Hey Jay I thought the info was good and well presented. I also wanted to let you and your viewers know that after your last video I was emailed by a scammer pretending to be you, offering expensive gifts by answering a few questions. They wanted financial info for shipping cost. For all viewers PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!
Thank you for letting us know....we see then in the comment section and report them to YT for removal, but beyond that, there is not much we can do other than warn you. Sorry about that, and I guess we will have to be more careful with giveaways and such now that the channel is getting bigger. Appreciate your help with it.
Thanks Jay Very informative info. You made it simple to understand. I got the same scam info some of the other commenters mentioned Wishing you the best through the rest of the winter. Spring is on the horizon
You use your cabin in the cooler seasons. One way to reduce power use is put in an icebox that vents to the outside. Then you could turn your refrigerator off. I saw this done on another channel, boss of the swamp. They use no power to refrigerate food for 6 to 8 months of the year.
Depends if they can find ice locally. I am old enough to remember one house only at the corner of our street that still had ice delivered. The iceman was like the Pied Piper on a hot summer day!
You babble well! Makes total sense. Now you need to reach out to a company that makes whole house diesel generators for the finishing touch. Another option would be to spend a few days totally off grid and live off the wood stove and some lanterns like pioneers. We live in a Tennessee suburb, but keep lanterns and oil and have lived up to 5 days after an ice storm with our fireplace insert, two small generators to keep our refrigerators going, and lanterns for light. It is a fun change of pace, although we have only done it twice for more than 2 days. We have a good computer and router battery backup and three small power stations from 256 Wh to 600 Wh, so we can keep our electronics going, AGM batteries take more abuse than standard lead acid batteries and don't cost that much more, and can be discharged 30% more without damaging them. They do make Lithium Iron batteries now with self heaters and controllers in them, but they are quite proud of them...
I live in the rural deep south - up till in the 1950s there were no power lines delivering AC power - Today its a novilty to lie off grid for many - In rural areas from the 1890s there were junior farm light plants and regular farm light plants - The junior farm light plants were generaly 6 or 12 volts with a wind generator and a 150 watt generator - The regular farm light plant were 32 volts DC and the 7 kw battery bank was charged with a 850 watt generator in most cases - Most farm houses were set up to charge the batterys all day once a week - some had a 14 kw battery bank and a 1.5 kw gentator - Down most had 14 kw bamttery banks - down here they used fans during the summer - so they needed larger farm light plants - Down here it never gets below 5° F so battery acid strength was only 1.200 on a hydrometer - That week acid solution charging once a week would last 60 yrs + if they used the stonger acid like today they use 1 275 acid - with strong acid batterys only last 7 yrs charhy one a week - Any apliance that was sold that used 110 AC was also sold in the 32 volt DC vertion also - They sold motor generator inverters to step the voltage up to 110 volts AC - some borns had flouresnt lights that ran on AC also a TV ran 110 AC - When i was a kid there were still some 32 volt DC homes - In the deep south US the humidity is high and it defuses the UV light from the sun - so solar panels are not struck directly by UV light - So solar panels only generate 20 % of there rated out put at noon day - After huricanes or ice storms my power can be knocked out for montha - When my power is knocked out i go hybrid - my battery acid strength is 1.220 thats good down to minus 17° - and a 40 yr service life -
I just went up to the UP this weekend, not much snow around the Paradise area, not like years past. Thanks for going over the solar, its all confusing to me lol
Jay, Being a fellow Michigander I can tell you that yeah having your AGMs that cold is killing the capacity available. AGMs don't vent and I have my 800AH battery in the semi heated back room at about 59 degrees. The 400AH lead acid is outside in an insulated pickup truck tool box. The 3 inch insulation added 7 degrees in winter and ironically keeps the batteries a bit cooler in summer. One thing to highly consider is a capacity meter and they are about $40 bucks now. On the 100 watt panels, I have a number of those and frankly I have moved on to picking up used 250-400 watt panels on FB market place or craigs list and I can tell you even here in Michigan those larger panels play much better than the 100 watt panels. Good luck and spring is coming and time to build another ground mount for me for next winter. Gary
Seems like the savings in gas and wear and tear on the gen it would be worth a couple power stations , great update brother . Our solar is doing the same here in southern Ohio flat
It really is.....this is what I hope I can show in the future videos about solar and having better options. GAS adds up fast....and the hassle and noise is even worse
I do not understand electric current at all. At 73 I have studied a lot in my life. Being retired I prefer to relax my brain. I listen to many TH-cam channels with tons of resources for living better & cheaper. Here are a couple of my favorites: A Boulder Life Off-Grid. - a couple with 4 children. Nice family. The guy is an Electrician by trade. The kids are good workers. Epic Family Road Trip - different sort of living. They have a cabin in northern Canada where they can live totally off-grid if they choose. Off-grid with Chris & Kristy - a couple living in North Canada. They have one camp and now have a new acreage they are homesteading. This Off-Gride life - a couple who are homesteading acreage in Alaska. They have critters, barns, and houses. Green Acre Homestead - acreage in eastern Tennessee. The couple has 2 boys. They are exceptional homesteaders in what they do. They are multi-skilled in what they do. They are both great at explaining building & repairs. They are putting in solar at this time. The guy is explaining their system. Excellent information. Maybe y'all can learn from each other as living off-grid is about survival.
