One Year Off Grid Solar Power System Update
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2022
- We have been running our Off Grid Cabin off of solar power for one year now! How is it doing ? Time for an update!
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Check out our 2 year update on our solar system here ua-cam.com/video/AbWNuEI2dx8/v-deo.html
Thanks for sharing your update! The Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series looks like a great option for off-grid power. I love that it has a massive capacity, fast recharging, and is waterproof. It seems like a reliable choice for outdoor adventures or home backup power.
We have a very similar system and have lived totally off-grid for nearly 9 years. With only a little more panel capacity we run a normal front-loader washing machine as well as two large fridges and an electric kettle during the day. A lot has to do with when you do things . On a sunny day, once the batteries are charged, the panels are idling, might as well use that power for washing, kettle, slow cooker and so on. One can do a lot with little just by adjusting one's life style a little.
.Awesome......very cool. I too think we could run more stuff but still working on adding comforts. Lol. People suggest wind turbines often to us, but our battery bank is often fully charged mid day, so no need for it. Glad to hear your system is treating you well for all them years.
@@OffgridwithJayandJen build a custom water tank with a ton of insulation get around r50-60. Make the tank 500 gallons and put a single or double water heater coil inside it. Once that things heated itll stay hot for a very long time. Like a few days. And you can shower or bath from it for a long time.
@@fajile5109 I like the rock wool not mineral wool for insulation as its great insulation, fire proof and sound proof and
easy to work with. You could wrap that around the tank and then get the water heater covers to put over it to hold
the insulation in place
yes excatly why letting good power go to waste
@@OffgridwithJayandJen a wind turbine is mainly usefull if you live a place where you get periods with very little solar , like here in Denmark in certain periods of winter , then one can charge the batteries with a vindturbine but i have learned a few lessons if you are gonna do the work of raising a tower or mounting it on a buliding make sure to get a model that actually produces power so its worth putting in the work of raising it, the most costeffetive turbines about 4-500$ i have found that actually produces the power they are rated for is the istabreeze series 1500w and 2000w models they have a very good pma good blades strong hub and housing but they have a few problems that can be fixed ( tendency to collect water in the pma housing over time ) drill a hole in the bottom and use a good sealent on the ends of housing, ,, so if you know somone that wants a turbine warn them about the 500w 1000w china turbines at the 200$ prizerange they are utter nonsence,, there are a 400w one that is good but there are so many low output copys
I would insulate the battery shed with like 3 inches of foam, the inverter and the solar charge controllers should generate enough heat to keep it below freezing, if not add a DC heater ,the dc heater will dry up the moisture and keep the battery relatively warm. Good job on your set up
22 years off the grid in Hawaii. Simple system, simple needs. Propane for most appliances. Water from the roof.
Yes...yes....and yes. Totally agree
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jay! First for being realistic! Second for calling out the BS that so many people buy into with unrealistic, unattainable off grid homesteads. 90% of us are everyday folks like you and Jen and we are striving for simplicity, sustainability and tranquility. So many people are bamboozled by the glitz and glam of unrealistic off grid channels on YT. I don't get it. I appreciate channels like you and Jen because I can learn and apply it to what's realistic for me. Thank you! Love y'all! ❤️🇺🇸❤️ Side note: have you two though about burying one of those caged IBC totes to act as a cistern? I saw a guy in Ohio bury something similar, utilizing a small 12 volt pump. Of course the lines above ground would still need winterized and insulated. Just a thought. Y'all take care! 😊
Love it my friend......appreciate you being here and GETTING it, lol. Nothing wrong with fancy if that's what you want.....but in most eyes simple is what we are looking for like you said. We do have a few of the IBC totes we are using around the property for water. would love to bury one close to the cabin. Check out our video about rain catchment we put out a few weeks ago. the setup we did is just temporary but part of the long term water plan. Best wishes
@@OffgridwithJayandJen Amen sista friend. I saw the rain catchment vid. You guys did an awesome job on that too....as per usual! 😀 Often times in my life I find primitive and rudimentary are the shortest and least resistant routes from point A to B....also less headaches. 😀 BTW the solar set up is amazing IMO...practical and AFFORDABLE! Y'all take care! ❤️🇺🇸❤️
@@silvursprings woot woot 😊😊😊
Couldn’t have said it better. Right to the point. Jay and Jen are doing a great job. Simplicity at its best.
