Reality of Small Cabin Solar Power

[@hubcaps1990]

Good to see ya Karl 👍🏻🇺🇲

[@MadDog_Barks]

I used to run a data center, and we had lithium batteries for emergency backup, which consisted of around 300 batteries, almost a room-size battery bank, in the event of a power failure before the generators kicked in. It is a smart system, and I monitored it all via an LED screen that gave me the status of those batteries. I was always calling the company that maintained the system in for battery replacement. Even Lithium batteries don't last forever and are expensive to replace.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@MadDog_Barks thanks for the information!!

[@InvisibleCitizen]

“All in one” has never been my thing. I like individual components since if one component fails I only have to replace that one component and far less cost. I lived in my EV for 7 years which was 12 volt. While it took a bit to adjust to only 12 volt I did over time and I am proud of doing it. I live in a cabin now and I have solar which continues to grow. I do see myself buying any of those mega panels because they are similar to the all in one box systems. I can purchase all of my panels for close to $100US and some times for even less. So I keep spares of every component for those times when things fail. And they do fail, be it a major windstorm or hail storm. Anyway, nice job with your system! The ac & dc double system is definitely a smart way to go. Best of luck to everyone.

[@theminister1154]

yeah, but I grabbed an ecoflow w 2/3 the capacity of the cabin here for $391 around thanksgiving. +100w USB PD. All in one can be a deal!

[@davidalbright7335]

Your battery is a lithium iron phosphate or LiFePo4 and not a lithium ion battery. LiFePo4 batteries have a totally different chemistry and are safe to charge and use and don't runaway and catch fire like lithium ion. For people watching this video - you shouldn't consider lithium ion to power your off grid cabin. LiFePo4 or lithium iron phosphate batteries are awesome. They charge about 8 times faster and have a flat discharge curve where you can run them safely down to 20%. You will kill a lead acid battery if you take it below 50% state of charge.

[@rogerkerkmann]

You stole my comment 😂

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@davidalbright7335 I realized I made the mistake of calling the battery. The wrong name after I published the video. Like I said in the video I’m really new to solar. I’m constantly learning.

[@GeoFry3]

I've had a 12v system forever. It powers my shed (tool battery recharging and the kid's electric bikes) 200w panels and 100Ah battery. I've tried using it has backup power in the past. Of course, it fell on its face pretty quick. It now has 300W on a ecoflow solar tracker with 300Ahr (AGM) and was enough to keep up with lights and the fridge during the last outage. It fell on it face on day 4 when it got cloudy. The latest addition is a 2000w inverter generator and a 2000whr portable LiPo battery bank and another 200W of portable solar panels. (For backup and camping.) The generator is a must if you don't have a deep battery bank for those days when the sun doesn't shine. I'm getting things together to add a 48v LiPo 200Ahr battery setup. 400w 48v will be on the solar tracker with the 12v panels and another 1600w on a ground mount. I'll keep the 12v setup for outdoor lighting and the shed. Direct use of 12v is about as efficient as it gets if you have a use for it. My favorite 12v mini system is on my truck. A 30w panel mounted on the roof means I've haven't come out to a dead battery in 10 years and I always have a little trickle of remote power without the engine running.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@GeoFry3 sounds pretty awesome especially like the trickle charger you have for your truck. I really need one of those!!

[@GeoFry3]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 it is a flexible panel being held down with double-sided 3M tape and a small charge controller mounted next to the battery under the hood. Just make sure you use more adhesive than you think you need. Originally, it was a larger panel, but on a very hot day, the tape got soft, and it flew off while I was driving down the road.

[@scottc8152]

To keep your lithium batteries above freezing, I would suggest creating a below ground storage under the cabin, taking advantage of the 55F Earth ambient temp here in WI (I am in Mondovi WI). The ground under your cabin should be above freezing if it is properly insulated around the bottom.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@scottc8152 that’s an awesome idea. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m definitely checking into this. This is just what I need.

[@jeffreykropp7664]

About 30 some years ago I started with one small panel, one golf cart battery, and a small inverter. Added quite a bit of kit since then, but STILL learning as new stuff becomes available. One cautionary observation: couple of friends went the contractor route for solar and were subsequently unhappy to find that they were underpowered under certain conditions. So always ask for references if someone else is being paid well to provide your system.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@jeffreykropp7664 thank you so much for sharing this great information! I appreciate your advice

[@BS.-.-]

I almost wired my new cabin with 12vdc and 120vAC systems like you...until I realized theres like no decent looking 12v lighting options that arnt really expensive or crappy RV lights. My invert is 89% efficient so not much loss. With the savings of useing 120v lighting I put more solar in. It also give me the option to rewire my battery bank to higher voltages. I would never do a 12v system again, only 48v.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

It’s amazing how quickly technology is changing. Now they even have solar panels that charge at night.You have to remember I wired this three years ago and options were a little different back then . Right now 48v is the way to go, but look back in another three years and you’ll be saying I would never use the crappy 48 V stuff lol. I can’t wait to see what technology brings us. Keep up the great work. I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying your cabin. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have a great week.

[@viyusavery248]

48v is the way to go if your system is massive

[@WesselVanSluis]

For sure light luminaires for 120V AC(or 230V AC for biggest part of the world offer much more choice and are often more "represesentable" , so what if you just repurpose your favoriete luminaire by just replacing the Light bulbs to 12V or 24V DC/AC with fitting bulb "feet" to fit in luminaire socket as is? Just put warning at power plug "battery voltage ONLY"? Bulbs can easily be orderbedrag at Amazon or AliExpress..

[@harold.one.feather]

I have 20 watts of LED for night time, and then I go to sleep about an hour after sundown, waiting for the sun to power 200 watts panels lol lol lol

[@robert4027]

I started rocking 24v system a year ago and no regrets .... also have a small 600 watt 12v system for my small needs. 👍👍👍

[@flyingeagleoutdoors7252]

Very informative bud will definitely help people out looking to get set up!