Man I don't care what time of the year it is I will travel from here to Yonder and everywhere in between to find a way to make my coffee bottom line you guys are very inspiring so Keep On Keepin On !!!
Wish I had done something like this a few years ago before my body wore out lol proud of you guys for toughing it out in the aggravating times and disappointments you guys kept pushing and it worked ;) look at you now !! your buckeye neighbor salutes you !!
Been off the grid for over 10 years. Best advice is inverter charger... and higher voltages. The saving in the wires will buy you more batteries. Plan for Dec 21st and you got your worst day covered.
Once you go to Lithium batteries, you will never go back. They are worth the extra cost, as you can see with your power stations, they won't catch fire and yes you will need to keep them in a warm place. Anyway I have yet to spend a winter in my off grid cabin, so was interested in your video. Thank you.
I started off with one 2000 watt pecron power station. I now have 3 of them with two expandable battery's and 2 of their smaller units. I have 1800 watts of solar panels and I still want more. Something about throwing some panels in the back yard and running my fridge freezers, coffee machine computers, tv etc.. for free. Yup I get your addiction to it. Hope you enjoyed your trip to Florida. It's been a little cold down here for us but not to bad.
My grandfather was a early 1900s electrican - if a rural home had power most were hybrid in rural areas - Im 3rd generation i spent my yrs working on generators in the offshore and remote moutain oilfieds - generaly speaking with high speed 3600 watt generators a natural gas generator has a 1.5:1 effecency - a propane gen is 2:1 efficent - gasoline gen is 3:1 efficent and a diesel is 4:1 efficent - the first number is how many kws a 120 volt genrator will deliver per gallon of fuel burned - a gasoline gen will deliver 3000 watts per gallon of fuel burned at 3000 ft or below - Also at 120 volts AC you get 416 watts per hp input to the generator with direct coupled generators - its lower with belt drive generators - Inverter gasoline generators run at about 2700 RPMs at half load many are 6:1 effecient - i use belt drive diesel generators there around 9:1 fuel efficent - when engines run slower there is time to burn fuel more completely -
I've noticed watching your video that you get a fairly nice wind on your hill so you might look at and have some conversations in regards to wind power. Missouri Wind and Solar could be just one option among many in regards to wind power. Doesn't need to be a huge wind generator, just something to get you over the hump this time of year. Just a thought.
Hey, this the second of your videos I’ve watched. It’s funny that your in lower MI and I’m in the UP. We went off grid out of necessity (long story), and I’ve had to learn a lot since last fall. I’ve learned that cloudy day s means more panels. I’ve read that we should shoot for a 1:1 panel:battery ratio. My second tracker has made a huge difference. I’m waiting for my new batteries to show up so I can double my capacity. We’re upgrading a little at a time.
Here in Australia we have sunshine to burn so more people are going solar. My twin sister has solar panels wired into the grid and she gets paid for her power. I have to pay astronomical amounts for my power usage as I don’t have solar yet. A quarterly account that used to be about 300 dollars per quarter we now often face bills up to 3000 dollars especially in summer as we need air conditioning. Your system seems awesome.
