TOTAL COST Of Our Off-Grid Solar Power System | Powering Our Mountain Home 

What do you think, will this system be enough to keep us powered this winter?! ☀❄

I may have a pro tip, how to improve the batteries endurance in your system. You can mount a thermostat with a fan heater inside the container and set the temperature to 15 celsius degrees. You can use excess energy to keep the batteries in the optimal temperature just by adding this small system so you can enlarge their lives by a few years 🙂 Good luck!

Hi guys! if you paint the container bright white and spread white soil on the ground you will be able to get a higher generation with the bifacial panels due to a higher Albedo. Nice PV System, congratulations!

I don't know if anyone will read this comment, but here goes anyway. In 1995 My wife and I bought a small piece of property. (2 Acres) We put a nice 14x 70 mobile home on the property. We were only 2 power poles from power, but the Power company (Elko Nevada) want me to give them $12,000 for the privilege of paying them $150 bucks a month. This made me mad!!! At first we just had a generator, so I started to make our solar array mount. We had eight 80 watt panels. We had eight Trojan L16 six volt lead acid batteries. We had a Trace 2400 watt inverter, so that meant that we only had 110 volt for the house. We upgraded to an Onan 6500 watt generator powered by propane. The house had a propane fridge, a propane clothes dryer, a propane water heater, an infrared propane wall heater, and the existing propane forced air furnace. Since the insulation under the mobile home was all screwed up by animals, (we bought it used), I cut all of the underside plastic off, and installed 12 inches of fiberglass insulation, which was held in place with a system of special made brackets and plastic tarps and nylon rope. It worked so well that after doing that we never ever fired up the floor furnace. We also had a wood stove, but after 2 years of getting wood, hauling wood home, splitting wood, stacking wood, and dealing with the ashes, we just used the wall heater, which did an awesome job. The home had real good insulation and 2x6 walls. We had a well drilled and since the generator did not have 220, we installed a 110 volt pump in the well. We filled a 600 gallon water tank that lived in the battery room, and pressurized the house with an RV 12 volt water pump. Everything that I read at the time said that the RV water pump would not work long with continues use. But being the bull-headed person that I am, I did it anyway. The RV water pump worked just fine. It ran the dish-washer, the clothes washer, showers, toilets, virtually everything. I will admit that I supplied the pump with a 1" line right off the bottom of the tank, and then tied into the 3/4" pipe for the house. I did not know how long the water pump would last, so I had a spare. It lasted 4 years, and I changed it out in 10 minutes. Not bad for a $68 pump. All in all, I had $12,000 invested in my system, and I did not have a power bill for 5 years. There were things that had to be done differently than if the house was on the grid, but it was not a big deal. Like one thing was the the inverter would not run the spin cycle on the clothes washer, so we would leave the lid up while doing a load of clothes. When it went to the spin cycle the washer would just stop. Who ever walked by the washer and saw that the washer had stopped, they just had to walk 20 feet and push the starter button for the generator, close the lid on the washer, and turn off the generator after it was done. Like I say, not a big deal. They did not have these great batteries at the time that I did my set up. I could have just bought a 3600 watt inverter for the washer issue, but I am cheap. It was not a big deal. In the summer when it was too hot, I bought a window A/C unit for the bedroom, and it would run 1 hour before we went to bed, and then turn off 1 hour later. We had a swamp cooler too, but if we ran it at night it would drain my battery pack. Courtney and Riley are doing a first class job. I did not have the money to do mine like that, even if it were available at the time. I still have no regrets. I sold the place 20 years ago, and have not been back.

I teach two off grid living classes at a local high school and wish to use many of your videos in my classes. I think my students could learn a lot from you both. Thanks so much for the awesome content.

This was the easiest video to watch about a home solar setup. Concise and informative in a quick pace.