[@Morningdovecamp]

Thanks! That was a lot of really good important info!!👍🏻👍🏻🌞

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thank you for watching

[@FordDude66]

Great video Karl. You have a good setup at the cabin. Tammy and I have WE Energy for power at our place. There was a well on the property and we were going to put a hand pump on it but we decided to power up the pump which is 220 volt. If it wasn't for the well we would have went with solar. Plus a generator for back up and powering bigger items when needed. Have a great week and say hello to Margaret from us. Todd from da U.P.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Hey Todd! Considering you have the well, you probably made the right decision. Originally, we did not have any power in our area and that’s when we knew we wanted solar. A couple of years ago they ran underground electric in the general area, but I think it would cost us a fortune to hook up Lol. There’s a few sacrifices that we make to be off the grid but it sure is fulfilling. Margaret said hi Todd and Tammy 😊!! It’s been fun chatting back-and-forth with you guys the last couple of years. We hope you had a great New Year’s, best wishes to you guys.

[@navydave1]

I'm building a cabin in Maine and have a similar setup. Gonna have 8 - 200w panels and 4-12v (230ah) Lithium batteries. Running them in 2S2P setup for 24v. Running Victron charge controllers and Victron inverter. Gonna try to go with gas appliances and a smaller 10.1 cuft fridge. Also have a generator to top of batteries.We'll see how it goes once I'm all set up. Wish I had bought 24v batteries to begin with but I kind of piecemealed it. Nice vid. I like your idea of the 2 systems for DC lights.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@navydave1 it sounds like you’re building yourself a pretty decent system. I think what you got should work pretty good play around with it and in time you can make adjustments as needed. Thanks for watching.

[@cortezcortez7925]

Thank you,all be in touch 👍

[@knicheygil]

Good video...very informative. Thanks!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thank you so much for watching. I appreciate your comment.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Agreed

[@rccollins8160]

Our off-grid homestead is powered entirely by solar. It is a 4200sq ft log chalet style. We have every luxury we had on grid, super high efficiency wall hung gas boiler, radiant heat, washer/LP dryer, well, LP water heater, multi zone heat pumps for air conditioning, a 15kW diesel genset for emergency back up should the array get snow loaded. We used less than 30 gallons of diesel last year. Our drive way is a 1/3 of a mile long. Underground power even with me doing the excavation was over six figures.. You can build a hell of a solar system with 100K….

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@rccollins8160 this is absolutely amazing to hear! Thank you so much for sharing the information. We are definitely going bigger on our next build and I would love to have something similar to what you have. I greatly appreciate hearing about your set up.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

How much LP do you go through annually? I’ve used about 30 gal in 3 years for the Gen to help when needed from 12/15-1/31. Totally og 3 yrs, 47kWp, 250 kWh of diy LFP. Better than blowing it on a new truck for us. It’s all about what is important to each person. Enjoy.

[@fnsfabrications6844]

4200 square foot chalet? My "huge" work shop is only 1800 wth do you do with 4200?

[@Hatch-rz4ek]

Your homestead is not “powered entirely by solar” if you are dependent upon LP to power (critical) components. This is not an attack as my homestead is not either - I use diesel fuel for heating but everything else runs off my battery bank which is 100% charged by the sun. I do have a 6kw Kubota generator (old light tower) but have never used it to charge the bank. Perhaps one day I’ll add more panels with the specific purpose of heating fluids that can be circulated for radiant heat at which point I will truly be 100% off grid.

[@gannettstone711]

Your set up is almost just like mine. Winter months suck for sure.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@gannettstone711 I agree, it’s really tough to get through the winter. When we notice our power is starting to get a little low we are fortunate enough to have portable power stations to help out. I guess we have to use everything in moderation. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.

[@222dyan]

Very nice. Thank you. Most helpful. Glad to find your channel.😊

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@222dyan I’m glad you’re with us! Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@eremoshomestead7406]

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS SIZE FOR WINTER MONTHS! Batteries for a 5 day no sun period and like you said have a Genny on hand....a small honda inverter Genny would be perfect!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Awesome advice thank you so much for sharing. Right now I’m using a small Honda 2000 W generator for emergency purposes. They are awesome!!

[@tanker1668]

First time viewer. Great information

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Welcome to the channel. It’s great to have you with us.

[@andrievbastichy8551]

good video

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thank you very much for watching and taking the time to comment!!

[@jasonborn867]

Happy new year Karl! Now let me watch your video, sir!!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Happy new year, buddy!!

[@PBRacresJim]

Great video and explanation Karl. I got fairly elaborate with my wiring of an off grid deer camp and everything works well. What I haven't done is added solar charging. Currently I just bring in a couple deep cell trolling motor batteries and it does fine. Camp is close so charging them has not been an issue. I do want to get into a solar system, but have trouble justifying the cost as I don't use the camp much outside of the gun deer and muzzleloader season in WI. Maybe some day I'll have more time to commit to camp.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@PBRacresJim you may want to look into a larger portable power station. You can pick them up with solar panels and it might work out perfect for your camp. They are a little bit pricey but in the long run, they’re definitely worth it. You can charge it up before you go to Campand use the panels while you’re at camp.

[@avlisk]

My 12v setup in Maine, FWIW: 400ah LiFePo4, 3X100w and 2X30w panels, each group feeding its own controller. Just running the inverter with nothing plugged in uses .24 amps. I can power my 120v fridge for about 42 hours. I just installed a pellet stove that runs at 70w, so, that will greatly cut into the run-time of my battery bank. I'm going to buy a 5000 to 8000 gasoline generator for next winter.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@avlisk sounds awesome!!