@@silvursprings as soon as you put an expensive "off-grid" system you are no longer off-grid because the idea is also for the stuff to be easy to disassemble and moved to a new location if need be not to require a dozen of professional tradesmen to put everything back on. I think a lot of tradesmen on YT who already have workshops with expensive kit have switched to off-grid theme to attract more audience but their DIY is not really DIY. It's more to make you jealous and add tools you can get around. Once everyone has corded electric tools then they came up with cordless and people keep updating.
Jay and Jen, Simple and efficient =effective. Your approach to this whole effort has been a fun thing to watch and very informative. Some of the “architectural digest” off grid properties are amazing but have to be outlandishly expensive. Yours is what most people would aspire to. Great job.
Thank you......fancy is nice if the pay check is there.....but the average person has limitations. thank you for your kindness
Hey Everyone....Thanks for all the Support and comments here on this Video. I'm sure it has helped someone in some way. If you want to see how we have started our journey and built this Off Grid Cabin check out our Timelapse videos to catch you up. Here is a couple of our more popular videos.....ua-cam.com/video/ssRh3qPgRQU/v-deo.html or ua-cam.com/video/VvnUkWU7mMw/v-deo.html
I will be checking all of them out. We are seniors now, but followed "Mother Earth News" many years ago and intended to build an underground house, however off grid was not practical back then, remote work didn't exist, and kids came along, and... and, we are seniors now. 🙄
@Kenneth G. Jr thank you my friend.....life sneaks up on us all.....crazy fun stuff, lol
All that water is a heat load mass. You should put it inside. Then you can help normalize your interior temps AND have water that's not frozen.
Afterthought, you can add a tiny 12V fan to blow air around your interior tanks to ensure the air inside and the water containers are exchanging heat. That would keep the entire interior equalized.
I loved the simplicity of your approach.
Congratulations
I like how Jay get straight into the Costing of building the system unlike other, making the costing a mystery. it pisses me off for someone who wanted to build the system to save money, as it is an important information. Thank You for not shy of revealing the costing for the system. Supporting your work.
I hate that too Lawrence.....makes no sense to not talk about price.
Hi Jay & Jen I think you are both the most honest people regarding the ups and downs of achieving your Off Grid Dreams. Keep up the great work.😀👍
Thanks Liam....hope some can learn from our journey and sharing it. 😊
Thanks for the info Jason, It gives us on-grid peeps hope that we can do this if we put our effort and dollars toward it.
Thanks Trudee..... you might even be able to get away with less if you wanted. Just depends on your needs. Best wishes my friend
Thanks Jay!!! That was awesome!!! You did a great service to all that think they can't... you both are so inspiring. Love you both... I'm so so so happy for your new bedroom you have... I bet your bodies feel so much better now with sleeping in a real bed!! Keep up the good work you two favorite people!
lots of Love my friend......thank you for sticking with us and all your support along the way.
That bed is so cozy I missed getting a video out last week....I snoozed right through it, lol
Impressed, you did the research, made the purchases, and installed the system. I've researched for the last couple of months trying to figure the best route to implement a solar sys at my cabin. I've priced every option from kits to individual device purchase. You did great, and had the guts to move forward. Loved the informative video.
Thanks LL....really appreciate it. These all in one systems you ee often make solar easier for newbies like us. If I didn't want to force myself to learn they make a lot of sense and hook up easier. Will prowse reviews them often.
New subscriber here and I just wanted to thank you for sharing this solar experience as well as being so real about what it's capable of. Looking forward to more of your content.
Awesome....welcome Lisa. We try and keep things real here so hope you enjoy our channel and find some videos you are interested in. Lots of playlists if you want to narrow it down a bit. Thank you for watching and subbing.
I love the honesty and care you put into what you do. So happy you guys keep doing UA-cam.
Thank You Corey......Sharing Real life, Hoping it helps and encourages others. Best wishes
Thats a sweet set up, Maybe you should build a root celler on the side of the hill for food storage and or do something similar for your water situation, maybe an underground tank(s) so the water doesn't freeze.
