DIY Solar Setup: Easy to Follow Step-by-Step Instructions 

Here are all the items covered in this video: * Inverter (2000W): cityprepping.tv/3QPc6KL * Charge controller (40 Amp MPPT): cityprepping.tv/3PQMNGD * Battery (100Ah LiFePO4 w/Bluetooth): cityprepping.tv/3pJCdGK * Solar panel (100W): cityprepping.tv/3wTi3OT * Battery / inverter cable: cityprepping.tv/3wrbsLd * Battery / charge controller cable: cityprepping.tv/3cnjZIi * Solar extension cable: cityprepping.tv/3Tjtf0I * 200amp fuse: amzn.to/3AKVNJf Or, if you'd prefer to pick up a kit with all of these pieces combined (to save money), you can check out these options: * cityprepping.tv/3TlAMMj

This is why I subscribed to this channel. Direct information, no gimmicks, no hysteria, no sales pitches. Please continue this format!

I’m Autistic and crave simplicity, this was what i’ve been looking for! NOT a single tool or process missed. THANK YOU!! :D

Finally! Somebody teaches it without blabbering about nonsense. Great job!!!

Thank you, I'm a noob at this but because of you, I'm a little more educated on the process and how it operates - watching this in 2024.

Where has this channel been? Simple and straightforward implementation of how to. I got it all solved right away after watching this one

This is probably the best walk through on connecting a solar panel to a charge controller/battery/inverter that I’ve ever seen. Thank you for simplifying this!

Tip: always use correct 2x coloured insulation tape to identify correct polarity when using incorrect coloured wire. In your case 2x red on black feed wire.

I am a new subscriber BECAUSE of this video. Every book I have picked up, every video I have watched, has done their very best to scare the try out of me. Why do they make everything SO complicated? THANK YOU for posting this as I am a single old woman, in the process of moving off grid and I really needed this information.

Finally a video that breaks it down and explains the process. Thank you!!!

Thank you Chris, I built my solar generator about two years ago. I used a SOK lithium ion battery and it's been working fantastic, I want to upgrade it with a couple more batteries for a longer state of usable energy when I'm not using my solar panels. But actually I just wanted to say I went with the same charge controller ( 30A ) and it works flawlessly, I am also using 4-100 W solar panels, when I finally got everything built I began testing it out. I first started with the refrigerator, which is all I Really wanted to be able to run Off of it In the first place ,But I then began adding my TV entertainment system, my computer system and it ran literally everything all at the same time utilizing my solar panels. I did go with a 3000 W pure sine wave inverter, probably overkill, but I wanted to make sure my system was capable of withstanding the loads. You have done your community a great service Chris, people really need to understand and know how to build their selves a very straightforward system that could possibly save their lives and at the very least bring them great comfort and peace of mind. Once you understand (( by doing it yourself )) you are well ahead of making your system an extremely viable component of your prepping Resources. I also added in a 12 V fused attachment point to be able to run 12 V DC components which use less stored electricity Because you're not running the inverter component. Anyway Chris, once again you have served your community and subscribers a tremendous pathway to self-reliance,, may you and your family stay safe and remain blessed. Danny in Texas

Finally someone's who's presented the setup in a clear, easy to understand manner. Thanks so much!

Just set up 2 of the RENOGY 400 watt kits on 2 different buildings,, still run the generator for laundry and well pump everything else is solar ,, love them

You have done a great job breaking down solar in a way that makes it less overwhelming!

I’ve learned more in the first minute of this video than scores of others I have watched. Terrific thanks.

It is rare to come away from a youtube video with a good understanding of what to do with a set up like this.

Thank you, I've found myself a senior without my spouse and your videos have been showing me how to do what husband wasn't abled to before his passing. I really appreciate your videos and thanks for sharing. I think this is something I can do myself.

I have set up a similar system to power our freezer. The funny thing was I have three friends that are electrical engineers and they all wanted to come over and set it up. It was fun listening to them debate how to best balance the charge on all four batteries...

Out of 15 videos who promised to explain a basic solar setup, you my friend beat all of them. You explained everything perfectly, while the others wasted my time with bla bla bla bla and no real explanation. Awesome educational video. Thank you!

Thank you! I've had everything sitting in storage until I can find someone to do the install. You've convinced me I can possibly do this on my own. 👌🙋‍♀️

Thank you so much for this 1,2,3,4 basics of diy solar setup. Perfect presentation format for the way my brain works. I am a 74 yr old great grandmother and this is what I plan to do. As a newbie to solar, I feel blessed to have you. Many thx

Would have loved a segment on scaling up the system. You've built a 100w system, most people will want a Kw or multiple Kw setup. Helping people understand wiring panels and batteries in series vs parallel and why you might do either or a combination of both would be great.

