Off-grid solar for places the grid does not reach
An off-grid system has no grid to fall back on, so it has to be sized for the worst week of winter, not an average day. We plan the panels, battery and backup generator together, and we are honest about which appliances belong on gas or wood instead.
Worth a call if
- There is no grid connection, or connecting costs too much
- You are building new and can plan loads from the start
- You can run cooking and hot water on gas or solar thermal
Size for winter
In June and July the sun is lower and the days are shorter, so a winter day can produce noticeably less than a summer one. We size the panel array for winter output and the battery for at least one cloudy day, more where you cannot afford to run out.
Choose the loads on purpose
Cooking, water heating and space heating use a lot of energy. Off-grid homes usually run those on gas, a solar geyser or a wood stove, which keeps the electrical system smaller and cheaper. Lights, fridges, pumps, electronics and tools stay on solar.
Batteries do the heavy lifting
Lithium iron phosphate batteries handle deep daily cycling far better than lead-acid and need no topping up. We set charge and discharge limits so they last.
A generator as insurance
A generator that starts automatically when the battery runs low covers long bad-weather spells. We wire it through the inverter so it charges the batteries rather than running loads directly.
Typical off-grid builds
- 1
Weekend cabins and bush houses
Lights, fridge, pump and charging, with room to add.
- 2
Full-time off-grid homes
Whole-house systems sized for winter with generator backup.
- 3
Lodges and guest units
Several small systems or one central system, depending on layout.
- 4
Remote sites
Telemetry, security, gates and cameras where the grid is far away.
More installation
Questions people ask us
How many days can an off-grid system run without sun?
That is a design choice. More battery means more days, at a higher cost. Most of our off-grid designs carry one to two days of essential loads and lean on a generator after that.
Is off-grid cheaper than connecting to the grid?
Sometimes. If the grid connection fee and line extension are high, off-grid can cost less over time. We can compare the two once you have a connection quote.
Request a quote
Send the basics and we reply to arrange a site visit or a quote. A photo of your DB board and a recent electricity bill help us prepare, and you can attach them to the email this form opens.