Small Budget Solar System: Off-Grid Living Made Affordable

Are you looking to power your off-grid life without breaking the bank? In this video, we’ll show you how to set up a small budget solar system that’s perfect for off-grid living. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to upgrade your current setup, our easy-to-follow guide makes solar power accessible and affordable for everyone.
What You'll Learn:
Affordable Components: Discover the best budget-friendly solar panels, batteries, and inverters.
Simple Installation: Step-by-step instructions on setting up your system with minimal tools and experience.
Maximizing Efficiency: Tips and tricks to get the most out of your small budget solar system.
Real-Life Performance: See how our setup performs in an off-grid environment.
Why Choose a Small Budget Solar System?
Cost-Effective: Save money while achieving energy independence.
Scalable: Start small and expand your system as your needs grow.
Eco-Friendly: Reduce your carbon footprint with clean, renewable energy.
Join Us On Our Off-Grid Journey
We’ve been living off-grid for years and have learned a lot along the way. Our goal is to share our experiences and help you create a sustainable, affordable lifestyle. If you’re ready to take control of your energy needs and embrace off-grid living, this video is for you.
Watch Now!
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an update on our off-grid adventures. Share your questions and experiences in the comments below - we love hearing from our community!
#solar #Solarpowersystem #offgridliving #budgetsolarsystem #easysolarsystem
OFF GRID with Jay and Jen Apparel
www.bonfire.co...
Birdfy Smart Bird Feeders - www.birdfy.com...
Use Code HIJAYJEN for 15% off
Amazon Store Front ( shop here for all your amazon needs, same exact Amazon we just get a Small small cut!)
amzn.to/2XkTVlO
IBC tote adaptors amzn.to/3sifHcH
IBC tote/pool Filter socks amzn.to/3YJNzeU
Hand hammered Copper Sink: amzn.to/3KBFZKX
*Zendure Power Station zendure.com/pr...
*Birch Living Mattress - birchliving.co...
*Renogy Solar Panels amzn.to/3IkaDah
*Go pro Hero 9 - amzn.to/3KDx4bY
*Renogy Deep Cycle AGM battery amzn.to/3pZoOLk
*Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @offgridwithjayandjen
*Become a Patron / offgridwithjayandjen
* Find us on instagram for daily updates! offgridwithjayandjen
*Find us on facebook for daily updates www.facebook.c...
*Amazon Wish List
www.amazon.com...
We would love to hear from you!
5119 HIGHLAND RD # 221
WATERFORD, MI 48327-1915
(These are affiliate links. Any purchase made through these links will help support this channel- Thank you!)
Follow Us on Instagram at offgridwithjayandjen
Follow Us on facebook at / offgridwithjayandjenmi

[@automatedrussianbot8043]

energy independence is the future, i only have a 450w solar panel for now, and 3 kwh of batteries, but i can already survive power outtages for a long time. even if blackouts are rare it doesn't hurt to be prepared

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@automatedrussianbot8043 agree

[@zodszoo]

I 100% pay attention to the electrical usage requirements of pretty much everything now. I have tons of USB powered devices as well. I have 10 panels facing south, and 4 panels facing east with separate controllers. Capturing the early morning sun carries me through until the south facing panels start getting good sun. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Nice to hear.....I was curious about those who do the east and west facing arrays. My pole barn has kind of a weird angle to it and am interested in experimenting with something like you have

[@timkat630]

I put 200w panels East and 200w panels facing West.... i did this due to the tree shade when facing south, I get the most sun for this spot in the AM sunrise and sunset in the PM

[@chriswhinery]

​@@timkat630 I'm doing the same, picking up an extra 6 hours of sunshine every day.

[@chriswhinery]

I'm using just one charge controller for my east and west facing panels, with a circuit breaker for each side that I flip at noon.

[@user-hg2tk3xj9y]

Really appreciate you sharing your experience, I went with a 48v system with 10kwh of lithium phosphate, built my own ground mounts, picked up 10 used 365 watt panels from SanTan although I only use 6 of them for now, spent 5k dollars for everything including the wood, hardware, and wires...its been up and running now for 7mths and really happy with the results like you are. If you are a get er done kinda person.....solar is very doable...