That was perfect, thank you. I did remember some advice from my father: When working with a battery make sure the length of your wrench is less than the distance between the terminals.

The best video on solar for dummies I’ve watched. Very detailed. Good job. I appreciate it. Luke 9:62

You make it look so simple. I would love to see how to hook up multiple batteries with multiple solar panels. Enjoyed your video

Many Thanks!!! I need to do this but was really unsure about it. You gave me the push I needed! 😃

I want to thank you sir,you just helped a single dad ,to try and save money thanks so much will keep watching your videos

This is the BEST, most comprehensive and understandable video I have seen on this. Better than the company tutorials. THANK YOU!

Great Video!! Great to see something more directly related to prepping. I built my own system a couple of years ago and learned (the hard way) to test the heck out of my setup - don't make assumptions about what it can or can't do. I could run most of my power tools, but a table-top saw would kick out the safety fuse on the inverter. Finally added a second Battery and upgraded to a 3500 Watt inverter, then added a 3rd battery on top of that (so now running 3 Optima D34M deep cycle batteries). It was worth the effort and expense - have used it through 2 power outages and it worked great.

Using red shrink tubing would be really helpful to keep the + and - cables in the proper order.

The goat of solar battery videos. Thank you so much

You did a great job of describing how to connect a pre-engineered kit but not what limits to never exceed. For example adding 150volts of solar to a 100volt controller. Cheers!

Thank you so much. You are a great instructor, straight to the point, slow enough for us to follow and assimilate the information.

This is without a doubt the best “Prepping Channel”. The information is always presented in a helpful and accurate way. The depth of information is right on target for the beginner to an advanced prepper. Keep it up. We are all grateful for what you do and the help you provide.

Thank toy very much. Highly informative and specific to the general needs. May God bless you more!

Great video. Direct to the point and no gemicks.

Thank you. I'm in the UK so there is a risk of there not being enough gas over winter. Energy price cap will increase in October. Finding cheaper solutions to light the home is needed & possibly a low wattage heater to run off solar. Off to watch......

Hi Kris, I just want to let you know that I absolutely love and appreciate the way you teach and present information. I learn best, and others like me, by being given Step by Step instructions along with an explanation of why those steps need to be taken and how they affect the overall process, even better if being shown how it is done along with step by step instructions. You provide all this in your demonstrations. I notice the detail and thought you put into your videos, all of which are greatly appreciated. For example, the way you lay out all the tools and pieces needed to put together a finished product that will result in some beneficial function, and more than that, you shoot the video to give the visual affect that one piece is added at a time to the layout of the full set of pieces and tools needed for the project, neatly laid out in order of when they will be needed to use. Great job presenting and you are so much appreciated for the detail you take the time and effort to put into your videos for us to watch for free. This really helped me understand how solar panels work with batteries in a way that no one I watched before explained.

That’s why you’re always at 1M subscribers. This was the best explanation in all of the videos I watched

so glad i made a video to actually teach people making it simple. u say its not as complicating as some but u actually make it more complicated literally extra work for no reason just saying., literally u hook up the battery to the charge controller to the solar panel just to unhook it all and then u connect the inverter to the battery then do all AGAIN all the work u just did and undid for literally no reason...........long story short how to actually install simple and easy no extra work needed............. 1.) connect inverter to battery 2.) connect battery to charge controller 3.) connect charge controller to the solar panels VIOLA!

Great prep setup! Keep prepping guys 👍 🙏 ✝️

Been watching the channel off and on for a long time now. This is probably the coolest video you've done, keep stuff like this coming. Good work on describing the little details that a non techie or electrician would miss, that goes a long way.

This helped me very much. I didn't know anything about this, but now my cart is full, and I'm ready to buy my first solar kit. Thank you.

For those who know little about basic setups this is a good guide and well thought out. For me it was a bit like going back to basics.

Within the first minute and 30 seconds you managed to explain, very simply too, the main items and what they do. I have watched MANY other vidoes on solar setups and this video is by far the best one i've come across in terms of a beginner just trying to understand the basics without getting confused. Just wanted to express my gratitude 👍

This was a fantastic step by step instructional video. In fact, your videos are always excellent, you are always thorough and well-prepared. I am intrigued with attempting what you have taught us even though I don't know much about voltages and wattage but I am going to learn. Absolutely excellent video. I took thorough notes in case we lose internet. Thanks for your great work. :)

City Prepper, thank you for the simplest of information that really sets the foundation of a small kit like this. 0:34 - 1:05 the 4 major components, what they do, in what order. Good stuff.