Hi Jay, thank you for your content, you have a decent understanding of the battery tech. Lithium batteries need to have self heating or above something like 10’C so they are not being damaged when charged. Just be mindful the battery banks are lithium and are in your cabin. Best safe option is an external warm environment so if you have a meltdown it’s not internal. A super insulated shed could be an option. All the best from the UK 😁👍
Might want to consider an inverter/charger. I use one and all i have to do is plug the generator into it. When the generator is on it supplies power to the cabin and charges the batteries. Once the generator has run a couple of hours I turn it off. The unit automatically switches from the generator back to the batteries. When I turn the generator on it automatically switches to generator power. Videos on youtube about the Victron Multi plus which is the unit I have. Best thing is I no longer have to reset the clock on the stove when I switch over.
I like update videos like this thanks. I wish they had the solar power station they do now when I went off grid 4 years ago. If so that is the way I would of gone. Before going to lithium I set my AGM batteries to shut down at 22.9v. Once they hit the mid 23’s I’d power up the genny to charge.
Nice...I know you have told me that before.....I just have trouble letting them go that low.....I sure would get a lot more time out of them if I did tho. Technology is coming along nicely for sure.
Nice video. 🎉 You talk so good about the powerstations but you know that they are expensive. Can't you build your own solar generator as a project on your channel. I've seen them in youtube, but I would love to see you built one and show us how to build a good and cheep usable one. 👍 Just a dreambuild for us to watch. Take care and have a nice day.
Your flag is moving a lot in the strong wind, have you considered using a wind turbine to help with power generation? The off grid cabin roof can hold more solar panels for charging your portable power stations directly.
Note: I watch "Outdoor Boys" who have 8 million subscribers and he has had comments turned off for as long as I have watched, and maybe from the beginning, so comments, unless you just want them, does not seem to affect the number of subscribers.
I have agm batteries at my camp. Charging in cold weather will kill the battery life faster, still works but they wont last as.long as they should.....
Hummm....that is cool. This would let you monitor or gauge more information than what the display shows? Would be nice to be able to see that info and or keep track of it
Awesome update thank you... Been thinking about how I'm going to build my solar system... like the idea of using the portable units 1st for awhile to get comfortable then upgrade and have backups for the bad months... and can take portable units home as some ppl are getting robbed when not there.. again thanks for sharing there eh!
Keep a lot of candles on hand or some lanterns in case your solar power shuts down. You may already do that though, but the thought popped up in my head, lol!!
Like the idea of gen near the solar shed but why not replace the 10 amp battery charger with a 40 amp charger and charge your house bank at the same time they are not expensive and your gen set can handle the load easily
Great video Jay and Jen, When I bought my off-grid cabin the prior owners had installed 15 solar panels at 285 watts each. The remainder of the system was a mess. I am changing it to a 48V system with 560 amp hours which I believe translates to 26,880 watt hours. I sized the system to power two high efficiency window air conditioners, a small fridge and a 5 cu/ft freezer (plus everything else). I am currently building a new solar shed and will be hooking everything up in the next few weeks. As a side note the cabin wiring was a spider-web of danger so when I increased the square footage of the cabin from 405 sq ft to 729 sq ft I ripped out the original wiring and will be having a friend help me in rewiring it the right way.
It's such a good idea keeping all the electronics in the shed. I was checking the emf with a meter I'd bought and my inverter and charge controllers are screaming lol. The electro magnetic frequency is supposedly really bad for people's health and I had no idea how strong those frequencies from the equipment were until I got the meter. I think it can cause cancer in the state of California so I'm glad I live in Tennessee lol. Anyways thanks for the videos and great system
Hi guys hope you're keeping well in the summer you could spend time on really insulating your solar shed as it's the one thing I have seen many people on off grid spend a lot of effort into getting it as near to 100% which they show how much difference it made to the life of the batteries daily as well as not running them low some people put a thermostat in to see the temperatures in side to help with this plenty of channels showing how to do this would be a great project for this year 😊 take care 👍
Just got 10 365w used panels delivered to my door a week ago from SanTan for 1200 bucks, they all produce like new...good stuff...I love your setup, but consider an upgrade soon....it would be life changing to have 3kw of panels on them cloudy days.