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Best comment my friend.....appreciate you sharing your first hand experience with us too. Good stuff

[@Barracuda48082]

​​@@OffgridwithJayandJen sold my gettaway cottage in barbeau/cedarville on the river, UP. Sad days. Good to hear you are in the mitt.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

I am rebuilding an old mobile home on my property. I bought 2 power stations, Bluetti AC200 Max's. $1,900 for both of them. I have plenty of power for lights, cooking, and to charge up the batteries for my power tools. I use a USB fan at night when I sleep and it only drains the box 5% in 8 hours. You just plug your solar panels into them. Charge controller, inverter and everything else is included inside them. When I'm finished working on the place for the weekend. I pack it back up in my truck. 👍🏾

[@nickxcaliber7991]

How long they last? Thats what im worried about. If the batteries die in 5 years you got to drop another 2 grand. My light bill with ac is only 100 a month with central heat and ac keep it around 82 and fan running.

[@72Dexter72Manley72]

@@nickxcaliber7991 I paid less than your yearly electric bill for each of them. I bought 2 of them because they were so cheap. You get 3500 life cycles if drain them from 100% to 0 % battery drain every day. They have a LifePO4 battery inside them. That's almost 10 years of use. But nobody drains them down to 0%. So I'm estimating they will last over 20 years with normal use. Once those initial 3500 life cycles are used, that will have the battery at 80% of its remaining life left. So you would then be at 80% to 0% battery drain every day. Plus if you need power to go camping or to do some work in a remote area. Where are you going to get power that from ?. What power would you have if and when a power pole transformer goes out. Or the power company loses power during an outage ?.

[@freedomsailer]

Im on my 18th year off grid Jay speaks the truth, I agree simple is better love my 12 volt system ....

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Love it, thanks for the support

[@user-bf1uv5ch3u]

Yeah well you can still go cheaper &.48 v only way to go if u need 220v & wire cheaper with more v good luck God bless

[@elg281]

You got a place on grid?

[@freedomsailer]

@@elg281 nope this is all i have

[@cue881-yo7kz]

Great video! Solar panels should be on every house in America, in one form or another. Every little bit helps. I started with a small FFPower 505 power station and now I have several AC200P Bluettis and they have cut my electric bill down to $35 a month. They power my TV, Firestick, refrigerator, computers, fans, induction cooktop, coffee maker, pressure cooker and air fryer.You guys are doing great! Stay safe and God Bless!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Love to hear this......good work on your solar my friend

[@michaelhardy195]

EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Smart Extra 2 Battery and 12 KWH power t whole hiny cabin Good idea 👍😎

[@odahithedubious2017]

I recently saw a video where the solar system alone, without installation, was $48,000. That's lottery money right there. Those videos are interesting to watch, just to see the technology. I'll never have a system like that, though. It's like the Barrett-Jackson auction. I like seeing the cars, but that's politician-level money. Thanks for your great videos, you're realistic and a lot of fun to watch. All the best to you both.

[@Randomactivities2.0]

I want to build a small Harbor Freight tralier into an easy to move PV system that's plug and play. I'm better get started. 👍

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Good luck my friend

[@Randomactivities2.0]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen I'll need it. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@jdollar5852]

I have built a couple of small setups for barns, but, as you said, those SoGens are getting to be a great deal. I bought a Bluetti AC200MAX 2 years ago to run 2 deep freezers in the tackroom. I think I paid $1,800 or so. Those are now about $1100. I have 2 300+ watt panels run to and it has NEVER run down completely. I live in GA, so when it's hot, the sun is shining, and when it's cool and cloudy, the freezers don't run as much. I don't recommend that unit anymore because of the slow AC charging rate and loud fans, but it works. I paid $349 for a cheap lifepo4 battery on Amazon 2 years ago. Today, that same battery is $159. As EV car sales projections have plummeted, the price of all the lifepo4 battery items have dropped like a rock. With your battery setup, you could have double the available power for pretty much the same price today. I can run a 5k but window AC for about 3.5 hours with the AC200MAX if I don't hook up any solar. I haven't done a real-world test to see if I can run it all day with solar hookups, but it might do it. We have 13 acres of pasture running north-south, so sunshine is plentiful for me year-round. I really like the portability of the SoGens. I can have enough power to run a hammer drill, chopsaw, or air compressor way back in the woods. Good video showing how simply this can be done.

[@brendahogue5487]

Love and enjoy your videos. May the lord bless and protect you and Jen and working on the homestead. As long as you are happy with your solar system that's all that matters

[@cruikshank]

Thank you for a Solar Video for the common man. We aren’t off the grid and don’t have a lot of money. But feel strongly to have a system for when the SHTF. Even if just from system being taxed by a week of 95-100 degree days, the grid will go down. I just need to start collecting components. I’ll share what many may know already. Amazon Prime Days are in a week or so. Solar equipment prices will be at their lowest until Black Friday. Great time to buy new.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

All Good information. You are right about Prime Day....this is when we bought out batteries originally and you save big. We also have two or three sponsored videos coming this week to help push great deals on Prime day. Power Stations at fantastic prices

[@justiceleague1146]

Very informative! Thanks for sharing!