Nice video. I have few advise on my experience from solar (if interested). So here it is : 1. Make sure temperature during summer months in that container is pretty low. 20C Degree is the best so about 68F if you go above then inverters will suffer and it will show in long term.. If you can't then buy cheap aircon.. It will work only during summer months so no need to worry about extra electricity it will take..Also you can change mode on it when needed so it will heat as well when needed. 2. Make sure SOC don't go below some limit if possible (about 20-30%)..it isn't problem for summer at all.. but for sure it will be big problem in winter time. 3. Don't believe that nonsense that inverters don't need extra cooling.. Take out that blue sheet that is on top of the inverters (mostly during summer time) to reduce heat and improve air circulation as Victron Energy inverters will not start inside fan till temp is high or load is also high.. 4. Also after some time ..check your battery packs..they have BMS ..so you can checks each and every one(how much KWH they cycle)..I did see how you connected your battery packs and it isn't the best . You will find that some battery packs are cycled more than others and those will be first to go .. 5. Be sure there are no bugs in that container...bugs like to go every where and that could kill inverters and all electronics.. Even then Those battery packs will be first to go. Don't kid yourself with 20-30 years of life of your system. Battery packs will start failing about in 15 years ..if you are lucky and you do as i suggested then in about 20 years inverters and chargers will go ..So be sure to prepare small amount of money(every month) so when time will come you can buy it any time you want .. I wish you the best.

Besides your acquired skills, I think the underlying element of your success is that both of you are very intelligent.Most people can’t read a bulldozer user manual and replace a seal in the torque converter as Riley did or watch a RU-vid video and skillfully edit succinct videos as Courtney did. Don’t be too modest! I love your channel.

Greetings from the Deep South! Smashed the like and subscribe button! I am old, retired and getting ready to take on a solo off-grid way of life. I am a big fan of shipping containers and their many uses. I have considered "planting" (for storage and storm sheltering) a container under the converted cargo trailer I built, that will be my sleeping quarters. Now I'm really liking yawls (had to, its required in the South) usage as a base for your solar display. I watch a lot of RU-vid and commend those who do not spit the bane of narrative speaking. I mean uh, well uh, uh, I uh, uh, uh. Uh can't stand it. Your editing was very nicely done and the information clear and easy to understand. I will defiantly check back to see if I can purchase any components featured in your build, here in Alabama, for my project as it gets closer. Otherwise, I am going to buy some "merch" as a token of my appreciation for your excellent channel. Yall' come see us ya hea!

My CPA wife wants me to remind you that the tax credit on your solar install for 2022 is 26%. Give your spreadsheet to your CPA and get the ball rolling. Take care.

I really like your solar system. Money well spent. The only concern I have is the snow build up on the bottom row of panels since they are almost touching the ground at the winter angle. You may want to dig out a few feet below the panels for snow "storage". Plus, a couple electric heaters set at 40 or 45 degrees F will keep the batteries above the lower charging limit of 32 degrees.

now I know right where to go during the zombie apocalypse. Thanks for building all this for me!

Hi. Thanks for the video, I've enjoyed watching it. And I don't want to feel disappointed, but I want To share a few thoughts as a PV installer: 1. Changing the array angle for winter is a good idea. But using the PV power optimizers (like Tigo) in your case would increase the system efficiency even more. You will have a lot of shade in winter, and the optimizers will help you to solve the problem. 2. 445Wp panels for 230USD is 0.51USD/Wp. It's not a killer deal. It's actually 2,5 times more than what we pay as an installer for this kind of solar modules. It's normal price 0.195USD/Wp for container volumes. And 1848USD for 100Ah/48V battery is 1,5 times more than what we pay for it. 3. I recommend you be extremely careful when changing the angle of the array. The bump may cause micro-cracks in solar cells.

I love your honesty actually giving us a breakdown of exactly what it cost yes 50,000 is a lot of money that being said your sweat equity probably doubles or more the value of your system again thank you for being so honest of how you have Made this happen with the help of your viewers and your hard work! I am so impressed wow!

We are off-grid in the Central Coast area of California. We spent about 12k for the panels (15 x 400w) from Unbound Solar, inverter, and four 2.5kW Amperetime lithium batteries (for 10kW 800amps total). Because we put them on the roof, we were able to do most of the installation ourselves, calling in an experienced - and licensed - electrician to wire it all up (approximately $2500). As we're in CA, we get a LOT of sun, even in winter, so the system has been more than needed and we'll never have to pay a power bill again.

For a DIY system that is an excellent setup. Using a packing container is genius move, it provides weight and structural stability while providing a perfect housing for batteries and electronics. I am an electrical engineer and I can't really fault what you have built there. The price you paid all in may sound expensive but for the capacity you have there it is really inexpensive.