Built their mounts from a bunch of 2x4 with chains running to their kickers some hinges on top of kickers so I can adjust their angle a bit or drop them flat on the ground in a few mins if a bad storm is coming....they will prob be fine unless its a tornado...and if its that its up to God kinda no matter what. With a friend could load my whole system on a pickup in about 10 mins. The mounts ran about 500 bucks for the 5 frames holding 10 panels.
Im on the grid myself, but run the solar off grid, it runs all my 120 loads on the house now....the outside heatpump will still be on the grid for now...240v on that....did everything portable so did not ask for permission from the city...better to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes.
3.6kw system with 10kw 48v batteries and a 3kw growatt inverter mounting and cables, all diy spent just a tad over 5k with 10awg cables and an inline 30amp breaker on pv lines and a couple tools to make connections.
I'd like to see you get sponsored by power queen or someone for a replacement set of lifpo4 batteries this year. The prices have come way down from where they were just a year or 2 back.
Cool....I have kept my eyes on them too and noticed the prices are quite fair now. We are working on a few deals that I hope come through in the next few months
I am not very well informed on solar array systems, but I think yours is quite comprehensive and nicely set up. I like that the panels are not on the roof of the cabin, making it much easier to keep them clean and clear of snow and I like how you have created a utility shed to house everything. Right now where I am living I don't have this option for a system, but I plan on relocating in the next 2 years, and when I do, I would like to start with a system like yours, and then, as you've mentioned, transition to a more sophisticated power wall. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge - you are doing a great job and its much appreciated!!
I think Vitron is used often here, but I was on a budget when I built this system, so it was a bit more expensive....but probably worth it in the long run
If you had the EG4 3K-48 volt inverter/solar charger ($670) and a DIY 14.3 kilowatt battery made with EVE LF280K cells and a JK-BMS with 2 amp active balancing ($1,900) you would have all you need for an off-grid cabin. This combo has a very small footprint. You could run a red (+) and black (-) 10 AWG wire to the inverter from your solar panels and charge at 5,000 watts @ up to 500 volts DC. At this voltage there is no appreciable loss. Lets put this in perspective, you already have Solar panels, so by adding the 48 volt EG4 3K inverter and DIY battery all for around $2,600 you would be all set. Also, the EG4 3K accepts charging from a generator hooked up to it. Four items: solar panels, generator, inverter/charger and battery. I have built two of those batteries for a total of 28 kilowatts and we have the EG4 18K inverter with 4.8 kilowatts of solar and have not run out of electric yet. We live in Michigan. We have our equipment in a insulated room in our garage heated by a $129 diesel heater. Ask signature solar if they will sponsor you.
I love hearing this....I'm excited to experiment with some of these options......the new all in one's and batteries are pretty amazing. It all impresses me
Jay, always appreciate the great explanations and tips re your solar system. I man who knows what he’s talking about! This isn’t a millionaire’s setup - it’s all of us ‘every person’ reality!😍🇨🇦
Thumbs up to you, so may I ask what is a ball park figure you have invested in your solar ? You want to come to my cabin and install one for me LOL....
Lol....we have a little under 4 thousand dollars invested into the solar shed and array.......without the second array....that was given to us for sponsorship. But I bought stuff while it was all in short supply during times of supply issues. Today the panels and batteries can be found for far cheaper
you should see if any of the battery company's would be willing to send you some battery's..... who better to compare the lead acid tech with Lithium. and as for the power stations it is only recently that they have switched from Lithium ion to Lithium iron phosphate which is the safer tech.
The solar system looks like its holding up great. I Built a portable system using a hand truck, an EG4 3000 watt inverter/charger and a 5000 watt EG4 battery. It can take in 5000 watts of solar. I use that to charge my Bluetti AC200p's. This way , when the sun is out, even for a short time, I capture as much as possible. Have fun in Florida. I am about an hr north of you. (Just north of Tampa) Would love to get together before you head home to MI. The rain should stop tonight and then 3 days of sun! Enjoy your time here!
Good job my theory start small work my way up and learn as you go nice to see someone with the same thoughts, I got my sons watching you now they like your set up, I'm getting ready to retire and look at saving as much money as I can on a fixed income so for now I'm buying stuff while I'm working .
