The Modern Off-Grid Dream

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube Videos and reading about modern off-grid solar set up with 240-volt two phase power, providing 50, 100 or even 200 amp feeds like you would find in a modern suburban house. It’s amazing how for under $20,000 you can generate renewable power, on-site that in most ways is as good or better as the utility purchased electricity. Off-grid doesn’t mean significant sacrifices any more, watching every watt, buying only the most modern, efficent boutique appliances specifically marked for off-gridders. No lead-acid batteries to carefully monitor and top off with distilled water while worrying about explosive, toxic gas floating off the batter banys.

I am in many ways so impressed modern lithium ion phosphate rack batteries and the E4 6000 all in one inverter-charge controllers. Both it’s the outward simplicity of the systems, how closely they integrate and how they produce 50 amp of split phase 240 volt power – or more if you chain the units together. It wasn’t that long ago that most homes had only 50 amp service and while many large modern suburban houses now have 200 amp service, that much power is not likely needed for a small house or cabin – even with a heat pump and electric clothes dryer. Solar panels are rarely delivered in fewer than lots of 10 with 20 being most common, and at 450 watts that’s like 4. 5 kW or 9 kW. Rack mount lithium ion phosphate batteries nowadays give you safe, reliable power often storing  upwards of 5 kwH per unit and easily expandable as you can nowadays add batteries whenever due to BMS on each battery carefully managing charging.

Time marches on but it seems like things are only getting better.