[@lorettaandjasonoffgrid]

Thanks for this guys. Very informative. We are getting closer and closer to making big decisions about solar. Step one....sell the house and get going! Lol I will be making note of this video to go back and watch again. Cheers!

[@Shelleys4Seasons]

You got this! I've been dreaming of going off grid for 9 yrs, finally bought the land. Only regret not doing it sooner!

[@db.mc2]

Thank you Jay and Jen 👍🏻 Hope all is going well my friends 🤞🏻 God Bless 🙏🏻 Appreciate you always 🫶🏻

[@yvonnelucas-cessna4458]

I don't care if I thought this video that you put out just now was about your building, lol, this one is just as important and very interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of these things with us.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@yvonnelucas-cessna4458 thanks for watching

[@user-rr9ll4oh5u]

I appreciate your information, thanks...David

[@grahamevans9427]

Hi guys, what an absolutely fantastic and informative video. It makes change to listen to someone that doesn’t give you the bull thank you both very much from the uk

[@michaelkodatt2139]

Awsome video. About half of my home is powered by solar, i started building my system about 15 years ago i upgrade as i can afford it. i really enjoy it and it gives me security knowing that if the grid goes down i can still have most of the comforts i enjoy. thank you for shareing your knowledge with us.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Glad to hear you enjoy it as much as I do....it is a really rewarding thing.

[@ADifferentKindofQuiet]

Great info…. Everyone needs to figure out what’s best for their needs. Research combined with some trial and error will teach you a lot . After all we are in it to become more SELF sufficient. Keep up the videos

[@dlansburg2673]

Great advice,I get by with a little less but your system is more powerful,my long term plan is to have another separate small system,thanks

[@stevenfrazier8939]

We live in south west Michigan and are 100% off-grid. We have a LuxPower 12 kilowatt inverter with built in solar charger, We also have 14.6 kilowatts of Bi-Facial solar panels and 60 kilowatts of DIY LifePO4 batteries. Anyone can do this, We have about $20K invested and yes that is a lot, but when or neighbors are without power we are not.

[@MichaelBrown-sh8yh]

Yup that's right.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

This sounds like a great set up all around.....we are doing some solar upgrades pretty soon....I'm pretty excited about it

[@stevenfrazier8939]

That is great, i-am excited for you.

[@macguyver8698]

SCRAP YARDS ARE THE CHAMP FOR BATTERIES AND WIRE😊😊 do not forget to EMP SHIELD YOUR EQUIPMENT JUST ADD A COPPER MESH INSIDE 100% AND DOUBLE GROUND.

[@3hwoodworks]

It’s wonderful to see you guys reach 50k subs. Thats absolutely outstanding….cant wait till you guys make 100K👍

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@3hwoodworks thanks :D

[@TheSilmarillian]

Hello from remote rural off grid solar and wind Australia its taken me 10 or so years after moving from the coast and the cities and started with a very small system and not much knowledge was an interesting learning curve indeed. Now three bedroom house workshop and sheds 240V through inverter 24V , separate battery bank for 12V LEDS 4 lighting , good people its doable and not for tens of thousands of dollars but I digress, have been told I do so good people, I will see myself out. May I add you can never have 2 many panels its like 1 can never have 2 many clamps in the workshop. My system main cost is batteries but they are coming down at a rapid rate does solar and wind work? only those who have never look outside of the box will gather the shadow of their social programming and never try It , it works has been an interesting journey left the cities on the coast 10 year's or so ago have not looked back and doubt not doubt but know I never will, total outlay for the system I run now if I was 2 build it from scratch 2moro 4K plus change .

[@okiedoke6373]

Something else I would like to see people experimenting with especially in places that doesn't have a lot of groundwater is using the solar to condensate the air there are systems out there being developed to bring water out of the air because of the humidity although you don't want to use an air conditioner you can employ one to make water and they can make a lot of water something in a very short amount of time

[@okiedoke6373]

And I am in full agreeance with you on lead acid there are so many headaches associated with lithium of any sort versus the Simplicity of lead acid if you're drawing your lead acid down to 50 or 60% that is going to dramatically increase the life of them you just have to have more of them so your storage capacity will have to be bigger I can get four lead acid batteries and have basically the same capacity of 100 amp hour lithium and I can do that for 3 to 500 dollars

[@g.eeducation251]

Thanks for the info. Keep up the good work.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks, will do!

[@reneezimmerman4907]

Hows the new air conditioner working for you guys?