Hope to see updates on things like battery life and efficiency of the solar panels over time. There are lots of vids of installs but it's harder to find honest videos about what happens in the years after and what troubles to expect. Most people struggle with the fear of the unknown, so it helps to know what to expect

The "no monthly bill" part is tremendous. In addition to being $10K cheaper on day one, the solar system gets cheaper every day after that. If you have an EV or plug-in hybrid, surplus power can get folded into that and reduce your day-to-day costs even further.

Love the way you are open about the costs, and broke it down. It allows others to see what is in involved. Especially the modular build up.

I really love your setup! Have you considered building a sand battery silo next to the house in order to keep the the house warm throughout the winter? The thermal insulated silo contains a coil which heats up just plain old sand at around 600 degrees Celsius and it'll stay hot for months.

Using the shipping container for multiple purposes on this installation was brilliant. Very nice! Great forward thinking. On our little 6.5 acres, our house is oriented in the worse possible way to even consider roof mounted solar. This shipping container concept would almost be a no brainer for us. At 70+ years old, doubt I could recoup the costs though.

Another solution that could help with the wind issue is a deadman up on the hillside. Then put a cross brace at the top of the panels and use a cable ratchet to hold it in place like the tilting of the panels.

I have been in that part of the country in the winter time. It’s amazing how little sun light you have and how it even effects your body. So time will tell how the solar does during dark winter. 😂 But you have a few back up plains already in place. Wood stove,generators your camper and ability to move. You guys will be fine ! You adapt well and can handle anything with the right attitude! You two rock !

I love the enthusiasm of you both on your project, you both are excited on your project and support each other, you are match made in heaven 👍

Excellent video, love the way you lay out the price as you go along. I love the shipping container idea and the tilting array. Best wishes to you both.

You two kids are great! Thank you for giving us long timers the opportunity to live vicariously through you. I was beginning to think I wasn't doing something right because we see so little of you. How is the driveway coming? How is the d8 running? Did you ever get concrete poured. I sure am looking forward to seeing the shop 100% done. Thanks again and God bless you both!

Hi guys! Thank you for the cost break down. I think the 50K is actually reasonable. Especially when you consider all of your labor. 60K to bring in grid power, then add in a monthly energy bill you will be in 10 years way ahead. As always, love to hear from you guys. You rock! 🌞

Thanks for the spreadsheet guys, it’s Super Helpful!

I hope this works out for you. I've lived off the grid for seven years, and I get all my electricity from solar panels. Like you, I live in a place that has harsh winters. I have three concerns about your setup. 1. I think your batteries might get so cold in winter that they won't work. 2. I think some of your panels might get buried in snow, or at least partially buried, because they are pretty close to the ground. 3. I'm not so sure fresh snow will slide off the panels, even at "winter tilt." My panels stand straight up, 90 degrees relative to horizontal. I have them that way so the snow will slide off. Sure, the panels aren't at optimal tilt, but the good thing is that I never have to spend time removing snow from them. Good luck. I hope I'm wrong about all three of these things.

only change i would make is to step your bifacials ahead to make them like a set of stairs and paint side of shed shiny. keep panels slightly more vertical winter and summer. put a short shiny wall back 8ft to deflect wind. looks good. will give you more power on cloudy days and in winter and keep panels closer to ground or you can raise up more

Thank you for breaking this out, always wondered what the costs were. Would dig out the container and seal it, build a barrier wall and seal that with drainage and run off so the container doesn't rot. Might also dig a few feet down in front of panels so snow has somewhere to go when it melts off. You guys are SO great to watch!