[@MHawkeye]

i dont think youll need that big of a generator, i use a 1200w generator with 2 amazon switching power supplies(B0B1MH4J7Y) during the winter. more fuel efficient

[@avlisk]

@@MHawkeye Thanks. I need to do more research. I'm probably going to tie the generator into the service panel to power the entire cabin, which is a couple of electric oil heaters, a heat pump, fridge, computer, and lights. . .and soon, the pellet stove. Research!

[@rangerreno1249]

Cool overview. Thanks Karl

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thanks buddy. I wasn’t sure how people would receive this video. Hopefully it helps out somebody who’s considering powering their cabin this way. Margaret and I hope that you had a great New Year’s Eve and an even greater new year.

[@toddb4482]

How do you like your BougeRV fridge? What is the model # ? Thanks

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@toddb4482 we absolutely love it, but it uses a little more energy than what we anticipated. So far, everything has worked excellent and we really don’t have any complaints. I believe it’s the CR 55. Thanks for watching.

[@campbenny]

Great info Karl. I had no idea of the differences between agm and lithium in an off grid application. A piece of me wants to go to a generator that is multifuel. I've got a decent amount of propane storage at Camp 2.0. The convenience of not filling a generator daily would be a nice one. Thanks for sharing. 👍🏼

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

That’s going to be a tough decision to make. Propane may be the best option since you guys are using the cabin so much during the cloudy time of year. Maybe there is a way you could put a generator in an insulated little building that would cut down on noise. Keep me posted on what you choose to go with, if you guys decide to go with solar, I would be happy to help you out. Say hi to all the guys that Camp Benny for us, I hope you have a great New Year !!

[@garyenwards1608]

My buddy bought a duel fuel and he hated it. Never used the propane part of it because gas is more convenient to purchase. I use a little 900 watt Kipor Inverter generator I picked up for $280 used. Works great, sips the fuel and I run a 40 amp lithium charger on it to charge the batteries when they need it. I have larger generators but use the 900 watt inverter genny because its most efficient.

[@jdollar5852]

I have a dual fuel and never put gas in it. I also have a small Honda 2k that it use a lot. Propane is easy to store and lasts forever. Gas is easy to buy and store but doesn't store long-term. Propane burns cleaner but gas provides more power. You can get a charger/inverter, and two 24v batteries for less than $ 2k. Use a small generators to charge when it's clloudy

[@timclark7507]

I also put in a 24 volt 100 ah system. However I purchased individual components (inverter, charger, transfer switch,) instead of an all in one. Many of the all in one units had idle consumption too high for me.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@timclark7507 thanks for the info! Now that I’m getting comfortable with solar, I think I probably wouldn’t hesitate to do that on my next system

[@viyusavery248]

Your so damn right all in one idle consumption is ridiculous

[@WesselVanSluis]

Smart to go modular in which you can take the building blocks you like most and alliws you to upgrade step by step...and not to have to ditch your total system when battery dies off or you want to use cheaper house panels when charging..

[@priestesslucy]

Especially in a cloudy winter climate like the one described on the video and like where I live in Western Washington. During the summer, the simplicity of an All-In-One is great, but when winter clouds drop production to ~10% and you're maybe working with three 'good solar hours' a day (two good hours and the cumulative draw from the rest of the day), every watt counts. Every watt of draw you can get rid of on stuff you leave running saves 24 watt-hours. Even if its stuff you turn on in the morning and shut off at night, every watt saved is 8+ watt-hours. When you consider optimizations can save you scores of watts (in some cases over a kwh a day)... It's worth the tuning

[@MHawkeye]

@@viyusavery248 its basically a single 12v 100ah battery per day 50w-100w last time i checked which was a little over a year ago.

[@curtislawson6748]

So when you show up in the winter the batteries wont be taking a charge until you warm up the cabin above 34 degs?

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Correct. I usually plug the solar back in after we get up to the cabin and warm it up. I just recently had a company set me up with a wall mount furnace. It’s one of the projects I will be working on this summer. We love heating with wood, but we plan on keeping the cabin warm with the furnace while we’re not there,that way, we won’t have to unplug the solar anymore. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@curtislawson6748]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 thank you for the video. I played around with a solar generator. My issue is also the cold. I'm trying to run a shed and when it's cold I lose power super quickly. I guess I'm leaning towards building a system and thinking I will go with the agm type battery.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@ what size of solar generator have you been using? I wouldn’t suggest anything under 3000 W. It was really tough for me to make a decision as to what was best for our cabin. You’ll know what’s right for your situation, just take your time and do your research. Best wishes

[@samwhittemore5614]

Thanks for the great content. Ive been watching your progress for years. Could you please tell me the size of that Bouge RV 12 volt refrigerator/freezer? Ive been looking at them but im not sure about sizing. Yours seems to be the size I'm looking for. Thank you, sir.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

I believe it’s the CR 55. I know their prices have skyrocketed since we bought ours. Certain times of the year they still haven’t incentives on them and you can get them for a little bit better price. Good luck, thank you so much for your continued support.

[@samwhittemore5614]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 , thank you very much!

[@jamesmartin9945]

Hi, Karl. I’ve got a pretty similar set up as you at my hunting cabin in the mountains of Virginia. I don’t have too many non-sunny days so haven’t yet experienced more than 2-3 non-charging days. My system is 3 years old and I run three 200ah 12v AGM batteries from Renogy. Was interested to hear you mention your AGMs lasted only 4 years. Hope my Renogy’s last me closer to 10 which is what my research suggested. I also have a cell phone booster that I run off my inverter when I am at the cabin. They are awesome. When I’m not there, the inverter is unplugged. I was interested to hear that you power a security system. Does that mean you leave your inverter on all the time? I’m trying to find security solutions so I can monitor my place when I’m not there, without worrying about my inverter draining my batteries. Any ideas/suggestions?