[@TheJamesKF]

I love your setup. I feel that most anyone who has some space should make use of solar where possible. There are lot of off the shelf solar battery banks and so on that can get you and your family through a longer power outage. I always have one or two generators handy but that can be a deep backup option if you get serous with soler first. I'm just getting into it and look forward to learning!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Totally agree

[@williamsanford7472]

Thanks for sharing.

[@SusanLarrabee]

Thank you for the video! I just bought my first solar panel and battery/converter. So far so good.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Awesome

[@tat255987]

Sure is, my first year in my cabin I "lived on a 100W panel and a lead acid deep cycle. It was enough to run my biga$$ Dometic chest fridge/freezer, nature's head compost toilet and charge my devices

[@djrtime1398]

Great info. I’m looking at a combo solar controller / 5500 watt inverter. You can set priority to generator/ utility or solar or battery. It’s either that along with a lithium battery bank and solar panels with a 3500 watt inverter generator for backup, or the largest power station with an add on battery bank for our off grid family lodge. Thanks for all you do in getting real world info out.

[@MidwestOldman]

Yes, Exactly, Solar can be used, for not spending a ton of money. I've been using solar for over 3 years, not whole house, but have 12 volt lights, throughout my basement & main floor if my house, that is in the city, also have 2000 watt, Renogy pure sign wave inverter, run washer, when have good sun, being i just have 2- 100ah agm batteries. It is nice to get a email every month from Consumers, saying that my Electric use is less than efficiency houses in my area, and my house was built in 1946, with original windows.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Love hearing stuff like this.....awesome job

[@FloridaPreppers-mh7vl]

I just want enough to keep a well going and 1 room in the house with lights and internet going this going to be my next project over the next few months

[@joselongoriasix]

I used those type of panels to feed my 15 group 24 wheelchair gel batteries on my "in line" in my system. I get a new set (batt's) every year and the old ones that are good go to my power wall and connect to their own $10 charge controler from china and controlled with battery bank 1&2 switches that bring their power to my inverter feed line "going out". My batteries only touch each other when switched onto the feed line "going out". I only use it when the grid is down to power my home like early this month when the hurricane went through my power was out for a week. I live in Texas and the power been out multiple times already this year. I have yet to find anyone doing what I do but I'am glad to see someone showcasing the smaller systems and a viable solution for the regular person that doesn't have deep pockets.

[@bradm6826]

Wow that is so awesome . Is there a way you can show a wire diagram or drawing I love the sound of your setup but i can't figure out the bank 1 and 2 switches . I would appreciate any help and thank you for the information you have already provided.

[@johnkirby6547]

Lol Jay. Enjoyed the video as always. Can't wait to see the shed build series 🙌

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Video should be up Wednesday! .are sure your notifications are turned on!

[@timkat630]

Great summary and good information - I liked the important sun nugget at 8:42

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Silly I know, LOL. I giggle when I see solar projects from other deep in the woods and heavy tree canopy......Sun trickles through the leaves and people wonder why their solar isn't working well, =)

[@shelzmike]

I have never heard the word lossages before 😂. Seriously though, I absolutely want to get to as reliant on solar as possible; however, cost is obviously a challenge. This has inspired me to start somewhere. I have a good backup with a portable generator however it does not have enough to run our well pump. If I can get started just running the well pump off of solar alone and then build off of that I think I'll be happy and that's a reachable goal.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

My brain works in mysterious ways......it's so advanced in its functioningality that it creates words that need a place in our language. Guilty as charged 😊 I'm glad you are going to start though.....it is an addictive hobby or lifestyle once you start using solar. Best of luck my friend. P.S. yes it was done on-purposely 😆🤣😅😂

[@suezaple4950]

Thanks Jay this was very useful information, good to know that one doesn't have to spend an arm and leg for a set up like yours.

[@chriswhinery]

If you want to get really good sun for your panels, set half of them east and the other half west. I pick up an extra 6 hours of hard sunshine every day, as opposed to a strictly south facing arrangement.

[@probingmatters]

Can you summarize what's needed for a complete solar system and where you recommend getting the items at the best prices?

[@donnaclarke8595]

Got my Ecoflow 2 with panels for little over 600 with 3yr warranty. And 250 watts panels $ 50 each brand new off Fb market.

