EASY AND CHEAP DIY SOLAR POWER FOR OFF GRID CABIN LIVING 

Lol

That's right :)

Exactly off of the grid of power or grid of water or grid of gas etc

Thank you. Agree, sometimes I get negative comments about the simplicity of this setup. If I was using it full time as a primary source of power, I would need to upgrade to a larger, more sophisticated system. But for a weekend retreat, to run a few lights, TV, and charge phones, it does everything I need it to.

That's awesome that you found the video helpful! If you're looking for a reliable and versatile power station, I highly recommend checking out the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series. It has a massive capacity, fast recharging, and a durable waterproof design. It's perfect for off-grid cabin living and outdoor adventures. Happy camping!

Lithium is better for cold, you just can't charge below freezing.

No he is kidding. It costs more. Battery 175 to 200 Even Walmart now charges 200 dollars. Inverter 60.00 Solar panel 150.00 Wires 50.00 Solar connectors 20.00 Cheap solar controller 25.00 Romex and outlets 100.00 Battery charger 50.00

@@wt9653 I'm sure you can price components for less. If it costs more then you have to weigh the price cost benefit. I know places to get panels at like $60 or sometimes less for 100 to 200 watts.

@@wt9653 Thanks a lot Biden.

@@gailmrutland6508 barefoot!!!

Thank you for the kind words.

Great- thank you for the kind words!

Thanks for the comments! Yes, this would be perfect for a shed.

all you need is a old car battery a panel secondary vehical lights and a 12v switch. thats for lights. This will last 9 hours. all this for less then $100 US Add a 100w invertor this will power a laptop top charge phone/ tablet Still under $100 US. Don't mess with lithium batteries or sealed batteries. upgrade batteries to 24DC ( thats the size printed on all of this size battery) deep cycle marine battery. A very much improvement. And a GOOD invertor. Note a good invertor is 1500 watt and physical size is 3x wider and 2x longer. Anything less is not worth it. I am someone you should listen to. I have been living off grid 100% of the time for 15 years. Im not a weekend warrior on this. I'm happy to help.people not have to go through the mistakes I made. Now you being a limey. You have something different. lol. I've owned a couple BSA bikes. So watch those positive ground old vehicals. they won't do well in charging a solar system. However. There is a way. Here is a secret. You can make your solar system positive ground. wild I know. And only a crazy limey would. If you want to know how let me know. Though, I'm a yank and prefer negative ground. Anyhow. For a small system. That is ok. you will need. 400w of panels four 24DC batteries six battery cables. a decent charge controller ( see * below) a good extention cord for wiring a good 1500w invertor and big eye round electric connections. a couple buts and bolts. (*) Don't judge a charge controller on price. I've had a $1000 piece of junk to a $50 piece of junk. All I can say is the only good one I've had was from a place in the States called Harbor frieght, which is usually a cheap Chinese product store. And yeah the invertor is probley made in China. A invertor should cost around $400 US. the cheaper one last from days to a year. I still have my good one from over 15 years ago. And use it often. ok when I say often I need to clarify. I have 640 acres. I use it for my air compressor and all power tools all over my ranch off my truck. And at times I've used it in my cabin when one of the cheap ones failed. until I'd buy another. which at times was 2 months. I now am using a good one like my truck has in my cabin. Now my cabin has a chest freezer, idk 24 inch flat screen(?), PC, laptop, lights, water heater, well pump. Washing machine, refrigerator, I'm provley looking at things and not thinking. Here are some things I don't use microwave, electric heater, electric stove. I'm sure I could use a microwave. But I just don't use. I use wood heat ( very rare because I don't have trees) oil heat ( often I have a tiny crude oil well) propane stove. I could use a propane water heater. I have one also. But I use the electric one. I have a solar oven. Which I often bake bread in. I can most my foods. I also dehydrate..Since I just have to use mother nature and can do it most the time. I can make my own fuel. But only for my old tractor. 1948 8N Ford because of legal issues about fuel. ( yes it will run in my truck just fine) Accaully my truck runs better on it. But I can not use it for legal issues. My solar system for my house is 2000w 12v panels, ten 24DC batteries, 3000w invertor. My barn system is 2000w 12v panels, ten 24DC batteries, 2000w invertor My camper is 400w 12v panels four 29DC batteries, 1500w invertor. My water catch systems ( get into those in a second) 400w 12v panels four 27DC batteries 750w invertor ( cheap junk that once it goes bad will be replaced by a good invertor) my water catch is a system of water runs that end in 10 x10 holes. I have 1 hour tops from the time it stops rain to collect as much as I can. after 1 hours its gone. I only get rain for an hour 1 to 4 times between July to September. Thats 99% of the rain I get in a year. If I miss it. I have no water for crops or livestock. I don't get rain outside July to September..As in 15 years its happened three times. and all three was not even 1/10 of a inch each time. I did it snow once that gave me about 2 inches worth of rain. But none was able to be caught by my water catches. My house water is from my barn roofs and cabin rain catches. My well pump is on my tank from these. I can't have a water well due to my oil. The oil leaks into the water below. Yeah its funny. My oil is at 400 feet. water is at 1500 feet. Most places its goes the other way . But here its that way. And oil is in the water at wells around me Don't get me wrong. you can drink it. The cows do. and it won't kill ya for some time. But its not good on crops. So I don't use it. BTW the other wells they don't go through my oil. It just that the rock between my oil to the rock is fractured and it very slowly leaks into the aqueduct. And no its not from man. The oil is a very small pool only a couple million gallons. Its a mystery on it being here. It was drilled in the 1950s the first time and forgotten. Deemed too small. And forgotten until I refound a few years ago. There is no other oil that's been found for over 100 miles, close to 200 miles. Im sure, there are other pools like this that haven't been found yet. But this was the only wet well the oil company that first found mine drilled here. It was suppose to of been filled in. But since no one has every lived here except me. No one knew. And the mineral rights were attached to part of my property. Which no one questioned. Until after I found the oil and went looking. Buryed in one of the deeds it was. Since everyone was told there was no oil shortly after the 1950s. no one gave it a thought. They just kept putting it into the deed when it was sold. I didn't even realize it at first. Wording on deeds are often different. Just depends on who wrote it. I wish instead that it was gold or silver. in that case I would have a audit down to it. Sorry. If you have questions on solar ask. I will shoot you strait. I have more knowledge then most. And Im not out to cheat you. Like so many companies are.