I understand you get the power stations for free but if you really want this system to work adding more storage isn't going to fix the problem, you need more solar capacity. If I were in your spot id sell most of the extra power stations and buy second hand large solar cells and build a decent sized.array. 300+ watt panels can be found for around $100 each used if you get a good deal. If you had 6-10k watt array instead of 1000, youd see 500-800 watts of charge in overcast times like you showed here (rather than 50-80 watt trickle). Your batteries would always be charged. You can still have a power station as backup if you need to perform maintenance.
I wish I had gotten one for sure......I bought this inverter before I really understood the inverter charger thing.....I wish I had done a little more research.
Thanks Jay! I'm in the preparation phase of going off grid. What recommendations do you have for one too learn more about solar? I want to ensure I understand it well enough to ensure I get the proper system, maintain it well, and am able to fix minor issues. Thank you much!
Hey Cindy.....make sure you check out our solar playlist....but also check out Will Prowse and his early solar videos. Watch a lot of them and it will help it all start to make sense. Also practice with a single Battery, solar panel, charge controller, and inverter.
Probably the furthest thing from your mind this time of year, but in the summer what do you use for air conditioning? That will be my big draw item during summer and am wondering the off grid power I will need for it. Thanks.
We can run a window air conditioner on a really hot day.....and if we have Full sun all day. But we only get hot Temps like that a couple weeks a year, thus far we have only use AC one day
You need the powermr 24 vdc 3000 watt inverter charge controller in series of up to 5000 watts and up to 450 vdc from the panels I see the inverter taking the amps coming in from Pv x 5 to the battery 5 amps x 5 = 24.5 amps .5 for the inverter doing it's converting DC to AC.$489
If you guys were starting right now would you go with the portable power stations or the batteries? Were thinking about just getting a big power station with extra batteries.
The power stations are nice....they are portable and charge fast too. Depending on your situation it changes things a bit...but I have faith in the larger companies that build the power stations. Keep an eye out for some great options In a few of our coming videos. I love the versatility of the the power stations
Want to come put one in for me lol!😂 just kidding I can’t afford a system anyway! Great video, I do want to be totally offgrid, or atleast be able to be if big brother flips me off! 🍀👋🦌❤️🍂☝️👍👴🌮⛪️
I have been looking for a way to assist with heating during spring and fall days where it isn't cold enough for a fire, but the cabin is chilly. I'm considering adding a minisplit system if I could figure out where to install it.
Did you get that linear actuator fixed on that tracking solar array? I saw another video where it was just a pin that comes loose on the end with the motor. Idk if that info helps or not.
If you were both going to work, how successful do you thing that you'd be in keeping your batteries charged? Would you think that you'd run your generator more?
I'm not sure what you mean about both working....but Jen teaches online and I spend multiple hours each days editing and producing videos for you guys....so LOTS of computer time just to post here and make an income.
Actually I meant if you both worked at places where you had to go into work. Because of all the time away, I was wondering if your setup would work as well because you seemingly monitor it quite closely.@@OffgridwithJayandJen
I did not get any more help, just told to order the actuator on Amazon, which I did, and I'm waiting for the weather to improve before I install the new one, in hopes it won't break again for the season.
Do you have your outdoor wires from the solar panels to the storage room in conduit? If not, are you worried that over time the wires will eventually crack and break? Just curious. I'm not familiar with solar panels at all, but I am interested in getting some in the future.
It is an option and we do do that during summer with more portable units....but these larger units we leave inside and just run the power to them. I'm thinking running the PV voltage directly inside might be a great option as well. Just kind of milking my old set up while I can
I'm not 100% sure to be honest, but it is only 60 Feet from the shed to the inside outlet I installed, and I have it in AC current so it should travel just fine. If I could do it Again I might have used a heavier 8 gauge wire instead of 10 for that stretch, but inside the cabin we rarely draw more than 15 amps so I feel everything it safe and pretty efficient
Leviticus 23:22 King James Version 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.