[@plavonica]

That roof mounting method will save me a lot of holes in the roof. Securing the panels to a board that's spaced off the roof instead is a great idea. Less holes in the roof are less chances that the holes leak.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Very true. I have 4 lag bolts holding on the larger 2x8s and that's it..the 2x4s are all just screwed to those. 😊👍

[@sgtcote1]

Over a year ago I decided that I needed to build an off grid emergency power system. I initially built a simple 400 watt system on a small frame in the ground. This year I built a firewood shed that has my new 600 watts of pannels mounted to a hinged frame on the south facing wall of the shed. All the wiring passes through conduit into the house where I built a rack to hold my (4) 4DLT tractor batteries. I OPTED FOR lead acid as lithium freaks me out to be in my home. Granted lead acid has there own safety concerns, and Maintance requirements but I'm ok with that for now. Hopefully, in a few years I'll upgrade. My inverter is a 2k pure sign inverter and my charge controller is the Renogy rover 40a. Oh my complete setup is Renogy.. eventually my 12v setup will be upgraded to 24volt when I save up for a new 24v inverter. I had thought of putting pannels on my whole roof but I decided simpler was better.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Sounds great my friend

[@richeyharris1408]

I use 12 volt water pump as well and rain water collection

[@christinagardener1889]

Good point about how important sun is to a solar system.

[@zaaz1471]

awesome - trying to build a system of our own.. just had geothermal heating/cooling put in.. and want to use the solar to offset the electricity cost.

[@Ms.Frankenbuilder]

I also stick to a 12 v system, have a small property with 3 different small solar setups for sheds. Good video.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Awesome....thanks

[@airman6822]

Good work guys. Right now, since we are weekend warriors, I take my power station (Ecoflow Delta Pro) home and charge it from the grid and it usually lasts the weekend when I go up. Eventually I'll get panels when we spend more time up there.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Charging with the sun makes it really fun. Great to have portable and convenient power I bet

[@barntt]

Only if money was NO object. DIY normally cost 1/3rd! Thanks for this info

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

There are sacrifices to be made to live differently....that's for sure

[@muchtested]

Thank you, I'm glad I took the time to watch this.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Glad it was helpful!. 😊👍

[@Ryan-jl6zf]

New follower, great video. I would be very curious to see how you have the transfer switch actually wired up and also how everything feeds into your house and gets distributed in there. We are getting ready to build, currently in an rv and totally on solar using a 3000 watt growwatt, 10 panels and 4 batteries and its been great!!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Have a bunch of videos, but I think the one that shows it the best is where I did a review and hook up of some dabbsson power stations.....it kind of explains and shows our set up inside.

[@chuckjones8565]

Possibly looking to move to our tiny off grid cabin in the Yoop! Just trying to get some ideas and solutions Thanks for the quick response

[@macguyver8698]

Thank you sir.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Most welcome

[@davidpatrick1813]

Mine works well, expanding too

[@daviddowding4489]

I just seen your ryobi one+ battery charger. That is what we use.

[@brianandlynphilippines]

I live remotely in the Phils, with no solar stores or installers available. We have blackouts almost daily. I started with a small power bank, now just bought a bigger one 400W lithium "solar power bank". But that does not even allow my tv to turn on. Anywhose, since there seems to be no person I can pay to set me up solar here where I live, I am forced to find myself the skills on KZbin😂 Thanks for your videos

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

You can figure it out Brian if you keep at it.

[@jessesaffell9971]

Shoot for 5 grand when doing a diy system. Just in case you run into problems. Solid advice

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I think that is a very doable number.....and even better equipment now a days

[@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID]

A lot of people do not know this but that was a great idea to stay with the lead acid with the cold temperatures in Michigan... You absolutely cannot charge the life po4 lithium batteries when it gets into freezing temperatures without an alternative heat source keeping them warm...

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID very true.....if set up inside your full time residence then you are fine.....but many are part timers and vacation or hunting camps.....so it just doesn't work.

[@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen you took the words right out of my mouth

[@omarmohammed3990]

There are sodium ion batteries on the market now that work between -40C and 60C and tolerate being discharged to 0% without any negative effects. They are cheaper than lithium too. Hopefully the price should come down further too once there are more suppliers.

[@smirking8457]

The fact that you can now run the new mini splits directly from the solar panels when the sun is shining without needing batteries or an inverter makes getting into offgrid living much more affordable to jump into.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I agree. The cost of solar and all technology makes it way more possible

[@winterhomestead]

We have 12/425w ..48 v. System have lots of sun and we need a generator in mid winter which that part sucks.. But great spring summer fall and some winter

[@marikajohn6522]

We should stay with NEED. As all say want. No, simple is best. 😊😊

[@SugarcreekHomestead]

Thanks appreciate you sharing this info. We are just beginning our first solar set up and this was helpful!!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Awe, thank you for this...not necessary, but very much appreciated. I am happy this helped and make sure if you decide to build your own system you check out Will Prowse and his older build videos with simple solar blueprints.....it was a huge help for me.

