My off grid solar system all started back in Washington when needing to have a system to run my Ham radio and charge phones and HT radios in the mountains. A simple 12V Harbor Freight system was adequate. I brought that system with me to the Arizona mountains when building a cabin, using it to charge my battery powered tools as well as a small generator to pick up the slack.
Once the cabin was built, I needed more that a couple lightbulbs to keep me happy. It wasn't enough to power a small frige and purchasing ice every other day was a drag since the store was a half hour away and there was no garantee that they had ice since appartently I wasn't the only person out here that had that same need.
I was able to do some internet education with the limited internet that I got from my phone and realized that upgrading my 12v system was a waste of money and a 48v system was beyond my budget so that left me with a 24v system using 4 12v/100A batteries from Wattcycle. My requirements were fairly modest since it is just me and myself living the hermit life. I needed a frige, phone and laptop charging and enough to run some woodshop tools for brief periods, a 110v water pump (a second 12v backup pump also on hand) oh, and a lightbulb. I just today ordered 4 more 12v/100A batteries from Wattcycle for less than I paid last year. The reason was to give me at least another day of power on days when the clouds linger for more than two days.
Building the whole solar power system has made me appreciate just what can be done to make life bearable in the desert mountains. One thing has has been a great convenience was to build insulated battery boxes and install wireless thermometers in them so I can monitor the temps in the boxes in the winter. I heat them with a 15W refrigerator bulb.
MY neighbors are wanting me to upgrade to 48V so I can use the portable air conditioner they are providing but I insist that just having a floor fan was a major upgrade during my 90 degree plus cabin temps. 48V may be in the future and I suspect that soon the solar panel and battery prices will rise due to the the rising silver market. I am gearing up for the supplies needed to do that.
At 69 years of age, I am truly living my best boy scout days in the high mountain desert of Arizona.