I'm not sure if off grid is the only way to live it or enjoy it......but living simple is very freeing. Removing the daily grind that keeps most in a vicious cycle allows you to enjoy life. Spend less and you can make less. Make YOU a priority my friend
Salut. Te urmăresc de ceva timp și îmi place ceea ce faci Te invit să arunci o privire și pe canalul meu,când ai timp bine înțeles.L-am pornit de puțin timp și mi-ar prinde bine o părere avizată.Îți mulțumesc și îți doresc mult spor în ceea ce faci!
Hey Jay I thought the info was good and well presented. I also wanted to let you and your viewers know that after your last video I was emailed by a scammer pretending to be you, offering expensive gifts by answering a few questions. They wanted financial info for shipping cost. For all viewers PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!
Thank you for letting us know....we see then in the comment section and report them to YT for removal, but beyond that, there is not much we can do other than warn you. Sorry about that, and I guess we will have to be more careful with giveaways and such now that the channel is getting bigger. Appreciate your help with it.
You are doing a great job of managing the power the good Lord provides. Great video! Praying for you, Jen and the pups. ♥️
Thanks Jay
Very informative info.
You made it simple to understand.
I got the same scam info some of the other commenters mentioned
Wishing you the best through the rest of the winter.
Spring is on the horizon
You use your cabin in the cooler seasons. One way to reduce power use is put in an icebox that vents to the outside. Then you could turn your refrigerator off. I saw this done on another channel, boss of the swamp. They use no power to refrigerate food for 6 to 8 months of the year.
Depends if they can find ice locally. I am old enough to remember one house only at the corner of our street that still had ice delivered. The iceman was like the Pied Piper on a hot summer day!
I absolutely love what you have built there. One day I'm gonna find a local driving job where I can be home enough to mess with my solar power stuff
You babble well! Makes total sense. Now you need to reach out to a company that makes whole house diesel generators for the finishing touch.
Another option would be to spend a few days totally off grid and live off the wood stove and some lanterns like pioneers. We live in a Tennessee suburb, but keep lanterns and oil and have lived up to 5 days after an ice storm with our fireplace insert, two small generators to keep our refrigerators going, and lanterns for light. It is a fun change of pace, although we have only done it twice for more than 2 days. We have a good computer and router battery backup and three small power stations from 256 Wh to 600 Wh, so we can keep our electronics going,
AGM batteries take more abuse than standard lead acid batteries and don't cost that much more, and can be discharged 30% more without damaging them. They do make Lithium Iron batteries now with self heaters and controllers in them, but they are quite proud of them...
I live in the rural deep south - up till in the 1950s there were no power lines delivering AC power -
Today its a novilty to lie off grid for many -
In rural areas from the 1890s there were junior farm light plants and regular farm light plants -
The junior farm light plants were generaly 6 or 12 volts with a wind generator and a 150 watt generator -
The regular farm light plant were 32 volts DC and the 7 kw battery bank was charged with a 850 watt generator in most cases -
Most farm houses were set up to charge the batterys all day once a week - some had a 14 kw battery bank and a 1.5 kw gentator -
Down most had 14 kw bamttery banks - down here they used fans during the summer - so they needed larger farm light plants -
Down here it never gets below 5° F so battery acid strength was only 1.200 on a hydrometer -
That week acid solution charging once a week would last 60 yrs + if they used the stonger acid like today they use 1 275 acid - with strong acid batterys only last 7 yrs charhy one a week -
Any apliance that was sold that used 110 AC was also sold in the 32 volt DC vertion also -
They sold motor generator inverters to step the voltage up to 110 volts AC - some borns had flouresnt lights that ran on AC also a TV ran 110 AC -
When i was a kid there were still some 32 volt DC homes -
In the deep south US the humidity is high and it defuses the UV light from the sun - so solar panels are not struck directly by UV light -
So solar panels only generate 20 % of there rated out put at noon day -
After huricanes or ice storms my power can be knocked out for montha -
When my power is knocked out i go hybrid - my battery acid strength is 1.220 thats good down to minus 17° - and a 40 yr service life -