I've been thinking of going off-grid for awhile and this video helps increase my confidence in doing so. I realize there's much more to being totally self sufficient off-grid but your video is giving me a good start. Thank you!

This is unbelievably simple. I'll be following this tutorial for my first build in the coming months

I love the simple instructions given in this video. Only two areas where I believe I can provide some additional insight. It is considered best practice to always connect the negative side of a DC circuit last and disconnect the negative first. This is because if the circuit is in a vehicle or machine the chassis is often connected to the negative so this will prevent any unintended short circuit while connecting the positive also any reverse polarity protection may be limited to the negative side of components do you are risking destroying your components of you instantly connect improperly. There are a few exceptions to the rule; if you are working on a positive grounded system (model T) If working on a house system as he is showing here without a chassis ground It really does not make a difference but it is good practice and off someone uses this video to install a system in their camper ⚡⚡⚡

Finally someone the goes straight to the point,and very well explained,you definitely speak middle class people’s language 😂🙏thank you

Finally! Someone made the whole setup easy to understand. Thank you! I finally feel like I completely understand the process and components needed.

Awesome video, I’ve had a solar kit In the shop for a while , and wasn’t afraid to hook it up, just haven’t had the time , between work, the garden , and other jobs.. this video has sure made the eventual task that much easier! Thanks Chris! Keep up the good work!

I have pretty much this exact setup built into a robust standard box (apart from the solar panel, obviously). I drilled some holes into the front sidewall to integrate a few 12V sockets (don't forget the fuses!). This makes the whole thing very portable, versatile and safe while still beeing super simple and reliable. In addition, there is even a cable to connect the battery to the car to charge it from the alternator, if needed. But be aware, this step needs serious cables, fuse, switch and a connector in proper dimensions. The setup has been working like this for quite some time now and i wouldn't want to miss it! Greetings from switzerland!

THANKS A LOT this is the simplest way to solar set up for my RV I even remember now can do setup without any problem. YOU make it so simple by putting it in step 1 2 3 4 .I will never forget.

this is by far the most straightforward and easiest video ive ever watched on this subject thank you

This such perfect timing! I have been gathering the pieces to build this and now I can get the rest of what I need and get it up and working! Thank you!

Thank you so much for this how-to! I don't have any of the equipment yet but will be writing down the instructions so I have them when the time comes to hook things up!

Great video-you break it down very simply! Thanks!

Thanks so much. You made it very simple for us newbies. I will use this info to create my own setup

Very good video! The advantage of building your own system is if one component goes gunnysack, it can be replaced unlike an all in one system.

Kris, I really appreciate all the work that you've done for us. This video is, for the most part, just about perfect. You make it very, very clear how critically important it is to avoid putting a load on the system prematurely. I had forgotten so much, and when you make mistakes with expensive (for me, it is!) equipment, that then must be tossed - well, all I can say is "Thanks!" But I believe that you need to go back and re-do a small part. There was one set of cables that you had no clear way to determine at a glance which was positive and which was negative. I would have taken some red electricians tape and marked each end of the one, bare minimum. But that is my only complaint. Excellent job.

Chris, love your channel, you continue to give us great content that will help keep our families safe!!! Thank you!!!

Great tutorial, I got a kit like this for emergencies and I’ll be back to use this as a guide when I’m ready to power up, thanks for taking the time 👍

Great simple and to the point! No annoying background music or useless details❤

Such a great explanation, very simplified yet functional

what a great video, straight to the point and starting with what you need! a unique gem in the days of clickbait

I’m looking to setup a small solar system for a shed out back, mainly for some interior/exterior lighting and an outlet or two; this was an excellent video for persons like myself (smooth 🧠) and I can’t wait to start configuring all I’ll need for my setup!

Great video, I learned a lot and am confident in continuing my build. I would of liked to see this video contain an extra portion showing how to wire multiple panels together and multiple batteries

This video is tremendously helpful! No gimmick and straight to the point. Thanks for putting it together.

I’ve watched a lot of videos about solar panel installation and this is by far the best I’ve ever seen. incredible

The simplest and easiest to follow solar set up video that I've ever seen. No chance to screw this one up! Thanks.