This is my first video with y'all and found it amazing. I'm also working on my future home on a lot of acres that doesn't have running power to my location. I'm so glade I bumped into this video and has given me more ideas to work with. I gotta say I'm loving the price. Even if I could get someone else to due with and though of Tesla, their pricing on just the battery packs and everything built in was over 11k more then your system is and that's not including solar panel purchasing. Away to go and I'll sure be back to watch more things on your channel. Happy 2023

Seeing something like this helps me realize to go back to building me fire place and getting some candles.

i'm the same. never thought i'd be 'off grid'. ended up getting a beautiful house WAY out there that was already off grid. i upgraded some components of the system for how/what i need to do with the power. and now, i'd have it NO OTHER WAY. being self reliant is an amazing thing. for when the zombies attack, of course! ;)

I think this will work well with wood primary heating. Living here in the Selle Valley for over 20 years, we have seen so many variations in our winters. The general pattern of northerlies in winter and southerlies in summer holds true, the critical thing is cloud cover. No cloud cover means extreme cold and lots of clouds mean 29 degrees. I would encourage you to consider a simple rail wiper design to easily remove snow and I agree that you need some reinforcement for northerlies. Sadly, I suspect your road maintenance may be more time consuming than your power. To the good, when you eventually decide to sell your property there are lots of preppers, who will love your design.

Great story of success. And it all came about because of your followers and views. What a win win for everyone. Society needs more of these kind of stories. Great work!!!! May you continue to be blessed.

I recently found your channel as I am looking to do some type of rural / off grid property so that when I hit retirement , that I will have a home to enjoy the great out doors and peace and quiet. Your channel has provided a lot of answers to some questions and to some I did not even consider. Both you and Courtney are real troopers and inspiration. Love your content :)

Given all that is going on in the world, that seems to be both a wise decision and a bargain. The attitudes you both show are uplifting. Thank you for sharing.

photovoltaic / solar thermal technician here: my hat off great job, i wouldn't worry about wind hitting the back, same thing goes with stand alone systems, you can add corrugated panels if you want to stop the wind from hitting the panels. love that you buried the container and that your panels tilts 👍

Nice tour of tour system. It all looks well thought out.

I am coming across your channel for the first time, and I absolutely love this video. Thank you so much for sharing it and giving hope for others to do the same. I have solar panels on my house. I am not off grid but I love my panels.

Keep eye on the shipping container wall where the sand/dirt is piled to, it can have risk of that dirt eventually making pressure pushing the wall curved. It is at least one thing of concern you might check few times in future if it holds or not. Also anything related to rainfall water you might check the container corners stay dry.

Both of you guys have done a great job! Looks professional and I'm sure it will last many years. You guys work great together, well done.

Great video. Just discovered you guys today and thought that it was really cool of you all to thank your viewers. Don't recall seeing that before. Kudos.

Thank you for making these videos. I actually learned a lot this way and it gave me a good feel for the cost involved. Great!

I am happy to see that you guys are living your dream. You have worked hard and you deserve it. I am also happy you are sharing the adventure with us.

Not the typical videos I watch. Your D8 dozer brought me here and your personalities kept me here. You both do really well operating the equipment and WOW you’re not afraid to dive in and do ANYTHING it takes to fix, maintain, and build whatever you need. I’m really impressed with both of you! Great channel I wish you all the success and happiness 😃

Another awesome video y'all, awesome content on your continued improvements. Greatly appreciated 🙏

Stoked on your new solar installation! Also thank you for showing me the SOK battery setup you've installed the LiFeP04 cells and dimensions fit incredible well all around for an innovation I am creating!

Hello from Ukraine. Freedom is worth the money you paid. Good luck guys.

You guys are so awesomely transparent with us your viewers as well as humble as you learn and transfer your knowledge. Keep up the great work.

That looks like a GIANT SAIL! OMG. I would have separated those solar panels a bit to allow airflow between them so as to not have a northern wind (which is the most common) blow that thing off the hill or at damage the solar panels.

Love you alls chemistry on camera. And the fact you all build stuff. Just subscribed!!!

Please remember that the sides of the shipping containers aren't designed to have high loads on corrugated side steel. Floor, top and corners are the support structure. You need to make sure that backfilled side docent cave in.

Great job, guys. I have learned a lot from y'all. I'm old and my retention span is fading, but I still enjoy learning, and living vicariously through you two fine young people. Keep on keeping on.

The container for the housing and storage is brilliant. Maybe place some large rocks or create a wall on the back side to diver back-end winds from the North.

Proud of you guys! Keep up the good work!