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@jamesmartin9945 thanks for sharing your information about your system. Your weather is quite a bit different than ours and I think you should be fine. It sounds like you have good equipment. I think the reason I went through my batteries so fast is because of the extreme cold up here. The first year that I started using AGM batteries we had about a month and a half of temperatures in between -10 to -30°. The cold weather and the lack of sunlight to charge the battery bank really took its toll. I leave a very small inverter left on my batteries on my AGM set up. So far I haven’t had any problems with it but keep in mind I’m usually at the cabin to check on it every week. I hope this answers your question. Have an awesome week. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@gasm1100]

Thanks!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thank you!!

[@Jim-op3kg]

Good video Karl. It’s given me some insight into what I want to do in the future

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@Jim-op3kg let me know when you get to that point. I’d love to help you guys out. Have a great week Jim.

[@freedomisfromtruth]

A fresh breathe of true operation, amazing how many false videos out there just for views or sponsorship. No one said every tuber has morals. Looks like a nice place there.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@freedomisfromtruth thank you so much. I greatly appreciate your comment and your support.

[@frankparnell7931]

How much gas are you using in your generator per month during the winter?

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@frankparnell7931 i’ve only had to use it once and that was last year. This year I have just been limiting the amount of power that I use and I supplement my power with portable power stations that have been donated to the channel.

[@viyusavery248]

They have self heating lifepo4 now

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

I’ve been trying to do a little bit of research on them. Do you know how much energy they use? My biggest fear is that with the lack of sunlight that we get, that the heating pads might run down the batteries.

[@viyusavery248]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 your correct I'm not sure about the energy consumption of that, that's a good point

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@ crap I was hoping you would know. I can’t find any reliable information on them. They would be a great solution to the problem if they don’t draw too much energy.

[@viyusavery248]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 I have a small answer to help on this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/enLXpJ99jNR2rZYsi=leqNj3-12P9G0PpC It only implies in this video at the @22:25 mark the battery is at 81% when the AC power is plugged in it interestingly keeps pulling 22w without the battery capacity improving so I'm assuming at the very least that's how.much power it needed.. he said it took about 30minutes A problem tho is we don't have any measurements for gradually cooling down the battery so we don't know if the self heating can be less or more VS in his test he just dropped it in the freezer

[@viyusavery248]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 I got one other info so apparently this type of implementation only heats up the battery when incoming AC or solar.. ok not sure if there are other implementation variations

[@jedidiah5131]

What is the name of the device you use to trick your system to thinking it has a charge...

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@jedidiah5131 I use a smart charger made by “Victron energy”. You can pick them up off of Amazon. They’re not cheap but if you get a good one, it’s a once in a lifetime investment.

[@jefflocke9029]

Karl, Did you review Kamik boots? I'm looking for whoever di the review. Love your channel. God Blss

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

No I did not, sorry

[@lancebenson8400]

What DC LED lighting do you use? They look pretty bright. 12V or 24V? I've found bright 24V LEDs, but they aren't fixtures, just 12 LEDs on a PCB. They are great for lighting a workspace, but I'm not sure they would light a room.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@lancebenson8400 they are 12 V LEDs. I bought them off of Amazon. I think they are called RV reading lights. They really pump out a ton of light!

[@Papa-bh6zq]

Lithium batteries are much cheaper now. $150 12v 100ah on Amazon

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@Papa-bh6zq I can’t believe how cheap they are nowadays. There are some excellent deals out there.

[@fathergratwick]

You may have thought about this but you can actually pick up 24 or 12v heating pads and put your batteries in an insulated box... then get a cheap temp controller that will use only the solar power to heat the batteries and keep them from freezing. the whole setup can be built for like $50. Also, just a heads up and adjustable dc power supply also works great as a charger from ac if your on a budget.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@fathergratwick i’ve considered going with heated batteries, but I wasn’t sure how much of a draw it would have when the sun is not out. Any thoughts on this? Thanks for sharing the info.

[@fathergratwick]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 many of them will only draw the power from the solar meaning they will not drain the battery to heat the battery

[@fathergratwick]

You really don't even need to replace the battery they do make temperature-controlled battery enclosures

[@MHawkeye]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 iirc, they typically range between 20W-50W and depending on how cold it got can take a while to be useful, its better to just create a heavily insulated box.

[@CrabbyBill]

Great information, as usual

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@CrabbyBill happy new year brother. Thanks for being here.

[@MrRicos19]

There are many propagating falsehoods about cheaper solar systems. Nice honest and humble real life info ! Thanks for the information Karl

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@MrRicos19 thank you! I greatly appreciate the feedback

[@DualTasticToday]

How are you getting water 💧?

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

A couple of years ago I put in a Sandpoint well and we have been loving it ever since. Here is a link to the video that shows how we are getting water. thanks for watching. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWWWpWebiNZopMksi=AP82Y514V1TstgUy

[@bs7497]

Your cabin is absolutely spectacular sir!

[@michaelcullinsmcrcullinsgm9146]

Where can I find these lithium ion batteries you talk so much about? I've been looking everywhere. You seemed very knowledgeable on this subject. Well i guess ill keep looking...

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Sorry, I made this video and two hours of sleep. They are actually.LifePO4 lithium batteries. Here is a link. If you are interested, keep in mind this is a cheaper manufacture, but at least it’ll be a starting point for you. CHINS Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery 24V 200Ah Smart Lithium Battery - Built-in 200A BMS, 2000+ Cycles, Perfect for RV, Home Storage and Off-Grid

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Good on you man. Go small, go sufficient plus spare wriggle room

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thank you very much!!