Nice system guys. Your absolutely right about some of the big expensive systems. We have a 2 kw system at our off grid cabin and it runs our well, fridge, freezer, lights fans and even and ac unit for 4-5 hours. Over the last 3 years I think it has come close to paying for itself. Keep up the great work!
Very cool.....I sit with my jaw dropped to the floor when I see some of these systems.
So it runs for 4-5 hours, then what? Everything off for hours until your batteries charge?
@@ghosthunter152 usually 4-5 hours is good enough to keep my cabin cool enough. But I can also run the ac a little longer with generator and charge the batteries at the same time.
Another Awesome video y'all. We appreciate the breakdown and realistic view on the system. Just like you said, some other channels almost make you feel bad if you don't have the latest greatest 20K system. Keep going and sharing. Thanx again... Be Safe!!
Thanks guys.....you keep it up too. Hope you are finding the time to work on the cabin...Best wishes
Your doing an amazing job, Jay. Keep up the good work. We look forward to watching each week.
Thanks for keeping me going......appreciate ya
That’s fantastic love your setup, just got done setting up an off grid garage with 6 solar panels producing 1,200 watts of power and love it.
I’m vicariously excited for you!!!!! One day I’ll be on board myself!
It is exciting to know you have built something that is self sustaining in a way. Very satisfying
😊👍
I want to thank you for this encouraging video report on your solar system. I am also put off by the high ticket systems featured by some UA-camrs. They are out of our price range. I live in western Pennsylvania and am installing a solar system similar to yours. I am putting in 1200 watts of solar panels on the roof of our woodshed, which is about 2 feet from the corner of our house where the electric service panel is located. I have a 60 A MPPT solar charge controller, 200 AH of 24 V LiFePo4 batteries, and a 2500 W inverter, hardwired to an interlocked breaker in our service panel. I intend to use this system for backup power for our water pump, refrigerator, cell phones, router, radios and a few lights. I hope to double the size of our battery bank later this year. Thanks again.
I think this is the best comment I have read in a good while.....im happy to see others going for it. If you have good sun exposure you will be very happy and impressed with what you can power with that simple set up. Let us know how it goes. 👍
Thanks for great video! 👍 When building next expanse for the Solar system, after the batteries, use a ground mount system to east- west with 30-40 degree angle both sides. (Will generate mid day production and also will help with snow sliding down during winter)
P.S. You can buy solar clamp mid and end clamp tops and then use screws to fix them to the wood frame that you can make yourself according to the PV panels. 😉
Nice....sounds awesome
It is amazing how two of you did so much. The saw mill is expensive, but saved you a lot in the long run. There are now lithium batteries with built in heaters, or you could insulate the shed well and put a heater in it, or as you said in the house itself with the wood heat. I use the self heating batteries on my camper, but rarely camp in weather below 20° F. My brother could not get power for a couple years to a house they built in the Oxarks, and they ran an old wash machine off a fairly small generator and and used a solar hot box to provide heat to a small clothes dryer to tumble the clothes. Snow melts on a wood stove for water. When no snow, I have no idea other than bigger tanks to store more water.
Thanks kenneth.....ya the sawmill was a good investment, I have a video about it coming out soon so keep an eye out for that. Best wishes
Thank you, great video! I'm disabled and trying to fullfill a dream I've had for many years of starting a homestead, and have been trying to see what my options are... I really appreciate your realism, I don't expect to live a life of on grid luxury but some say that a refrigerator is too much for a solar panel array... It's nice to know that not every naysayer is true
Hey my friend.....don't let the dream killers stop ya. I had a master electrician and generator business owner both tell me solar was a waste of time and I would never be able to run a cabin on it.....well my system has taken very good care of us. I'm sure at some point we will have 10 days of poor weather and I will have to charge the batteries with the generator but not daily like I was told. So far so good.
This is such a great informative video. This helps me out a lot. We’re considering building our own off grid cabin to live in full time and I have been looking into solar. I like your thoughts on using propane because I feel the same way. You still have to buy the propane. What if you can’t buy propane?