Wow!! What an amazing accomplishment you two!! Congratulations and thank you for all the entertainment! God Bless

I've used solar on our properties for many years and recently helped a very good friend who moved from California to Montana. We installed some additions to his solar array system to boost his output in the winter. Basically he was DC coupled through charge controllers charging his batteries, then inverting and send AC power to his loads. This works very well in summer with a string connected system to your mppt charge controllers. HOWEVER, in winter was a VERY DIFFERENT STORY, he found that with strings partial coverage by snow was very problematic for output (ask your installer). I have the same problem in winter. My solution was to install a 5000 watt Enphase micro inverter array which is AC coupled to my system. There connected directly to the AC buss and bypass the charge cycle, by supplying loads first then if there is extra required for charging your inverters will charge your batteries works great in winter because snow only affects the covered panels. Food for thought FYI hope this may help if you need it later. PS love your channel. Fred

The good thing about having power brought to the property was the fact that you do it once and never again. Not doing it in 20 yrs because you need new battery's etc. Plus the resale on the property with having power makes it worth it in the end.

Thank you for being honest and a full breakdown. We are just getting ready to start a similar off grid build right off the Appalachian trail in North Carolina. Yet we are paying for the installation, and this comparison does help us understand the value and the extra expense we're paying for someone else's labor. Rationale for our system was almost identical for yours, for it was gonna be about $100,000 to bring power to our property. If the national forest would even permit it and their comment was no or it would take a very long time to get permission for we are 100% surrounded by the national forest. Plan on documenting it as well and trying to pay it forward not gonna use this channel that I'm replying on another one don't wanna take away from your experience, hoping to pay it forward to others

These guys are actually super cool in real life, not just in their videos. They told us a little about their channel, but this is the first time I've seen their videos. My son & I helped them with their drinking water storage Totes. Nice to see their the same in their videos as they were when we met them.

Now it's time to Tackle the Water Question! Septic System? It's so much fun to watch you guys solve problems!

Very informative! Thanks for the video! Nice set up!

Thankyou for you're spreadsheet. Your solar power system looks amazing.

Seriously, you guys are absolutely AWESOME! Great choices and money well spent for sure.

Hi, I hope this finds you well, looks like a great system!! I've just installed a 12kW Hybrid system on my place in New Zealand. I've installed hundreds of systems, mainly in Australia... One suggestion that will make a BIG difference to your yield in winter is to lop those few trees down that will partially shade the panels... it's a shame for the trees but will will pay dividends as any panel in more shade will bypass (through its internal bypass diodes) to prevent them becoming a load.

Great video guy's! I'm researching solar now for my build starting this year. Love the way you have built it...

I think a good way to handle high wind situations would be to have a 0-tilt setting for your panels to go flat against the top of the container for any high wind events.

The way his wife looked at him at 8:46 warms my heart. Seem like a couple of great people.

I am forever amazed at what you two can accomplish. You really are an inspiration. Thanks as always for sharing. 🙂

Well done folks, this is certainly a fantastic investment. I hope it brings many years of power to your home! Greetings from the UK

Good work you two have done. Really impressive and happy for you two!

Courtney is the only woman on RU-vid that can make overalls look great 😊 Love your channel, you both inspire me to build more and complain less.

Hey, C & R! Great video! Would love a video like this with an update on the apartment (water system, heat, etc.). It's been a while since we've seen work on the house.

Beautiful hard working couple! Blessings on you and stay safe.

Now this is amazing! Well I would love to see a winter update video for how this stands up with the current crazy storms coming in Especially since I should be finishing up escrow for my own land in Montana soon

Love the new solar system! I know you guys have a lot more property improvements to do, but being a Machinist/ Fabricator, I can't wait for you guys to get back to your fabrication episodes. BTW, what are your plans in future episodes? I'm assuming lots of fabrication while snowed in during the winter and maybe some camping adventures in the summer? Looking forward to it all!

Great video / Break down / Explanation! It’s crazy that you can get that system cheaper than trying to buy a new vehicle! Next project idea- if you end up needing another box, install above the array, and make the side of the box reflect the sun to the underside of the panels (polished aluminum maybe? :-) As always - I enjoy the videos! Side note - it’s fun talking with people you know (at various get togethers) and discovering that you both watch your channel 😊

My fiancé and I bought 21 acres in hawaii and are going to be going through the exact same thing. We will need power to supply the house we are going to build and my woodworking shop. Essentially a carbon copy of what you guys are doing. So very happy I was recommended this video. Instant subscriber and I will definitely be watching your other videos and using your advice. Thank you so much you two are awesome!

