I'm planning to build a completely off-grid home and I have a lot of questions! Currently, my electrical use is around 9600 kWh per year, and a solar calculator suggests I need at least a 6.84 kW system. Does that sound right? I'm also curious about how much extra capacity I should include as a safety net. My new build will be better insulated, and I'm planning to replace electric heating with a propane heater, so my usage should decrease a bit. I'm also considering the Canadian Solar EP Cube hybrid solar kit, which has a 7.6 kW output. Would that be sufficient for my needs? Any advice on equipment or setup would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
Before you invest, just to clarify—are you referring to a 6.84 kW inverter size or the solar array size? You need to think about your loads too. Are they just standard lights, or do you have heavier equipment like pumps? Also, is going off-grid the best fit for your circumstances compared to a grid-connected system?
It really depends on where you're located. No single answer will be perfect. You definitely want to check out some tools online—like the JRC PVGIS site—where you can enter your data and play around with options until you find a balance that works for you and your battery days.
You’re gonna need more than just under 10 kWh of battery. Since you mentioned using about 26 kWh a day, I’d recommend aiming for about 75 kWh of usable battery power at minimum. Plus, you should double your solar output to cover uses over three days and ensure you can recharge in a single sunny day during the summer. It’s a good rough guideline! By the way, does your kit support generator connections? That's crucial for off-grid setups.
It turns out it does work with a generator. I watched a video showing how the gateway unit functions. I can hook up to six batteries, totaling around 19.9 kWh. So, is my main concern the inverter capacity or the battery power here? Thanks for your input!
I plan to have a well for water, plus a mini-split system and efficient appliances. The biggest draw will actually be from my desktop PC with four monitors, which runs all day.