Jay love your videos and enjoy watching them. May the lord bless and protect you and Jen and the homestead and the solar system
thanks for this vid mate. always like the way you explain things. both of you take care. phil
Thanks Phil, you too
I just went up to the UP this weekend, not much snow around the Paradise area, not like years past. Thanks for going over the solar, its all confusing to me lol
Jay, Being a fellow Michigander I can tell you that yeah having your AGMs that cold is killing the capacity available. AGMs don't vent and I have my 800AH battery in the semi heated back room at about 59 degrees. The 400AH lead acid is outside in an insulated pickup truck tool box. The 3 inch insulation added 7 degrees in winter and ironically keeps the batteries a bit cooler in summer. One thing to highly consider is a capacity meter and they are about $40 bucks now. On the 100 watt panels, I have a number of those and frankly I have moved on to picking up used 250-400 watt panels on FB market place or craigs list and I can tell you even here in Michigan those larger panels play much better than the 100 watt panels. Good luck and spring is coming and time to build another ground mount for me for next winter. Gary
Seems like the savings in gas and wear and tear on the gen it would be worth a couple power stations , great update brother . Our solar is doing the same here in southern Ohio flat
It really is.....this is what I hope I can show in the future videos about solar and having better options. GAS adds up fast....and the hassle and noise is even worse
I do not understand electric current at all. At 73 I have studied a lot in my life. Being retired I prefer to relax my brain. I listen to many TH-cam channels with tons of resources for living better & cheaper. Here are a couple of my favorites:
A Boulder Life Off-Grid. - a couple with 4 children. Nice family. The guy is an Electrician by trade. The kids are good workers.
Epic Family Road Trip - different sort of living. They have a cabin in northern Canada where they can live totally off-grid if they choose.
Off-grid with Chris & Kristy - a couple living in North Canada. They have one camp and now have a new acreage they are homesteading.
This Off-Gride life - a couple who are homesteading acreage in Alaska. They have critters, barns, and houses.
Green Acre Homestead - acreage in eastern Tennessee. The couple has 2 boys. They are exceptional homesteaders in what they do. They are multi-skilled in what they do. They are both great at explaining building & repairs. They are putting in solar at this time. The guy is explaining their system. Excellent information.
Maybe y'all can learn from each other as living off-grid is about survival.
Thanks Jay, this year we are setting up the solar system, you've helping inform our decisions....
Hi Jay and Jen 👋🏻 Hope you're doing well my friends 👍🏻Stay safe and take care 🙏🏻 God Bless
Appreciate you 🙂
Thank you! You too!
Man I don't care what time of the year it is I will travel from here to Yonder and everywhere in between to find a way to make my coffee bottom line you guys are very inspiring so Keep On Keepin On !!!
very informative. keep us informed on what you do and how it all works out as months go by. love your channel
Thank you! Will do!
Wish I had done something like this a few years ago before my body wore out lol proud of you guys for toughing it out in the aggravating times and disappointments you guys kept pushing and it worked ;) look at you now !! your buckeye neighbor salutes you !!
Thank you Jerry for the support my friend
Been off the grid for over 10 years. Best advice is inverter charger... and higher voltages. The saving in the wires will buy you more batteries. Plan for Dec 21st and you got your worst day covered.
Good advice
Prefer a separate switcher charger and inverter - because when inverter chargers fail they at times both fail -
Once you go to Lithium batteries, you will never go back. They are worth the extra cost, as you can see with your power stations, they won't catch fire and yes you will need to keep them in a warm place. Anyway I have yet to spend a winter in my off grid cabin, so was interested in your video. Thank you.
Please do the same vid for each season. I live in lower Michigan but we still get just as less sun.
I started off with one 2000 watt pecron power station. I now have 3 of them with two expandable battery's and 2 of their smaller units. I have 1800 watts of solar panels and I still want more. Something about throwing some panels in the back yard and running my fridge freezers, coffee machine computers, tv etc.. for free. Yup I get your addiction to it. Hope you enjoyed your trip to Florida. It's been a little cold down here for us but not to bad.
Awesome....you get it then, 😊👍
the solar shed powers the house the charge the power station from the house then lights and stuff from power station then no have to plug and unplug .
