Projects

Complete worked systems for particular situations, from a shed to a full-time homestead. Where the reference articles explain components one at a time, these put a whole system together and show what it costs in panels, batteries, and inverter.

Every figure on these pages is computed by the same calculators published here, from the load list shown on the page. Change the loads and the system changes. None of the numbers are typed in, so a project page cannot disagree with the tools.

• Solar Power for a Shed or Workshop

  A worked off-grid solar system for a detached shed or workshop: lighting, tool charging, and occasional power tools, with the numbers computed rather than guessed.

  654 Wh per day · 272 W array

• Solar Power for a Tiny House

  A worked off-grid solar system for a full-time tiny house, with every figure computed from the load list rather than estimated.

  2,246 Wh per day · 802 W array

• Solar Power for an Off-Grid Cabin

  A worked solar system for a weekend and seasonal off-grid cabin, sized from the load list, with the intermittent-use problem that makes cabins different from houses.

  3,230 Wh per day · 1,346 W array

• Solar Power for a Full-Time Off-Grid Homestead

  A worked solar system for a full-time off-grid homestead with a well, workshop, and outbuildings, and why this is the scale at which 48 volts and a generator stop being optional.

  8,044 Wh per day · 4,022 W array