[@SugarcreekHomestead]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen that’s awesome!! We will look up Will. It all seems simple then it doesn’t! lol!

[@randyk2904]

Awesome video and job . Nice place you built .Sweet

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks Randy

[@able880]

I live in the deep south U.S. - our skys are vary rarely clear like yours are - I worked in the power generation field for decades in the offshore and remote mountain oilfields - Down here if a solar panels average out put is 20% on a good day that's concidered excellent lol - But it will be followed by many days of 5 or 10% out put - Solar works well in many areas of the country put very poorly in other areas of the country -

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

This is a surprise to me.....I know out west they work well, but lots of sunshine in the desert as well as clear skies, all things to keep in consideration

[@able880]

Yes in the south west at times at noon day they generate 100% of there rated out put at 15% humidity - Even at 4 pm with panels laying flat on the ground I've seen them generating 80% of there out put during summer - there often used on microwave repeaters that pipeline company's use - In my area to use solar it can get deep and expensive for it to worth while -

[@able880]

Most know little about battery technology - There have been many battery technology's over the decades - AGM batterys down here at best will last about 10 yrs of daily service - That's about 3700 cycles at a 10% discharge rate - the acid will normally eat away at the positive terminal and it will will loose it's seal and the first cell tends to dry out after 10 yrs - so that cell is lost - In the industry we bend toward Gel Cells - they can hold up to 20 yrs of service and 10000 cycles at a 10% discharge rate - An AGM uses a acid strength of 1.350 gravity - so the acid is stronger in a AGM battery than In a Gel-Cell - The acid in a gel-cell is about 1.250 strength - so it's a weaker acid - They have 10 to 20% less capacity than AGM batterys but double the service life - Many that live on sail boats prefer that type of battery - also it's preferred in the telecommunication industry - There superior to AGM batterys in cycling and stand by service - many AGM batterys can handle minus 90° - were as Gel-Cells are good down to minus 50° F

[@LISAMillard-rl3pk]

great information ty and its ok to not comment lol, your a busy guy. I love my Bluetti power stations so I think I will go with it when time comes.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

We love our bluetti too Lisa......Best wishes my friend

[@vonheise]

Great information! There are two types of people, those who know and understand electricity, and those who don't. This video would cause my wife to turn it off and go watch stuff about medicine which I don't understand. I use AGM batteries in both our vehicles and our camper for similar reasons to yours, however, the most recent info I can find says that AGM can now be drained down to 80% and I have drained my camper to 70% once when boondocking with no obvious issues... "The amount of Depth of Discharge is also greater for an AGM. This is the amount a battery can be run down without damaging results to the battery. An AGM has a 80% depth of charge versus 50% for a lead acid. In summary, an AGM is by far superior for marine applications (and likely all other) than Lead Acid. Jan 29, 2024" The most recent one I bought three months ago for my hemi Ram was 100 Ah for 125 at Advance Auto Parts

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Nice

[@desireelrobertson4638]

THANK YOU....👍🏽

[@bruceofwayne4822]

Have 2 roof mounted wind turbines 150 watts each. They are loud and dont produce much but whenever the wind blows Im producing some power. Its sparatic power but it pairs with solar nicely.

[@jodyclark7527]

Thanks for sharing. Especially appreciate that you are in a cold region and relating your experiences. I live in South Dakota and am just getting started with solar. I feel that getting a bunch of panels on a roof is not smart because of snow covering them. I am gladto see a plan for a set up on the ground. I live in town and have regular electricity but saving money on utilities is an investment in yourself. What brand of mini split system have you installed? That is truly cool if you can run it on solar. Thanks. The Clark family.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Ground mount is the way to go in snow country, I have seen too Many folks on ladders and using long handle brushes to clear snow on You tube, dangerous stuff. Here is the video of the mini split install so you can check it out. Thanks for watching kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4WldnWOhLuKiJY

[@dragogoetz9592]

thank you for your smart info’s regards paul from germany

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

My pleasure!

[@davidpatrick1813]

Good report

[@vonheise]

Different folks have different needs, "Kyles Cabin" has more of a small farm, but his priority was a well and he spent a lot for it and still uses a generator to run the pump as they had no solar until they did an ad for an Ecoflow Delta . One has to use available finances and set their priorities over time. They live in North Minnesota and have beautiful lakes to visit. Remove this if you need or want to...

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I totally agree, we would have a drilled well here as well if we could get the truck up to the cabin.....but it would not be possible. Solar and having electric was more important to our needs.....so like you mentioned.....everyone is different

[@vonheise]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen Yes, and if for some reason, a well was your number one priority (If you had many animals to water and a huge garden, for example) you would find or make a way for the truck somehow.