Thanks Jeff, I completely agree. Sure no system is flawless, but to buy an appliance where the initial investment is high only to buy fuel to run it doesn't make much sense
Look into wood gasification. This is how we'll need to create combustable gas if Nat/Propane is not available. Its inefficient and dirty, but its gas that will burn similar to propane when the Sun drops a nut directly at us, or these communists/luciferians in control of the big toys flip the switch.
Same goes for BITCOIN FYI. How are you or anyone gonna do anything with bitcoin when there is no electricity as even solar systems will fry in an EMP, regardless of who its from, Man or the Sun or 'the aliens' as they sure want you to buy into that myth.
So what is the contingency if you can’t buy gasoline either?
@@campcreekhill8933 I think about that more and more these days. I mean we use a lot of gas around here for building tasks and putting up firewood. If I were to cut back and only use what I have in reserve I think I could cut firewood for a year or two. But only run the chainsaw. No more luxury of riding the side by side around the property. Would like to slowly upgrade all my tools to battery power, but they are not in the budget at the moment. Like I mentioned in the video I have not had to use the generator to charge my solar but once, and they was just as a precautionary
@@OffgridwithJayandJen I think if we ever get to the stage where we can’t buy propane or gasoline then we have got a few more issues to worry about than just that!
Dude, your doing great!!! I'm one of the guys that went all out on solar, everybody has their personal usage and needs. You've done well for you. I'm a new subscriber.
Awesome buddy, thanks. I didn't want to come off as bashing the big systems.....just wanted everyone to know they didn't need to go that route if not needed...like you you said, all about the needs. Best wishes and thanks for subbing
Thanks for all the great info.
Money well spent, like your t-shirt 😁😁
😁😁😁
Thank you! This is within my scope! So kind of you to explain all this solar setup. Looks wonderful, and quite sufficient for the good life. Cheers.
Welcome my friend. Hope you too can make something work for you. Best wishes
Excellent. Well done! I'm a first time viewer. It's so good to see a system that works very well for your needs without selling all of your body parts to do it. My wife and I are retired. We have been living overseas in Portugal for almost a year. We are moving back to the states for the next part of our adventure. We are planning to do something similar to what you have done with an off-grid place of our own. 👍 I'll stay tuned. Thanks!
Awesome glad you enjoyed the video and set up. Sounds like you and the misses living the life and got a plan. Enjoy and appreciate the support, we have our whole journey here at our property for the past few years on a Playlist if you are interested check it out. Thanks guys and best wishes
I like that you have kept your project very simple and practical.
Thanks Roger
😀👍
Very good information. Myself being a electrician I have a good understanding of this system but folks who don't have the training I have. This is excellent
Thanks Bryan.....glad you enjoyed the video. I have a little.bit of electrical knowledge with my day to day, but primarily just tracking down shorts and replacing the part.....not a licensed electrician by far. Thanks for watching
Fantastic. Your channel should continue to grow quickly. Long time subscriber, and love how “real” your channel is. My wife and I have discussed starting a channel for years as we are doing the same stuff ( just installed our solar) but decided our channel would look identical to yours so we will just continue watching you and Jen. Nice work!
Ha, thanks Guys. I'm telling ya it is a lot of work running a channel. Jen and I would be farther along if I wasn't working it so much....BUT WE LOVE IT and all you guys so it keeps me going. Share some of your stuff with us on facebook if you use it....we love to see everyones stuff. I'm not on there super often but like to see others projects too. Thanks for all the support here Mike and the misses
Hi Jay & Jen! How are you guys? So Happy to see your video today!Thank you for the Solar System info. I really appreciate you giving us the information about how to find and buy land. Thank you Jay!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻Blessings, Laura
Hey Laura......we are doing great. 😊 hope you are doing the same.
Thanks guys for that recap on your solar !! Very informative for sure , have a great weekend
Thanks buddy....not a super exciting video I guess, lots of yaking, but lots of people ask about this stuff 😀
Thank you so much for making this video! My family and I are looking into solar for our future off grid cabins, we’ll be living in tiny cabins together on the same property and I think this type of set up would be close to what we want to do! Super informative, appreciate it!
So glad I Could Help. I'm working on doing another update for our system soon and will try to show it again in even more detail with a two year update. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the good thorough review of your affordable system.