Brilliant practical advice at precisely the time people need it. Being a simple-minded technophobe who has ended up with an apartment full of computers and audio visual equipment, my unsolicited tip of the day would be this: Mark every single cable-end when cabling anything! I went online and bought a 200-pack of multi-coloured velcro ties (but you can use pvc tape at a push) I also bought some Sharpie markers. (which are mandatory equipment for preppers, survivalists and knife makers lol but true) This might sound excessive, but whenever I connect ANY cable to anything, I attach a colour-matched label to each end of the cable, with the description marked on both tabs with the Sharpie. I will admit that its a faff and an inconvenience, but its an investment that always eventually pays off when you need it. In an emergency, or if you are just in a rush, if you ever need to engage in cable management or need to disconnect something quickly, however far apart or obscured the cable-ends are, in the heat of the moment you immediately know which cables are which, even if each end are 40feet apart and in separate rooms. (You will thank me later.) I have been that guy who needed to reset a monitor by pulling a power cable, and randomly pulled out plugs from two 10-gang sockets, awkwardly situated under a desk, until I got the right one.... crashing a pc, disconnecting a light and making a bass system do a massive "pop" ...until I finally found the right cable by trial and error. I learned this trick from a wireman who cabled office buildings. Its a pain and its a time investment... but if you quickly need to disconnect something like a solar battery.... you can immediately see at both ends of the cable what is what, pull the right cables instantly, grab the unit, pull-through the cable you need to take with it, and be on your way. OCD? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

Great Video! It's inspired me to get started on a similar setup. Would love a follow up video showing the final installation and panel mounting. Thanks for everything you do for the community!

Great video for the rest of us. Simple, no big tech lingo, direct. Awesome. Thanks.

Thank you very much. I've just bought an MPPT Controller and the manual was extremely complex and confusing. After watching this I realize it is so much easier than I thought.

Some great basic information with lots of emphasis on safety! The only suggestion i can think of would be to add some Anderson connectors at the charge controller end for the PV panel and battery connections. Then, it's a simple and quick operation to disconnect them if needed, and once you have the correct polarity for the Anderson connectors, you never have to worry about getting them cross connected again. Thanks!

Now do a video adding addition panels please.

🎉 Yout video on solar installation is straight to the point and easy to understand without any complexities. Kyrian From Nigeria

I love how you broke everything down into small simple steps..thank you for your helpful content 😊

Its highly recommended to use a shunt to measure usage instead of relying on the internal bms in the battery which usually measures SoC using voltage, not the amount of Ah actually discharged.

Great information! I’ve been wanting a how to like this with links for forever!! Will you consider doing a video adding additional solar panels and more batteries? I’m wanting to learn and am solar illiterate 😅

I like it. Your presentation is like a month class. Thank you.

Clear, concise & straight to the point. Thank you

Most of Us Don't Have Daddies Money, 12 V. Lithium Batteries Are Hundreds Of Dollars!

Oh my, im so excited. Cant believe i have been reading on this for a year and finally knowing all the prices of the best hardware i can do this myself even though i wont be installing a Deye, Sunsynk ect but this is a must to setup for everyone out there. Looks like fun. Now in South Africa we have blackouts of 12 hours out of the 24 hour day. With this information I can add such a setup or even two. God bless you sir. I will do this and impress my family. I put away about 5000 dollars for a setup but now I will just do this for the TV, Wifi, fan. Soon i will get information to run a A/C 😆. It needs a constant 1000w supply. Knowledge is power for real. Thank you Thank you..

Thank you I’ve been trying to hear someone say it simply, you’re the first much appreciate it

Thank you so much for this video. Very informative and no filler content. I’m in the process of building a shed I need powered

Dude! THANK YOU for this video. You made the whole process of hooking up solar for RVs a piece of cake. Especially for a newbie like me. Great job! 😁🙏💯

WOW! What a great video! 'Been trying to figure out this stuff on my own for two years. In just a few minutes you've answered and solved all my issues! Thanks so much!

I just now watched this video. We are teaching our neiborhood kids how to grow vegetables (hydroponincs) and they are really loving learning about it. You have the perfect YT video that we can use as a guide to get them interested in using solar energy. Thank you so much for making this video. MRA

RU-vid showed have more videos like this. Not a bunch of blah blah blah. Straight to the point and informative. Great job thanks.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. The order of testing & connecting are great.

You make me believe that I can accomplish this! Finally! I've been looking for something like this that I can understand, as this is a Basic 101 course for me. I've been trying to find videos to watch to learn how to do this using simple, logical terms. Yours is the only one I've found. Thank you! I'm subscribing and am looking forward to your other videos!

Thank you for breaking it down! Can’t wait to get mine setup.

We did the same thing! Love being able to spend extended time out dry camping. Your video is pretty cool compared to mine (too long) good work!

If I don't like, subscribe and give a thank you comment, even God will not be happy with me. This is the most detailed tutorial I've seen on this topic. Thank you Sir.

Best video I’ve seen on understanding solar

Wow. The first time I have ever understood the process. Thank you

You are a wonderful teacher! All I need know is the courage and confidence to pick up those items and try out. My fear is I am not technically minded and clueless on electrical and electronic knowledge. Thanks. God Bless