Excellent. Well done. I know from experience that earth-berming makes for excellent insulation. Also glad to hear you are going to anchor the structure to the hillside. I couldn't tell if you provided a means to keep the bottom of the container from sliding outward from the hillside. Hopefully you have done something there. Really good video; thank you both. . .

An idea I wanted to offer with you both in case it's helpful. When your array is in the winter angle, you're going to want to ensure there's room for the snow to fall off the panels rather than pile up and shading them. You could snow blow it or push it, but that's a big pain compared to just leaving it. You may need more room than you think as it's the snow from the area of the panels piled up in one spot. Potential for erosion on that south side is also worth thinking about.

Great review and will be so helpful to those embarking on this type of project. Eventually most of the components will cycle through their lifespan. However, those maintenance and replacement costs will be offset by the very likely increases of electric utility rates and the politicians taxing consumption. I think you have a system that should keep performing until the next ice age. Well done!

Now that's what you can truly call " thinking outside the box". A challenge but you folks slaughtered this one. Great job & with a little determination, anything is possible..

you deserve every penny though. Its soooo hard to come by a simple realworld breakdown like this, that actually gives you the realities and the cost benefit analysis. Even governments don't seem to have these stats when they're talking about renewables, one way or the other.. Most price breakdowns ive found in the past are from old school self sufficiency people still running lead acid setups...

It is crazy to go back and watch to see how much progress you 2 have made in a years time.......Keep it up

I would just make sure that the con-ex (shipping container) is adequately anchored, because you have a surcharge (a lateral load) imposed by the rock and earth placed behind it, which will tend to push against the con-ex. Not only that, but you have the weight of the solar array trying to pull it away from the bank of earth. So you have two forces working literally against you. This from a former bldg. inspector. Otherwise, I like the way you folks think.

I love it. A comprehensive breakdown of setting up a solar system. Best wishes.................

This has to be one the best, well detailed and explained how to do videos. God bless you. I know what to plan for now. Great info.

Partial burying, 'integrating with the hill' is a huge aesthetic advantage, I'd think doing a little of that on other two available sides could further improve it in addition to possibly eliminating the need for guywires which have their own drawbacks. Large rocks and fill half way up on the downhill side would substantially secure it.

Beautiful couple. I like what you guys did. I am fighting my HOA right now because they don't allow solar installation. My system without batteries is running close to 50,000 for an 11.6KW system. I like those panels you guys used. I will talk to my solar folks about those 440 watters. Good information you guys!!!!

I did this in 2005. Grid tied with only a 1kw wind turbine 1kw solar at 48v system. Single Outback inverter rated around 3.6kw output. I transformed a 2nd leg of 120ac for my water well. Had to use 1000lbs of lead acid batteries. No fancy batteries back then. The system was Tiny compared to yours. & I spend 20k. You guys are awesome keep up the hard work !

I've learned our containers stay warmer if they get direct sunlight but they do get cold at night so hopefully your ground insulation has worked in your favor

Great video again. Now i need to think how i will go solar here on a farm in Thailand. You inspire us, keep it up. Cheers

you two are very inspirational. Would love to do something like this here in India too.

Amazing advice. Thank you guys

Awesome! Thanks for sharing 😊

You should cut the tree down that puts shade on your panels for winter. That can give you way way more yield. Jjust 1 panel having shade can affect your entire array depending on your setup. same goes for 1 part of ashade on a panel if you went with optimizers. im surprised that the batteries are that cheap tho. the rest is quite expensive. But batteries here cost 4 times as much.

Incredible setup. Nice work (AGAIN). There's an underappreciated beauty to making your own power from the sun/wind. I actually find solar panels and wind turbines really nice to look at (almost majestic), because I have a deep appreciation for what it means (reducing our reliance on fossil fuels). You two are leading by example.

Just to move power to your area is 60k alone. That’s insane! You guys made the right choice. Here I am just trying to put together a solar panel work for my future Toyota Tacoma. I’ll definitely check out your links. Thank you for sharing.