My pleasure!
Frugal and functional is exactly how I'd have done it kudos👍✌
Why complicate it. Right???
Great to see what you are doing! I was using 6 Trojan AGM deep cycle 305AH batteries with 2 BZ 500 watt mppt charge controllers and a Xantrex 1800 watt pure sine inverter. Batteries lasted about 6 years. Now doing EcoFlow delta pros. Love being off grid! Glad you are enjoying it too!
Awesome, glad to hear your old system took care of for 6 years. Hope the eco flow systems last a long time for you.
Thank you for sharing, you are true people in true life and you have accomplished so much by you own.
Thank you for your kindness my friend.
Thanks Jason you explained the workings and price better than anyone I have watched. So thanks .
Thanks Shirley for being here. Best wishes
Great solar system explanation there eh! Exactly what I'm needing in the future when the time comes I will re-watch ur solar series thanks for sharing
Thanks buddy. I'm not perfect at all the fine details but I can help a bit. Will prowse can help with the details., lol
This is exciting! Thank you so much for sharing your journey!
Thanks and welcome......hope it could help
We have been on sloar power only(48v system) for 1 1/2 yrs now. Had some issues in the beginning, but all in all, are happy with it now. We do have quite a bit more $ in our system but with our requirements that's ok. Without any more issues it will pay for itself in 3 1/2 more yrs. Power goes out pretty often out here in the Big Bend area, again last night, but not for us. Good video you have done, informative and straight forward. Well done.
Very nice BE.....good to hear others having good success too with solar. Nothing wrong with building a system to your needs.....it is actually the best way lol.
Very interesting and educational, really helps with understanding how solar system works and costs.
Thanks David
I think you should be proud of your achievements. You guys are a wealth of information for me. I have a small camp over near Manistique Lakes. I appreciate seeing people work and succeed in a very similar area to mine. And, you are right in that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to do it
Thank you Aaron.....so glad we can help in some ways. Manistique lakes like Indian lake? We really enjoy that area. Best wishes my friend
@@OffgridwithJayandJen outside of Germfask / Curtis area near Seney
Jay, we watched this at our off grid cabin while eating dinner.
We liked :1) your sponsor is relevant to the channel-kudos for that. We will check out the site 2) You relating your solar to what you use. Amazing to see you run a fridge on it with no issue or generator help. 3) your haircut 4) that you did that wiring project all for the dogs.
We did not like/ no Jen(we miss Jen). But another great video.
Thank you so much Guys......you are too funny. Jen was teaching classes while I filmed this....otherwise my price is right girl would have been there to point and wave at each piece of equipment, giggle giggle
There are floating electric water heaters. Pit one in a tank or barrel and keep it full of snow for winter water. If it is outside just wrap your container with insulation. In Canada that is how we kept the cattle trough clear in the winter in my younger years.
Smart....will look into that. Thanks 😊
That conduit made a neat looking job out of the whole solar system!
LOL.....wish I could have burried it, but that darn tree. Best wishes my friend
I have a solar installation company in Jamaica, your system is good as long as it covers your needs, that's a good build and I like it
Very nice, cool to hear it from someone who works in the business. Thanks for watching and best wishes
You guys are doing awesome !!! And your systems work great. Be proud you guys !!! 😀
Thank you very much
Love the simple setup. Do yourself a favor and get a low voltage disconnect. Will save your batteries if you aren’t around for an extended cloudy period.
Great idea.....thanks BFG
Thanks for telling it like it is - the good, bad, and the ugly. I like your frugal ways.
Thanks Philip, making it work.....and on a budget
THANK YOU! For sharing the reality of what is really needed for a sufficient enough solar system. I agree with Silvursprings comment 100%. True homesteading is all about the simplistic creation and use of basics to maintain a happy, fulfilling, self reliant life.
