“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Albert Camus
This is something a little different than what I typically write for print. This is just for those on the Withdraw Consent journey. The last few years have been a wake-up call for most of us that live in the first world comfort of America. Our systems and institutions that we’ve built and come to rely on have been subverted and failed us across society. As such, there has been a booming resurgence in the prepping and self-sufficiency movements. Why shouldn’t there be? I can’t think of anything more American than self-sufficiency. It is one of the themes of this blog.
I would not consider myself a hardcore prepper. Nonetheless, in my household, we’ve made several attempts to lessen our dependence on failing American systems. Whether they be supply chains, the financial system, the education system, etc., finding alternatives in the big and small things in our daily lives moves us one step closer to reclaiming our sovereignty.
One of the things that I did in the last few years was to build a shop in order to open up more space in our garage and get all of my tools and power equipment out of the way. I decided that I didn’t want to trench my yard in order to run power to my shop, so I set up a basic solar power system that works great for our needs. I was surprised at how affordable and easy it was to build a simple solar setup, so I figured I would share my experience with the readers here. For about $1,000 you can create a system that will run a small shop with little to no maintenance.
To start, here is a short list of necessary supplies I utilized (or equivalent):
Renogy 200 Watt Solar Panel Kit – $350
SLA/AGM Deep Cycle Batteries – $100-200 ea.
3ft 4AWG Battery Cables | Pair – $30 ea.
Cobra Pro 2500W Inverter – $300
200amp Inline Fuses – $10
Optional
Vented Battery Box – $10
Battery Box with External Terminals – $75-100
30′ Solar Cable – $60
Renogy 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit – $170
Duracell Powersource 660 – $3-700
Adjustable Solar Mounting Pole Bracket – $55
Adjustable Tilt Mount Roof Bracket – $30
When I first started this project I wasn’t sure what my power demand was, what my solar generation potential was, and what equipment was required to meet these needs. The equipment that I started with was insufficient for my needs, but maybe enough for you depending on your location and your power requirements. I’m going to provide you with this information just in case.
I started my solar build with a Renogy 100 Watt Solar Kit and a Duracell PowerSource 660 that I bought from Costco. The PowerSource has a 55 amp-hour capacity, a built-in solar charger that accepts 100 watts input of solar power, and a 4 port – 1440 watt max inverter built-in. For a small camper or RV, this can be an excellent off-grid combination that can keep your 12v battery topped off and allow you to run many of your appliances and electronics from anywhere.
If this sounds like you I highly recommend this combination, but look for Duracell’s B stock Powersource which are refurbished units that can be had for about $300.
I discovered a few limitations of this kit and storage that made it unworkable for my needs. The first limitation that I encountered was due to my location. I live in the mountains of Idaho and my home is south facing, so peak sun exposure is great for three-fourths of the year. However, during the peak of winter there simply weren’t enough hours of sunlight to replenish the battery to full. I frequently received low voltage warnings on the Duracell Powersource 660.
I attempted to mitigate this by adding an additional 100-watt solar panel with the intention of doubling solar generation during limited daylight. What I found is that this worked to an extent, but then I ran into the limitations of both the Powersource as well as the PWM solar controller that came in the 100 Watt kit. The Powersource accepts a maximum of 100 watts input in its built-in controller, and the Renogy PWM controller that comes in the 100-watt solar kit outputs up to 400 watts. On those days when the two 100-watt panels were most efficient, they were delivering more than the maximum allowable voltage and the Powersource gave an over-voltage warning.
I searched through the PWM solar controller manual and couldn’t find any settings that would allow me to cap output voltage at 100 watts. I contacted Renogy to see if there were any settings I could tweak to limit output voltage and unfortunately you cannot. They recommended the MPPT controller which does have over-voltage protection.
Right out of the gate, I had to purchase an additional 100-watt panel and an MPPT charge controller. The panel and controller would have come in the 200-watt kit, so I recommend that if your needs eclipse a small camper or RV, consider starting with the Renogy 200-watt kit. It is expandable up to 400 watts by adding two additional panels, has over-voltage protection, and has twice the solar generation capacity.
For my build, I mounted my two 100-watt solar panels on Renogy Tilt Mounting Brackets on the roof of the shop. I had to purchase a Y-splitter since I added the second panel to the kit, but if you purchase a 200-watt kit, it should come with the necessary cabling without the additional expense.
I ran the cabling under the soffit of my shop, and into the charge controller mounted to a piece of particle board mounted on the shop studs.
From the charge controller, I daisy-chained the charge controller output to the Powersource (note – at this point I’m not using the inverter function of the Powersource and so you can substitute the Powersource for an array of compatible AGM batteries. You can also use LiPo or other batteries with this controller, but AGM will be the most cost-effective for a stationary installation.)
At this point, I would recommend installing fuses between your inverter and your battery storage. The charge controller has overvoltage protection, but there is no over-voltage protection between the inverter and your batteries. I picked up these 200amp inline fuses, but have yet to install them.
Since the Powersource Inverter is capped at 100 watts input, I had to purchase a standalone power inverter to plug my appliances, lights, and garage door opener into, and simply use the Powersource as overpriced battery storage. I went with this Cobra Pro 2500 Watt unit because it has 4 AC ports to plug into. Additionally, I have also found that it has an adjustable low voltage warning, which saves me from hearing it beep on low solar input days. This is a feature that the Powersource lacked.
As you can see here, I am utilizing all four AC outlets for various functions:
- A WiFi switch on one outlet is connected to two exterior lanterns that automatically turn on at dusk to light the exterior of the shop.
- An internal pull-string led light fixture.
- An electric garage door opener with battery backup from Linear Openers.
- One open slot, currently with a grow light fixture for my garden seedlings.
I currently have three 55AH AGM batteries running my shop. At times I have used my open slot to recharge lithium-ion power tool batteries, but I have also used the inverter to run table saws, tile saws, palm sanders, compound saws, etc. without issue. I would not recommend high wattage power tools be utilized without first installing the inline fuses between your inverter and your battery storage.
We were recently notified by our power utility here in Idaho that they will be taking a page from the California playbook and instituting brownouts in our region during inclement weather. This feels a lot like a betrayal at a time when the system is forcing the public into dependency, like electric power. During one storm last month we lost power for about six hours. I had almost forgotten that my shop was off-grid until I looked out the window and the entire world was pitch black except for my little shop.
I can’t begin to express how important preparation is in self-ownership. Like going into a test after pulling an all-night study session, preparation in life provides more than the essential tools for survival. Preparation also provides the confidence and morale boost necessary to focus on the task at hand. Have you implemented solar or other independent energy generation in your own home? In what other ways are you focusing on self-ownership and emergency preparedness in your own home? Feel free to weigh in below.
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