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You forgot to list your pronouns in your profile.

In this case I am "the wife" so to speak, I want something that is generally reliable and won't require constant "fixes". I don't mind running some things during the day (dishwasher, washing machine etc...) but don't want to be lighting candles or carrying buckets of rain water because the...

You did kind of imply that, but that's fine. :) I am a single "she" that is planning to have a small off-grid house built in a rural area for retirement (to prep for a long term grid down situation). My question was aimed at how often, on average, these systems go down for various reasons and...

@Ariel188 Not sure if you will read this but I am very much like you (single female, multiple dogs, limited mechanical/electrical skills). I would strongly advise that you to plan for redundancy. That means when (not if) you lose power again you have a backup heat source such as a kerosene...

Actually that is the plan! In fact I will probably record the vital bits in case I do have to replace a failed part. The installer won't like it but we can work something out. This house is being built from the ground up in a tiny Southern town 200 miles from where I live now. I am a retirement...

I thought I would need it for the well pump but it seems Grundfos has other options though it may depend on well depth.

A hybrid can get zapped in the event of an EMP. I will get some kind of backup generator though may wait until I use the system for a while. South Georgia does get a lot of sun and we rarely have storms that last more than a couple of days. If that occurs I can go to minimal power consumption...

@ricardocello @Adam De Lay Thank you for your replies. Gonna look at the manual now.

I will make a note of that! Heavy wire may cost more but probably not as much as another 3 grand inverter. :)

Guessing it is this one:

Realistically customer support problems are usually just the tip of the iceberg. Upper management is likely unqualified and/or the CEO is way over his head.

Exactly. Not having to worry that the grid will go down or inflation goes up so much we have to choose between groceries or heat. Things have escalated crazy fast in the last 5 years and there is no reason to think it will slow down. For those that are concerned about those things the peace of...

I came across an article an hour ago when I searched for "Wiring new house for solar only". I don't want to try to find that article again but I suppose it is true if every appliance/motor running off of it was designed for DC power. That is just not practical though (would be cheaper to buy a...

Thanks. The responses here make me feel much better about it. Monitoring the battery storage should be easy (South Georgia where it will get lots of sun) plus I don't use much power now, only 5-6Kw a day so a 5-8Kw system should provide plenty as long as I have enough battery capacity.

Thanks! I have actually never been there but the contractor can do that. Guess the worst case scenario is having more trees removed later if they grow a lot (they are young saplings now)

Wow! That looks incredible! You did that all yourself? Absolutely love those wood beams -- very cozy! The modern bathroom/toilet and the windows are also excellent choices. Guessing that was the wife's idea? Is that stove a mass heater? Did you go with roof mounted solar panels? I will be...

I would hope the system would provide daytime power even if the batteries stopped working.

I received a reply from the Victron dealer and will include it here in case others have the same question and see this thread. He said: "For your batteries and inverters you’re looking at needing about 4x7 feet." I assume that space will accomodate the other equipment required since that is...

That EG4 PowerPro looks pretty good especially priced at $4k for 14kW. I got a quote for 3 smaller EG4 batteries totaling 10kW for $5200 so it is definitely a better value for the money. Would a larger battery last longer with modest night time draining? Seems only using 10-15% on a regular...

Well crafted message (very positive). Having said that @Zwy is correct, you are best off looking for another job.

Yeah that is what I am thinking. Plus it won't cost that much to upgrade to a 10 year warranty.

Not so nice if you follow some of the threads. I had heard of Signature Solar but after seeing their posts on here and their God awful customer service I would never consider them.

Agree. I gave up on the idea once I realized I would have to buy obscure RV type appliances. Not worth the cost or the hassle!

LOL look at the post right above yours. I was looking up more info and came across it at the same time you were. It is quite possible Tesla changed the Internet dependence in the last 4 years because it was a weak point often exploited by competitors.

I believe the new off-grid Enphase system does not require an Internet connection. I did ask the electrician that sells those systems about that and he swore they don't. Also said there is no single point of failure. As far as Sol-Ark claiming to be EMP hardened, it is a $1500 upgrade and I...

Solar screens are a good idea! I am in Middle Georgia now and it hits 90-95 most of the summer; I haven't used A/C in 5 years (except twice last summer when it hit 104, it did run for a couple of hours). People think they can't live without A/C but once they acclimate to it they are fine *if*...

Looking to buy land in a hilly region (Ozarks). Is there an online solar calculator that can provide sunlight hours based on GPS coordinates? I am buying land out of state remotely so I can't actually visit the site. Some nice lots have an uphill grade on the south side which means solar will...

I am also looking for a residential solar system (off-grid) for a new house. The best (most reliable) brands recommended to me by several here have been Schneider, Victron and Sol-Ark. They always list all three together which means something. You have to hunt around and find distributors...

Looks great! I am your age and hoping to build a 1000 sq ft off grid home in the next year too. Seems many of us are thinking along the same lines. You are way ahead of me, my "deadline" is Nov 2024 but hope to have it much sooner. Would love to see your floorplan and more pix. Is there another...

Yes I will do my due diligence. Right now the top 3 seem to be Sol-Ark, Victron and Schneider as far as reliability goes. Signature Solar is definitely one I will NOT consider after seeing their CSR replies on this forum. If they treat their customers horribly on a public forum for the whole...