Awe....thanks Cindy. Glad this video is doing well and people are seeing it. I feel good knowing people can regain some confidence in solar in a moderate style and size. Best wishes my friend
The solar system is AWESOME, and you two are
AMAZING! It's been a great journey to follow along and see how you do things(some times by the seat of your pants) and how others can maybe do it also! Covered porches next?!!! 🏡 🐶🐕 👍 👫
Covered porch part 1 coming soon my friend
Another thing I thought of about your power shed is foam insulation on the walls and door. Do not forget the ceiling too. I am basically doing the same thing in Oklahoma. Hang in there, you two are doing a great job.
thanks Mark......you too buddy
jay! i appreciate you're honesty and i embrace the simplicity in your way of using solar with its limitations and challenges , you really understand it.
you are not expert but you know your needs and you will grow with it..
best regards
Hey, thanks Joe. Learning and growing as needed like you said. Thanks for the kind words my friend
Gooood Morning ! ! It’s great the solar is doing good for you . Your cabin is looking so nice with the addition. In the future are you going to add the bathroom to the cabin ? Enjoy the weekend. Get some fishing in. 👍👍😊
Good evening my dear Sue....thank you for your support here. We were hoping to include a bathroom in the bedroom addition.....but think we are yet again going to be adding on. Lol. Maybe sooner than later
Excellent video thank you for making them, side-note when I looked away I thought "The Wonder Years" was on vacation
Thanks for watching
Happy for you! Great job!
Thanks. If you have questions ask away.....or look at the comments in the video there are lots to gather help from
We have an off grid cottage in the UP. I want to replace the propane refrigerator with electric to reduce the fire risk. Another cabin on the lake burned to the ground. It was thought it was started by the refrigerator. I am glad this video was up as it gives me some ideas of what we will need.
Very cool Tim, I went back and forth for a year trying to justify buying a propane fridge....but just couldn't do it. Glad we spent the money they way we did on our solar and bought a simple fridge. This way if the fridge craps out we just buy another one, lol. People have mentioned using little deep chest freezers too on a system this size, so that's good to know too for reserves. Best wishes
@@OffgridwithJayandJen We never use our place in winter so the solar does not need to be quite as big. What size/model refrigerator do you now have? I was thinking of an apartment size fridge.
10.4 cubic foot magic chef....bought it at home depot. 330 dollars. It has never drawn over 150 watts. Mostly runs at 70 watts on occasion to cool it off.
Add on a heated room for your rain catchment. It only has to be heated a little above freezing.
Might have to figure that out. Thanks
I'm looking at land in the U.P. right now and most of it will require me to put together something like this for power.
Even with more panels and a larger system it's still way cheaper than having power poles and lines ran.
For sure it will be. Even getting a cabin or power pole hooked up in a neighborhood can cost you more than this system.....add half a mile or more to that power line run and you are saving big time.
Very amazing and simple information for beginners into solar homesteading.
Thanks CB
Cool just got home from having an Indian meal in the city. And a new video! Got my "fat pants" on! 😉 (Elasitc waisted gym shorts.) Have a great weekend y’all. Be well and stay safe. 🙏 Sending luv from NOLA.
Ha, we may have been pigging out and splitting a pizza last night too, lol. Gym shorts are my go to for relaxing too, lol
SPOT ON! I've thought the same with all those expensive oversized solar deployments. I'm building my off-grid home with just 200W solar, two Renogy Lithium 100Ah 12V batteries, one MPPT charge controller, one 2000W Inverter, and with that I haven't used once the generator while using my 1800W miter saw, circular saw, drillers, battery chargers, vacuum, etc. during this whole warm season. I think that with 1600Watts in Solar energy in Ottawa area is enough for a small home, specially because in Summer will heat water with the excess energy comming from the PV solar panels, and in winter time with an heat exchanger from the stove, and some propane backup...
Very informative. Thanks for explaining how your solar works. Keep the great videos coming!!!!
😁👍👍👍
Im in the southern US.
Off grid 5 years .similar set up.
800 aph panels. Two got destroyed in shipment or I'd have 1000 amh.
I use 2- 200amh renogy batteries.
Will definitely add asp.
Good job.
Solar works.
Awesome.....glad to hear your system is taking good care of you. We bought our batteries from Amazon on prime day and they were discounted quite a bit, keep an eye out for it. Best wishes
Great honest little video. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Just set up a 12 volt solar system today and testing it. Learning a lot. I like what u did with yr system!