[@firemeupmedia2421]

It was helpful I had a hobo frate solar system what I learned from it was the wire wasn't long 😕 t didn't connect to other sets and that it didn't put out like I hoped it would maybe do a video covering that part of the set up

[@matthewschweitzer5227]

I power our place with 2- 6 volt solar lead acid batteries wired for 12v,. 12 Volt lighting, ceiling fans, small microwave, 12 volt bath fan, 115v soft start well pump at 13 gallons a minute, with 2500 watt pure sine inverter, midnite solar kid mppt charger programmed for my batteries. It's been 12 yrs on my batteries and still going strong, I maintain them each month, 4- 100 watt renogy panels, if your only getting 4 years out of your batteries, something is wrong in setting up the solar charger. It's critical that you contact your battery manufacturer and get the max voltage of the battery and program that into your charge controller. Then program 30 days @ 120 minutes. It will pull all the panels on to maintain (mine at 15.6 volts) to burn the crap off the plates. Then rest and maintain 12.6v. I also have a 20" 4 burner stove oven that is propane and uses 8 AA batteries, for ignition also a DD battery operated tankless water heater for showers kitchen and laundry. Northern Michigan

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Holy cow you are definitely getting the most out of your solar set up. If you don’t mind me asking, what type of microwave do you have? We’ve tried several and we have had a hard time finding one that won’t drain our battery bank. Thank you in advance for any feedback you can provide.

[@matthewschweitzer5227]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 look for a 700 watt unit, we only use to reheat coffee or something that doesn't need more than 5 minutes

[@squirrellyacres]

Thanks for sharing how your setup works. Now tell me about those two chairs, are they from IKEA and how much were they. 😊

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@squirrellyacres those are definitely the IKEA chairs and they are worth every penny! My wife picked them up off of Facebook marketplace for $75. It was the best deal of our life lol

[@squirrellyacres]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 Thanks Karl.

[@seymourpro6097]

Remember that realtors don't speak the same language as anyone else!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@seymourpro6097 you’ve got that right! Some of them are pretty bad

[@thesurvivalist.]

My last system was a 48 volt system, 100 k watts LiFePo4 batteries, 12 k watt solar inverter, with 5000 watts of poly solar panels Nothing wrong with 12 volt systems, my current system is 12v, I have 6 400 ah LiFePo4 batteries, totaling 30 k watts of battery. 1200 watts of poly solar panels, 5000 watt inverter, 1000 watt charge controller. In my truck, I had 10 LTO batteries, so cold was not a problem.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

I am still holding onto one of my 12 V systems too. I figure if it’s still working why get rid of it? It powers my security and takes care of my garage lighting. It’s very dependable that’s for sure.

[@John.strong]

One thing I'd like to add Agm and lead acid will take a charge when cold, but they will only take a very small charge not really worthy of mentioning Lifepo4 will actually warm itself up during charge and discharge so they can actually take a charge and more and more once they are warm You may of seen people with electric cars not charging over the winter their batteries were too cold The easy way to fix that is to drive the car and warm them up, of course they would loose their spot in line to actually charge... Catch 22 of the whole thing...

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Great information! Thanks for sharing

[@erikl1886]

Great video!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@erikl1886 thank you!

[@karinlotz5732]

Ein frohes und glückliches neues Jahr aus Deutschland!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Frohes Neues Jahr!!

[@kevinferger9897]

When you are so far away from hooking up to the grid, this seems to be the best alternative. When people actually have power at the street and their camp or cabin isn't far away this setup is not cost effective. My camp is 200ft away from the power pole. It cost $2k to put in a 200amp service underground and my bills haven't gone over $36 a month but I can run just about anything(I'm only there for maybe 3days a week). Again your cabin is to far off the grid so you have to have that setup to have any kind of conveniences. Can you imagine what kind of setup in solar you would need to just get the equivalent of a standard 100amp service.

[@canajian]

Good mornin happy new year 🖐😎👍

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Good morning sir. Happy new year!!

[@kevs6592]

Great video, Karl. I wired my 12v lights with normal 120vac sockets and lamps and used 12vdc led bulbs that look and screw in like ac bulbs and use almost about 1 to 3 watts of power per bulb. But no tv, we use weather radios for info and a jobsite radio for music. The fridge is the only power use I have not tried to challenge myself with yet. But I also have a generator for backup purposes. I wish I could show my beautiful antler chandelier with 8 bulbs in my living room, all dc and solar.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

It’s great to hear about your success. I’ll be sure to share more information as my knowledge grows. I’d love to see that antler chandelier, sounds beautiful. Have a great week.

[@kkarllwt]

You can buy small 19 inch 12 volt TVs that use about 17 watts.

[@MHawkeye]

@@kkarllwt those tvs are also $200-$300 can do the same with a regular 120v 19inch tv that will use 20w, 12v appliances are a joke

[@bwcok7947]

Happy New Year! Tech is changing so fast nowadays! My guess is your system is simple and will be a great back up in 5 years. Maybe tried and true is easier to understand and fix as compared to the future system. Who knows?

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@bwcok7947 very true! It seems like a week after you buy a new set up. It’s already out of date. Hopefully this one lasts me quite a while. Thank you so much for your support. I greatly appreciate you. Have an awesome week.

[@MrShuaTV]

I’m confused about something Carl so your battery setup in the cabin is 1 battery or is it 2? The wiring is throwing me off.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@MrShuaTV it’s one battery that has a ton of power lol here is an Amazon link to the battery. I hope this helps. m.media-amazon.com/images/S/sash//cxfxW9mXeoKT4Ys.svg

[@hermancm]

I live in Winter township in Sawyer County if you know where that is. Not off grid but I have a grid tied solar system and I heat with free scrounged wood, such nice heat. Agree that December and January I hardly make any power with my 8 panel 3.6kWh solar array. I go through the Nicolet and Cheqaumegon-Nicolet National Forest often.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@hermancm sounds like you’re living the dream! I have cousins in Sawyer County and make it there from time to time. Thanks for sharing the info on your solar set up. I appreciate people sharing their information. There’s so much that I learned from it. Have an awesome week.