@@baddog9320 Hi. thanks for all the info. fascinating stuff. people really moving towards this lifestyle and for good reason. ill be taking tentative steps in the Spring onwards to get sorted. would never have thought about old car battery, your pos and neg ground confused me though and ill def seek more advice as youve kindly offered...

Glad it helped. I was wracking my brain for months on how to get the Coleman oven hotter!

Try baking inside the firebox using charcoal for fuel

Thank you!

It's definitely easier than you might think. It's cool because you can be completely disconnected from the grid and still have all the creature comforts!

Thanks. Good call. I don't store the genny in the box except for when I'm using it, but good idea if I do start leaving it out.

Agree. I've had the same thought and want to put it on my to-do list. A simple, portable array would do wonders during the winter. Easy to clean and reposition.

Thanks. I've definitely fallen a bit behind but more coming soon!

Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it!

@Malik Taylor It depends on your solar generator. I just use a heavyweight AC extension cord for my AC appliances. For DC I use a 5525 barrel plug into an inexpensive 12 v RV style fuse box and then wire my lights, heater, etc from that box. However, different SGs use different types of connectors.

Thank you. Agree, good advice on the short line runs. DC voltage doesn't like to travel far :-)

@Malik Taylor I just cut the cord off a power strip and wired that into the outlet.

Alot of us "city slicker kids" actually were raised on farms and in the country and were forced to go into the city to seek work for various reasons. We are actually coming home in our own way. Be gentle with people. We are all trying to find a little bit of happiness in the best way we know how and the last thing this world needs is more judgment about someone trying to find their little bit of peace.

Just to expand on that: 1) Until you start getting up over 400w of solar panels, don't waste the money on an MPPT controller, it doesn't buy you enough to justify the cost. 2) Pure Sine inverters are going to be worth the extra if you ever decide to run anything with a motor such as a fan or mini-fridge. 3) For your usage, stick with Lead Acid, it's much cheaper than Lithium and more forgiving of the cold. If you charge a Lithium battery below freezing you now have a paperweight. 4) Keep an eye out on your local Craigslist for used solar panels off a house. 250+ watt panels are the new $100 standard. They're big but if it's on the roof does it matter? 5) Terrain and time permitting, make a rack at about a 45deg angle facing south somewhere in the yard and mount your panels out there. You'll get more power out of your panels and it'll be easier to clear the snow off. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just sturdy enough to hold up the panels. Other than that, it looks like a really good simple system!

He obviously knows all that....Like he said Its on the cheap....

Thank you!

Thanks for the comment Steve. I'd love to figure out a way to get a water turbine generator set up at some point. I've thought about it a lot. The challenge is my water supply (the ravine) is 100 foot deep and the distance from the cabin to the falls is easily 500 feet or more. The voltage drop of 12V over that distance would be significant. Yes, the generator is pretty quiet. Can't hear it from inside the cabin. Hopefully more projects and videos coming this summer!

Thank you. Yes, I've been very happy with the charge controller. I'd like to add some additional panels in the future.

Thank you. I did a video review on it if helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dj76sLg3RDM.html

Absolutely!

i am offgrid ,and run a much bigger but still a buget system ,,let me know if i can help with qestions or other

Thanks for the comment! Agree, little slice of heaven!

That's a good suggestion. Thank you.

@@HemlockRidgeUSA Welcome! I seen a country neighbor grow wheat (i think it is) and each time he cuts it he bales it..square and round ones and then dumps it into the areas he wants to be filled in. He has rolling acreage but does this closest to his house. I have similar and I just dump my brush...leaves sticks branches into the areas that need dirt! I wish you the best!

Thanks for watching!

Thank you. Definitely nothing fancy but it does the job.

Thanks for the comment. Yes, led lights. Makes it so easy to be energy-efficient.

Thanks for watching and for your comments. You are spot on and I should have mentioned in the video the entire system is fused. I have appropriately sized, inline 12V fuses between the solar panels and charge controller and between the charge controller and battery. Then the inverter has a built-in resettable breaker as well. You are absolutely correct, proper fusing or breakers should not be skipped.