am I in a location that’s viable for solar?

A big mistake that’s made all too often with solar is failing to consider an object like a tree, or chimney, or nearby pole that will cast a shadow on your solar array at some point during the day.

A quick google search for “distribution of solar radiation in _______ (your country)” should show you what you’re looking for and you can narrow in from there.

3.) Are you self-installing, or hiring an installer?

Depending on your local laws, having a certified installer may be the only legal option. This comes with huge benefits of having someone to contact in the event of a malfunction, having an expert help determine your needs, and it will certainly decrease the time you have to wait before going off-grid.

However, if you are free to do what you please on your land, you could save a significant amount of money by self-installing. Remember, that the self-installing route will involve a lot of research, and it can be extremely dangerous to work with electricity, but it can absolutely be done.

4.) Is the amount of electricity you use compatible with the amount of solar system you can afford?

A good way to determine this is to take a close look at your current electric bill. It should show you how many kW (which stands for kilowatt, or 1,000 watts) you use each month. The key here is balancing energy efficiency with convenience and comfort.

Next, let’s get familiar with how much electricity each appliance uses. Each appliance will have the W (watts) and the V (volts) as well as some other information listed on the appliance itself or on a tag on the cord.

There are a variety of battery chemistries at varying prices (deep-cycle lead acid (non sealed), sealed AGM, Lithium etc.). In most instances the most affordable and available option will be a deep-cycle lead acid battery. Keep in mind that, for most battery chemistries you will not want to discharge your battery more than 50% at any time. For example, if you have 600 Amp Hours total of battery capacity, you should only ever use 300 Amp Hours.

Lastly, you’ll want to do some rough figuring on how many hours of sunlight your location receives per day. Then, use that to determine how many panels you’ll need in your array to be able to put the energy you use throughout the day back into your batteries through your solar panels.

Basic example:

I get 4 hours of peak sunlight per day, I can put 50 amps into my batteries per hour peak production. So I can usually count on 200 amp hours being available to recharge my batteries each day.

5.) Do you have space for all this stuff!?

Consider whether you’ll have space for this on your roof. Also consider whether your roof is facing the right direction for maximum sunlight.

Keep in mind also that the batteries are quite heavy. You don’t want them in an area that can accumulate fumes from off-gassing (not an issue with sealed batteries). You do want your batteries to be in a location that is decently temperature controlled.