[@chaon93]

20:15 Is that a wire going over that panel on the stationary panels. A hard shadow going across the panel like that is going to kill the output of that panel and force the bypass diode to activate. That panel is probably doing nothing right now. During winter VOC is high, but load voltage is low, if you are already somewhat close to the minimum voltage on your mppt controller, a shadow from a wire like that is capable of bringing the full string voltage below your mppt's minimum voltage threshold, so you could even be losing MORE than one panels worth of power, you could be losing the full string at times. (if you did this to counteract low temp VOC induced overvoltage ignore this comment)

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

That’s an old wire that the neighbor found when we were landscaping this summer. He threw it there so I would find it. I’ll have to take that down and throw it away.

[@chaon93]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 Yeah, depending on how your panels are wired that might be causing a surprising amount of system loss. Those eco worthy panels are nice and cheap, but being a full cut design means they are very susceptible to hard shadows. Since you expanded your system Im guessing the panels are done in 2 parallel 4 series. If the voltage on one string is dropped due to a hard shadow like that, it will drag down the voltage of the second string. So a blockage on 1/8 panels can cost you 25% of your output. (EDIT: modern panels may resist this voltage pulldown issue more, not sure if the ecoworthy panels fall into this) (if these are just 2 arrays of 4 in parallel and using the same mppt you are also not getting the full benefit of that solar tracker either, but that's harder to math out as irradiance raises both amps and voltage, but you are not benefiting from the voltage as the second array drags it down)

[@solaregg507]

I 2nd checking out Signature Solar. I bought most of my solar stuff from them and they've been a good company to deal with so far. This is my first video I'm seeing of yours but I'm guessing we are somewhat close from a comment above. I'm near Gilman ish area.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

I’ll definitely have to check out Signature Solar. I’ve heard from a couple of people that they are really good. Years ago I used to hunt with the family in Gilman by the last name of Oberley. I love that area. You’re definitely blessed to be there. Thanks for the info. It’s greatly appreciated.

[@solaregg507]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 I went to grade school with an Oberley and his mother was a teacher. You're welcome for the info.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@ it’s a small world. Thanks for watching. I appreciate your support.

[@bizzfo]

Leaving that screwdriver on top of the battery is risky

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@bizzfo I’m guilty. Thanks for the heads up.

[@BLAM777]

100% right about off grid building karl. Basically the same thing for us. Watched lots of videos and thought this would be easy boy was that definitely not the case. There's only a few of the you tube channels that actually show and tell people the reality of building off grid. Also want to see how strong your marriage is do this with your significant other lol. Have a good one karl and thanks for the straight up videos.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@BLAM777 thank you so much your support is greatly appreciated. I feel our community could grow so much stronger from hearing about each other‘s experiences if people were just more open and honest. I feel the best way to have us grow as a group is simply by keeping it real. thank you so much for being a part of this channel and group.

[@dagwood1327]

You might check out signature solar too. Not sponsored.😂

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@dagwood1327 thank you so much for the tip. I will be checking them out tonight! Thanks for watching.

[@solaregg507]

I bought most of my stuff from them (signature solar) This is my first video of yours but from reading the comments I feel like im probably pretty close. ​Gilman area. @karlsoffthegrid1378

[@SvenShalom]

11:38 - Nah brother, don't sell yourself short, you're plenty smart enough to do that man. What you've already done is no harder at all, you could totally do it.. The only difference is that "All-in-One" is just the controller and Inverter together, it would have only been one more short pair of wires side by side for one more connection (inverter to controller) everything else is the same. I have several set-ups now, but I originally went with separate components because I feared that if it ever goes down, I'm totally down. With separate components if one part goes down like they've been known to do, I can replace just that one part. I have 2 controllers connected to just one 6000w / 48v inverter on one of my set-ups, and the breaker tripped on one of the controllers that runs one of my panel arrays (which would have been a full system failure had I only been running one controller), and being that it was June with plenty of sun, I didn't even notice for nearly a week when I eventually went out to the Solar Shed. BTW: GAME CHANGER for me, was the EG-4 "Chargeveter" that produces clean power unlike the dirty sine wave almost all affordable generators have..they've been known to ruin many electronics, especially on repeated or continued use..- Now, I could have ZERO SUN for days and days on end, and all I have to do is run my generator for a bit (with the Chargeveter), charge up all my batteries, and I'm good to go for days again.👍 I love your cabin brother, well done, you're winning!😎👍

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@SvenShalom thank you so much for taking the time to comment! There are so many useful things that you have brought up, now that I’ve learned a little bit. I agree with you separate components would be much better. The next time I put a set up together I’m definitely upgrading to 48 V. I wish I would’ve met somebody like you before I started building, I greatly appreciate your help !!

[@Jamesrandally-l7l]

iv made my power for years it is not hard. but know this good batteries are needed. i built my cabin. & wired it dc only. but to my ice box 4 of them. its not hard atall. pray God will help you do any thing.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@Jamesrandally-l7l you are absolutely correct. God is the one constant friend that I have up here at the Cabin. Thanks for taking the time to comment. It’s greatly appreciated.