Thanks Tom.....12 volt system works good, all depends on your needs and wants. Make sure your wires are rated for what you are drawing. Be safe
Thanks. A realistic review of what to expect from Solar.
Thanks buddy, it's isn't magic but can provide you with some serious comforts and convince without breaking the bank. Best wishes
Absolutely love the dual use of your solar stand for storing wood and your great attitude in general. There's so much nonsense talked about solar. Imagine how much you can actually do with just one panel and one battery. Lights, radio, phone, tablet, laptop, portable dvd player etc etc etc. It's probably even good to start with a little and work your way up as you learn more. Too much nonsense said about the whole thing. I love that you have started out with just 1kw. You may find it just does what you need.
Thank you Freya.....really appreciate the kind words. I totally agree with ya on the working your way up. We used and still use a single panel and battery to run our shower house down by camp and it works perfect for running the shower pump and lights year around. It was my first adventure into solar....great way to learn. Best wishes
Thanks for sharing your system! I don't know if it's something that would work for you not knowing your winter climate or the constraints of your power system. But we have a rain catchment system here in Maine and we used a stock tank heater in ours one winter. Fashioned an insulating sleeve for the spigot out of a piece of pool noodle (we only use ours for outside watering- chickens ducks etc) and there were only 1 or 2 of the coldest days of winter that we were not able to get water from it.
Very Nice.....I love hearing tips and suggestions from those Doing it....thank you for the Tip. I'm not sure what the draw on those heaters are, But Will check into it and see if maybe we can incorporate something into the rain catchment system. We do plan to bury our water tank at some point....but not sure if that will be prior to winter or it will have to wait until next year. thanks again.
I love your Solar Power System Update and thank you very much sharing your UA-cam!!!❤❤❤👍👍👍
Thank-you.....glad you like it and appreciate your support
Man, that's a pretty piece of property. Thanks for sharing your setup with costs.
Not a problem. Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍
Saw an off grid house in Portugal where they had the driveway cemented and it angled to feed a cistern underground. It increase how much water they caught. I would also run some drains to catch the water out gf the shed and panels. Feed it too to the cisterns.
Awesome! Thanks for the uplifting, hopeful video. Wish you the best!
Thank you! You too!
Jay I like how you did your solar system it shows that you can do it cheeper even if it is a temporary fix that it dosent have to ne out of this world expensive. thanks bud.
Just trying to make it work.....on a budget, lol
I’ve been watching your videos this weekend. Awesome!
Awesome .....it is greatly appreciated it helps us and the channel having both the views, subs, and comments so thank you
Very helpful. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Glad it was helpful!
On the water problem for winter I had a diesel truck that had a block warmer, not sure how much juice it would draw but at 20degrees below my truck would start like it was summer time. maybe even a dipstick oil warmer both are fairly cheap. Just to keep it from freezing on you. Enjoy your videos :) keep em coming God blessings to you both !!
That is smart, and a good point.....the old massey ferguson has a block Heater. Maybe similar to something we could use. Thanks
Great review of your system. Thank you!
My pleasure!
Thanks Jay. This off grid solar system is perfectly matched with HICOOLER technology which provide almost free air cooling. That is good for hot and sunny location.
Thank you for being real about the solar ! Love you guys missed Jen
Lots of love my friend. Thanks for being here.
I like your solar wood shed combo.
Thanks, I was pretty happy with it too, lol. It was funny how it worked out. Had all my wood stacked there.....was sitting there admiring my firewood....noticed how the sunshine hit that spot so much and it just clicked. Lol
Small out lay of panels and plenty of battery with a gen backup. 👍👍👍👍👍
Yup 😊👍
So glad to hear you're happy with your system! I have already invested in a system just like yours (lead acid, 2x 12v banks in series). Will need the power to then start building the cabin.
I'm very happy......just make sure your solar panels are in the best spot to get the most sun and you will be good to go
My pops always said keep it simple being in the city I would give it all up just to be where your at miss being in the woods 💪
Get out there buddy
Great job, thanks far all the info. Truly inspiring!
So happy Sharing this could help others. Best wishes Sam
Inspired me, good luck with your improvements!
Glad to hear it. Update we are still very happy with the system
Smart use advice, Jay. Informative, practical and economically sound.