[@mysterblue313setstfin9]

W upload

[@regenerativelifewayne]

Great video on diy solar ,I build my own diy solar also

[@deeward1557]

Thanks

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Welcome. Best wishes

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Welcome. Best wishes

[@CrickysCamp]

Nice vid bro, all well said.... I have the same thoughts, how much do we need, let's find a monetary number that serves in all directions...I get it... peace...PS, I need to clean and maintain panels, a rooftop system is tough on everything involved including people... Dude, you got your mojo down...enjoy

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks buddy.....I was addiment in having my panels close to the ground......roof top clearing was not something I was interested in. Really appreciate you watching. 😊👍

[@joshuaroe3021]

Thanks for the video. One suggestion though, move your solar panels!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@joshuaroe3021 lol, thanks......they work good where they are.

[@joshuaroe3021]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen bro, they are in the shade the entire video!

[@melinda5777]

Can you do a video of your electronic system in your house? I've never had an RV. How are you running your mini split....i think i was talking while your talking mini split. I would appreciate that.

[@denislosieroutdoors]

Great information at a perfect time for us... we spent a few days up at the woodlot in our trailer... found out quickly that our propane fridge used up a lot of electricity from our small setup (2 rv batteries 300watt inverter and 40watt panel), having a system quoted by a local company Cabindepot on a system... hopefully, I'll be here back from them soon. Thanks for sharing

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

You Need to watch 10 Of Will Prowse's older videos buddy. He has all the blueprints so you can learn and do it yourself. More Solar Panels and you will be happy

[@denislosieroutdoors]

@OffgridwithJayandJen at the moment, I'm probably gonna do the plug and play route for now. What do u think of that idea?

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@denislosieroutdoors plug and play is a great option....DIY Build is great if you have the time to spend building it.....but for a lot of situations the little extra cost for an all in one system it is worth it.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@denislosieroutdoors make sure the system you buy can accept a good amount of solar input, up to 150 volts of it, makes solar charging way better.

[@denislosieroutdoors]

@@OffgridwithJayandJen 150 watts? Or 150 volts?

[@richeyharris1408]

I'm in North Arkansas

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Too many people believe that they must have the same 100 or 200 amp service in solar as they would on commercial power. I think it's also a mistake to install solar so large that you can hopefully sell excess capability to the power company. Equipment to do that is sophisticated, expensive, and complex. Be more realistic than the solar installation company tells you what you "need" to have a useful and successful system. You don't necessarily have to do it all at once either. Get started with what you can get by on. You can add arrays and more inverters (what I call an array group) later when you can afford it. There's an economy of scale in a common system feeding one very big inverter. But it isn't so bad to have more but smaller units, especially when you consider that individual components can be switched around if any one array group fails. Your kitchen system can be run on another array group, just change components from the shop if necessary for example. You just need to design things the correct way to have that capability.

[@nahnotsomuch2292]

Crazy how much and fast the battery and power bank prices are absolutely plummeting. Which is awesome. Are you guys planning on upgrading to or adding any of the half cut cells or the bifacial panels to your setup at all?

[@brendafarrow3117]

When are you installing that wind generator they sent you ? Do you have to get solar system inspection and did they all pass ? Thank you when are you doing the barbecue having us over ? lol . Thank you ❤ Jay & Jen ❤

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

=) Ha......I think the companies that make wind turbines won't send us one.....because they don't work real well, LOL.

[@peter-hr1gl]

People definitely need to consider their needs regarding usage of electricity. Most of the time when you use electricity in your home you really don't think in terms of how many watts you use or more commonly Kilowatt hours (1000 wats). So your original array generating 1000 watts is 1Kwh (kilowatt hour). Look at anything you use that uses electricity and it will tell you how many watts are used on a label. Look at a hairdryer for example, it might be a 1000 watt (or higher) hair dryer. Just using that could use all the power your panels are generating. Conversely, with LED lights today, they may use just a few watts per bulb/light and you can easily run multiples of those. So there does need to be some understanding/calculation of the types of things you want to use and what electricity needs they will have when using multiple of the devices at once. The avg US household uses upward of 30Kwh of electricity daily. Many homes in the summer with multiple AC units in some parts of the country run 10 to 20 times that or more. My point being that people can't expect to install small dollar systems for solar and battery that will in any way mirror or match what they may use in a home. People have to be realistic and probably cut way back on certain elements of electricity usage depending on how much they can afford for their system. I appreciate your no-nonsense explanation and for the most part you do provide people with these cautions. One thing I noticed in this video is your original solar array on the shed was mostly shaded while the new array was in full sunlight. Is there anyway to mitigate that shade or was that due to time of day? If it's due to things like branches you may be able to cut those off and gain some solar generation. It's important as you indicated to maximize the number of hours per day your array(s) are situated to receive sunlight in order to maximize generation. By the way, I grew up in the western part of the UP of MI- true Yooper eh ! Ubetcha 😆