[@1GREATDANE]

24 Volt Victron used here and Happy with 2 10KWH Battery Banks and 5 Eco Flow Portable Solar Generators and 4K worth of Solar Panels

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Now that’s some good stuff right there

[@1GREATDANE]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 The 24 Volt Battery Banks are Self Sufficient and a Marine Grade Tinned 10/3 Leads run underground from the Well House to the Main Lodge Kitchen to Both XT60 / XT60i Solar Connector to Top off either Portable that's Low or Needs topping off at Night. XTRA ASSURANCE during Winter Time 🙏💡

[@briangraham6421]

So do you leave the lithium battery at the cabin when you aren’t there during cold months, or take it out with you? If you leave it there do you just bring it up to temp before charging? And will it still “work” in freezing conditions but just not charge? So many questions 😂

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@briangraham6421 I usually leave the battery inside the cabin, but I disconnect the power coming into it. I don’t turn the power back on until the cabin heats up to temperature. You can use lithium batteries in the cold. It doesn’t hurt them. You just shouldn’t charge them in the cold. Hopefully that answers your questions. Thanks for taking the time to ask. Have an awesome week.

[@timclark7507]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378this is the first winter I left my system. It is in the cellar, but from November to mid May there is no heat. Right now they forecast temps in the 0 to 10 degree range in western UP.

[@vonfleming2178]

Not sure what kind you have, but bifacial panels would add more power with all the snow reflecting the light. Thanks for the video.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@vonfleming2178 thank you so much for the info!! I’ll have to check into it. I appreciate your help.

[@kkarllwt]

Vertical bifacial panels mounted to face east/west. Above the expected snow cover. They will do well with indirect light from cloudy skys.

[@jamesmiles2241]

Hey could you please share information about the chairs that you have, manufacture, name, brand, and or supplier. I'm looking for something to furnish my living area. Thank you ahead of time.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@jamesmiles2241 we picked up those chairs off of Facebook marketplace. I believe they originally came from IKEA. IKEA makes some very comfortable furniture at a reasonable price. If you can find a store around you, it’s definitely worth the trip. Otherwise I’m sure you could order it online.

[@persuethedream9862]

Those are IKEA, I think they call them Pongo chairs

[@jamesmiles2241]

@@persuethedream9862 Thanks I found them on their web site>

[@Thelifeofwiley]

Great info buddy

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thanks 👍. Good morning sir.

[@jeremycraig2827]

So 1600Watts of solar and a 200AH Lipo4 battery to power led lights and a led tv, cell booster and what??? No fridge, ceiling fans, battery chargers, xboxes...........Kinda under used unless you are drawing 24/7

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

LED lights, LED TV, cell phone, booster, and a refrigerator freezer. Now add one day of sunlight since early December, which part don’t you understand? Like I said in the video during the summer, we have an endless source of power, but it’s completely different story during the winter. i’m just trying to keep it real for people. I’m not sure many people understand that the lack of sunlight in winter really takes its toll.

[@jeremycraig2827]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 Sorry I guess I missed the part about the refrigerator!

[@dacabinguy]

Nice set up, solo trips are peaceful and productive. Loved the deer camp vids, haven't had many open weekends to go up , too many Ad's games but the Pred's keep stealing all the players and having a down year..spoiled from last two seasons. GO PACK !

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@dacabinguy I really feel bad for the Admiral fans. The Preds are really looking terrible this year. i’ve painfully watched every single one of their games and it just really hurts to see how quickly that team has gone downhill. Hopefully the Admirals will have another great year. If you ever see me at a game, make sure you take the time to introduce yourself. I’ll be there Wednesday the 22nd. Have a great week.

[@oscaranderson1822]

I also use DC for lighting circuit and other 12-volt

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Great minds think alike. Have an awesome week.

[@aunttriciaattic]

My understanding about solar is you have to start with what you can afford. There are a lot of people that have systems on KZbin and the things that they have is given to them everybody don't have that luxury. I have been working on mine for over 4 years it's getting everything that I need to go off grid and I just ordered two 12-volt 100 ah batteries. I know I'm going to need more batteries than that but I only use less than 30 kilowatts a day and sometimes I go over a thousand kilowatts a month.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@aunttriciaattic you hit it right on the head. I could only start out with what I could afford, but I’m slowly building the system up. Thanks for sharing your information, and keep us posted overtime. Have a great week.

[@MHawkeye]

what in the are you powering!??! 30kW is massive in comparison, i typically use ~6kW per day and on the rare occasion ill have a 10kW day. 5kW computer(includes router/modem) 1kW freezer 720w in lighting ?7kW? A/C in the summer im going to assume youre tracking your boiler, heater and maybe a dryer load in there? or maybe its more than a single person in a larger home? you are wasting your money on 12v batteries, without knowing specifically on what your uses are i would advise on sending those batteries back.

[@johnsmithfakename8422]

That solar tracker. Have you had any issues with it? I am no expert with solar but I will say this. 12 volt systems are easy to set up because parts are everywhere. 24 volts are a bit niche because parts are a bit scares, but they are more efficient than 12V 48 volts are the real deal because they are the most efficient system, and can handle a lot of power. If someone is going to build a power system, I say start planning with 48v and see if it works for you. I want 48volt to completely replace 12v systems.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on the different voltage systems. That solar tracking unit is OK but the instructions to assemble it are horrible. I also had to modify some of the wiring if you’re thinking of getting one you may want to check out my video on it. here is a link to the video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHy8dWh8qrp4e5osi=upWLjcwckyzASp1x

[@johnsmithfakename8422]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 I am not going to buy solar panels any time soon. I have heard mixed reviews on solar trackers, that is why I am curious.