😀😊👍😀 thank you
Nice setup. You did it right. I like it. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Lou
Awesome set up….great to see how we can live well off grid…..cheers
Cheers my friend
Very good video, thanks for explaining the solar system it is very helpful. Also the price for the whole system. I watch others and you are right about the $40-50,000 costs. They live year round and have over a million subscribers so we the viewers are paying for it indirectly. Really like your channel, Thanks for everything!!!
Thanks Tom......you are right about that. There is no harm in having those huge systems if you can pay for them....but I'm not sure the average person can, so this is how little old me made it work, lol
I bought 8320 watts solar panel sym .I july it only produced $12.59 solar credits for that mo.with @213.light bill $129.99 loanpayment for that money. Of 25y loan?loan wit interest $48000?does this sound worth it with reliant elec co.?
@@benlopez8086 thats rough buddy. Those production Levels have to be off somehow.....but having solar installed and having a loan on it is a huge scam. Sorry your setup isn't working out.
AGM's are the way to go. The price alone is worth it. Your tin on the backside of the panels will generate quite a bit of water when it's raining. My system is running in Alaska with limited daylight in winter and on spongy ground(muskeg) with solid ground many feet below the surface. This means that all my buildings must be on stilts or as we say it here "pilings". Water is the one thing we here don't have to worry about because we get 275" of rain each year and have a year round creek running across our back property line. The good thing is we get to run hydro power when the sun is not up. Hope you have started your chainsaw milling for your out buildings.
Agree the AGMs are working very well. WE have a Real Sawmill so no more Chainsaw milling for me
Awesome.
My first time seeing your channel.
This is THE FIRST good walkthrough of a reasonably priced and scaled system I have seen. Really enjoyed it.
I have spent 35 years taking advice not to overspend and to save for the future from my financially savvy wife.
It was a struggle at first for us (mostly me) but the long term results of reduced spending and maximum investing within your means is well worth it.
While watching your video I kept thinking "I hope he sits back in a folding chair sometimes, looks at his property and realizes that he has already reached his most important goals and should be proud of what he has built so far". Us guys can spend too much time only seeing what needs to be improved. I have to remind myself of that constantly.
Oops, sorry, older guy rant.
Again, great video. Off to watch more.
Hey.....comments like this are a pure delight. I appreciate everything shared and said here so thank you for that. Jen and I are pretty simple folk so I hear ya with not over spending.....but have always done ok with holding on to some of my income, lol. It not only helps with the future but makes it easier to enjoy the present not having to worry about next month's rent or bill payment dues. Thank you for being here and sharing your thoughts and experiences....keep them coming and hope you enjoy the channel.
@@OffgridwithJayandJen :)
Hi Jen and Jay. I just joined your channel and fell in love with this video. We are currently in the process of getting our land ready and place a small 320sqf shed/cabin on it. We have almost the same setup as you guys do. Your video definitely gave us some ideas how to install ours when the time comes. Thank you very much for posting video.
So glad to hear it helped.....please don't hesitate to send us a message if you have any questions. I don't. Check Facebook messages or emails as often as u do UA-cam comments but happy to help where I can
Thank you very much for the offer. I really appreciate this
Very good simple explanation you did it right in America needs more guys like you😀🌴🌴🍺
Thank you 😊👍
Thank you for this informative and realistic video. I have a similar system with a similar price range and it works perfectly for us.
Good stuff
First, thanks for your videos. Brother add more roof collecting space. add a garage/ shop. Even a carport style structure to dry lumber with only 3 walls. Then go get a 800 gl. tank. with 3 or 4 800 gl tanks you will always have water . Have you thought about building a roof covering above your solar panels to protect from snow/rain. You could use clear plastic/ fiberglass. I mean you have enough tress to frame a 12,000sq ft house. Certain pine trees grow to 100 feet in 10 years, I would plant a few of those. Congrats ,Looks like you have a great piece of land . Trees are a great resource , they keep replacing themselves !
Lots of projects in the coming years my friend.....funding and time are what keeps us at a moderate pace. We have been at it for two years now and doing this part time until we can transition full time.....steady as it goes. 😊
You are doing a great job