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I hear ya with the usages....climate and average use will change greatly depending on your location and family size and situation for sure. My only argument would be what uses all that power? Needs or wants? Are these numbers or averages actually accurate? When I was deciding to research going off grid, the Google told me the average water usage per person, per day in the US was 400 gallons. This made me question and doubt that I could sustain that amount of water consumption.....well after a little time and real life data collection.....I can say those numbers were ridiculous, and we don't sponge bath or do anything crazy to conserve, we just don't waste.....same with energy or electric. We still use all AC power.....have a fridge/freezer.....lots of lights and water pump....also have computers plugged in all day.....charging devices as well.....and only use what I have showed you. No secrets or craziness. So how can we live comfortably without 300kwh per day? I'm not being rude or complicated, just trying to make sure people know you can still live somewhat comfortably and not over consume. My system has its shortcomings and needs improving for winter uses....but 8-9 months a year we do well.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

The shade on the panels is from the pine tree I'm very attached to. It only blocks the sun during peak months where I don't really need more solar intake. Our batteries are full in 3-4 hours and cutting them down is not necessary

[@ocean1233]

Solar 💯💯💯💯🌞

[@morgansword]

Maybe when the world tips over more, (hopefully not) you will enjoy the long hours of daylight I have in the summer months. About a hour of dark and that is not really dark as not able to see, so I suffer in the heat of the days here in alaska. Best wishes for all there in Michigan. Ohio is under water and your still hauling it. Never a perfect world

[@MikeJones-im7ki]

That is good you did a good job

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks Mike

[@raymondj8768]

GREAT VISEO !!!!!!! Ive been thinking can i start small Id shur like to knock off $150.00 off my bill ! God Bless Brother !

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

You most certainly can buddy. I started learning and experimenting on our single battery and single panel down on our bath house......it is still sitting there just charging the battery, no problem. Work your way up my friend

[@senhorakprep]

Good job guys!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

THank you =)

[@davidperry6716]

Very informative. Thank you. Any thoughts on vertical mounted panels, especially during the winter when snow cover is an issue?

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

I think in winter they are a great option and if using bi-facial even better. I do know the two I have on my barn do not produce very well, but it all depends on your needs.

[@JackDavies-ge4nn]

I have three 100 w harbor freight panels. 2, 1000 amp marine batteries and a 5000 watt inverter it runs my house all day but only part of the night. I assume I need more batteries but don't know

[@BS.-.-]

$150-$200 for a charge controller puts you in the range of a Victron charge controller now, and they have useable data you can see. I also have a epever BN series and would just spend the extra $20 on a victron now.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@BS.-.- this is good to know.....when I bought this epever I think it was $229.00....And the victrons were significantly more money.... li don't remember how much. I'm glad to know they have become more competitive

[@jasonmeche8600]

Thanks. Jay. I have 1200 Sq ft house. And think I can go whit what u got

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

@@jasonmeche8600 awesome

[@garydavis786]

Yes, solar works! I have 600 watts of panels on my van and I started out with 200 watts with 1 Battery Born battery and then I upgraded to 300 watts solar then 600 watts solar and went from 1 battery to 6 Battle Born batteries. I am home based and have solar on my house but no batteries for the house. So, when the sun is not shinning, I make no power on my house, But, should the emergency arise, I do have the option of running an extension cord from my van to run some lights and the refrigerator in my house.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Very nice

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I work around needing batteries, charge controllers and such by direct connecting solar panels to small electric motors. The motors, running through belt transmissions I make myself, drive air compressors and I store energy via compressed air. Besides being handy on the homestead, compressed air also runs small(ish) air engines that I build (hobby) connected to generators. My main use of electricity is freezers. I have 5 and each one has its own generator. I also build wind turbines that compress air. I have approximately 2,000 gallons of air-storage capacity.

[@NYCamper62]

Greetings from Tug Hill NY. My array is in the woods & gets exposure from approximately 11 - 5. And so yeah it's not pointed directly south. I don't think I would trust a tracker system given the winters up here. But I do adjust the angles about 3-4 times a year. AGM here as well.

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

The snow might be a problem for you there....we get 110-140 inches on average per winter.....so we get good snow here too, but we are here to brush them off

[@curious736]

Well done!!

[@OffgridwithJayandJen]

Thanks