[@jdollar5852]

Lithium Iron Phosphate, Lifepo4. Not Lithium Ion. That Chins battery is definitely lifepo4. There's a big difference. The lithium Ion battery is generally used in small electronics, while the Lifepo4 batteries are what you have there. The price of Lifepo4 batteries has dropped like crazy in the past 2 years. You could add another battery for $600. That would give you 10kw of power. Solar panels have also gotten cheap. I bought 390 watt panels for $125 last summer. Do you have AGM or flooded batteries? Either way, you really shorten their life if you run them below 50% of their capacity. In reality, and 100 amp hour flooded battery should only supply you with 50 ah. I have an off grid hunting camp, so I understand your issues. I have to disconnect my batteries when we leave because the crackheads will steal everything. I use a Bluetti power station, with a 24v system tied into it for expansion. This gives me a little over 7kw of usable power, and can just be put in the backseat of the truck for moving. I don't use solar panels, but will carry a small Honda generator if we will be there more than a few days. Good job running lights off of DC. That's much more efficient than AC.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

I’m glad you made the correction I realized after I published the video that I screwed that up. I’m still very new to solar. For my first solar set up I believe had AGM. After I burned out the first couple of batteries, a company sent me a 12 V. 300ah battery that I am currently using. I totally get your comment about the crackheads. I don’t understand why people can’t keep to themselves. I hated putting in my security system, but it was definitely needed. Thank you so much for all the information you provided.

[@jdollar5852]

@@karlsoffthegrid1378 my 1977 GMC hunting truck, painted camo, wouldn't cranking one morning. I got ready to jump it off and discovered they had stolen the battery! Probably a 5 year old Walmart battery. I don't even lock the truck. If they want to steal the factory AM/FM they can have it. We keep an old "box" TV with a built-in VHS player and they haven't stolen it ... yet. All paper plates and we carry everything with us when we leave. What's really sad is that the little house sits about 100 yards off of a major 4 lane state highway in Alabama and is easily visible.

[@scottc8152]

Nice set-up Karl. You may want to test the signal booster for how much RF radiation you have introduced into your environment. You may want to relocate that as far as possible from your living area while still being able to get the signal you want. Distance is your friend with RF radiation. Any transmitter (baby monitors, cordless phones,...) puts out RF rads. FYI.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@scottc8152 that’s great to know! The plan is now that I have a shower house directly out of the back of the cabin, I’m going to transfer all of my solar into that building. Thanks for the heads up.

[@athastolarz6869]

Karl! Hope all is good! Happy New Year! We will finally have a new video soon. I would love to buy my husband that sweatshirt for his birthday where did you get it?

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@athastolarz6869 Happy New Year! My wife gave it to me for Christmas last year. She said it was advertised on her Facebook account and she can’t recall where it came from. here is a link to a similar one. I hope this helps. m.media-amazon.com/images/S/sash//cxfxW9mXeoKT4Ys.svg

[@athastolarz6869]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 ya those adds get ya

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@ my wife just found the company that made it. They were called “rugged Legacy”. Evidently they sold out and they are no longer in business.

[@athastolarz6869]

@karlsoffthegrid1378 thank you both for looking

[@DiasFrugalLife]

😂 right!?! The idea vs Reality… very different. 😊 thank you for sharing.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@DiasFrugalLife thank you for taking the time to comment. Have an awesome week.

[@TeutonicNordwind]

Nice, adequate little set-up! We are planning on retiring to our off grid cabin so I wanted to put a bit beefier of a system in and five years in, it has been great! If one buys good efficient panels and push your personal budget limits on as big of a panel array as you can withstand, it is well worth it as even in daylight like you had in the video, that large surface area will collect more energy than a smaller panel array so days like that, we are still charging. We installed 18 250w panels (4,500w). Our system is 48v and we actually have 24 lead-acid 6v/235ah deep cycle batteries (like "golf cart" batteries).The batteries are wired in three "strings" of 8 batteries each. I built a small, well-insulated, propane heated (in winter) shed to house the batteries and electronics. Have a back-up 10kw hybrid gennie that runs on propane or gasoline.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@TeutonicNordwind thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I could talk to you for hours, lol. Like I said in the video, I am definitely not an expert so I greatly appreciate information like you shared with the channel. it sounds like you’re living the dream!!

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I'm 76 & built my own house. I installed 3 separate electrical systems, 12-volt, 120 vac and 120 vac emergency outlets. The emergency outlets are operational only when either all-house backup generators (2) are running. I'm still grid tied, but use wind power and 12-volts for lighting.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@WhatDadIsUpTo you’re a smart man! Thanks for sharing the information on your set up. I love hearing things like this. I’m constantly learning.

[@Tom-x3m9g]

Yeah, if you don't have any power lines to hook up to the grid then some solar panels and a generator is the only way to go. But to me, it doesn't make sense, I'd rather pay 100 bucks a month and not have to worry about how much power I'm using. I've seen systems costing thousands of dollars, no thanks! I can pay my electric bill for years and not have to do anything else. A generator would be great for a backup plan. I watch a lot of people building tiny houses and cabins on a utility trailer, just for camping, what's wrong with just using cheap lanterns and a Coleman stove and a buddy heater. Why put plumbing in and run wires and all that stuff. Use a bucket with kitty litter for a bathroom and some jugs of water, etc. people are missing the whole point. more money than brains. I could build a cabin on my utility trailer and put everything in it I would need for under a thousand dollars.

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@Tom-x3m9g yeah I guess it’s up to every individual to do what is best for their situation. I guess after having the Cabin for a little while everyone kind of figures it out. Sounds like you have a great set up. Thanks for sharing.

[@MHawkeye]

comfort, if youre satisfied with cat litter, dont use plumbing if youre satisfied with lanterns, dont use bulbs the only people spending thousands are people who need more power and are paying more than $100/m on their bill, those who are buying new/name brand stuff and the ones who didnt do their research and are buying random stuff.

[@jasonmacphail8596]

Tesla solar battery bank system probably lasts the longest, can buy solar shingles for yr roof shingles to brother

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

@@jasonmacphail8596 thanks for the info!!

[@jasonmacphail8596]

Go with all Elon musk solar stuff, he has the best everything, probably lasts the longest to.

[@maggie663]

Great video!!

[@karlsoffthegrid1378]

Thank you very much, ma’am