My grandfather was a early 1900s electrican - if a rural home had power most were hybrid in rural areas -
Im 3rd generation i spent my yrs working on generators in the offshore and remote moutain oilfieds - generaly speaking with high speed 3600 watt generators a natural gas generator has a 1.5:1 effecency - a propane gen is 2:1 efficent - gasoline gen is 3:1 efficent and a diesel is 4:1 efficent - the first number is how many kws a 120 volt genrator will deliver per gallon of fuel burned - a gasoline gen will deliver 3000 watts per gallon of fuel burned at 3000 ft or below -
Also at 120 volts AC you get 416 watts per hp input to the generator with direct coupled generators - its lower with belt drive generators -
Inverter gasoline generators run at about 2700 RPMs at half load many are 6:1 effecient - i use belt drive diesel generators there around 9:1 fuel efficent - when engines run slower there is time to burn fuel more completely -
I do appreciate learning from your videos
I've noticed watching your video that you get a fairly nice wind on your hill so you might look at and have some conversations in regards to wind power. Missouri Wind and Solar could be just one option among many in regards to wind power. Doesn't need to be a huge wind generator, just something to get you over the hump this time of year. Just a thought.
Hey, this the second of your videos I’ve watched. It’s funny that your in lower MI and I’m in the UP. We went off grid out of necessity (long story), and I’ve had to learn a lot since last fall. I’ve learned that cloudy day s means more panels. I’ve read that we should shoot for a 1:1 panel:battery ratio. My second tracker has made a huge difference. I’m waiting for my new batteries to show up so I can double my capacity. We’re upgrading a little at a time.
Very nice, the more batteries the better 😁👍
Here in Australia we have sunshine to burn so more people are going solar. My twin sister has solar panels wired into the grid and she gets paid for her power. I have to pay astronomical amounts for my power usage as I don’t have solar yet. A quarterly account that used to be about 300 dollars per quarter we now often face bills up to 3000 dollars especially in summer as we need air conditioning. Your system seems awesome.
Hi Jay, thank you for your content, you have a decent understanding of the battery tech. Lithium batteries need to have self heating or above something like 10’C so they are not being damaged when charged. Just be mindful the battery banks are lithium and are in your cabin. Best safe option is an external warm environment so if you have a meltdown it’s not internal. A super insulated shed could be an option. All the best from the UK 😁👍
Appreciate the comment and info my friend
Might want to consider an inverter/charger. I use one and all i have to do is plug the generator into it. When the generator is on it supplies power to the cabin and charges the batteries. Once the generator has run a couple of hours I turn it off. The unit automatically switches from the generator back to the batteries. When I turn the generator on it automatically switches to generator power. Videos on youtube about the Victron Multi plus which is the unit I have. Best thing is I no longer have to reset the clock on the stove when I switch over.
Very nice.....I may have to swap to that unit and keep this inverter as a back up. Thanks for the information, appreciate it.
I like update videos like this thanks. I wish they had the solar power station they do now when I went off grid 4 years ago. If so that is the way I would of gone. Before going to lithium I set my AGM batteries to shut down at 22.9v. Once they hit the mid 23’s I’d power up the genny to charge.
Nice...I know you have told me that before.....I just have trouble letting them go that low.....I sure would get a lot more time out of them if I did tho. Technology is coming along nicely for sure.
You guys have a great system there for sure!!!!
Thanks KG
Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing. Hi to Jen.
Hi Jay ! I rely like your set upp. Is so cool.😊 hawe a good week sir. Regads from sweden ❤
Thanks for the information !!!!!
thanks or this update
Thank you for the thorough explanation!
Nice video. 🎉 You talk so good about the powerstations but you know that they are expensive. Can't you build your own solar generator as a project on your channel. I've seen them in youtube, but I would love to see you built one and show us how to build a good and cheep usable one. 👍
Just a dreambuild for us to watch.
Take care and have a nice day.
That would be a fun project, I know Will Prowse has built a bunch of them too
Your flag is moving a lot in the strong wind, have you considered using a wind turbine to help with power generation? The off grid cabin roof can hold more solar panels for charging your portable power stations directly.
All great ideas
So helpful with honest assessment, thanks
Thank you, glad it was. Best wishes
Note: I watch "Outdoor Boys" who have 8 million subscribers and he has had comments turned off for as long as I have watched, and maybe from the beginning, so comments, unless you just want them, does not seem to affect the number of subscribers.
I have agm batteries at my camp. Charging in cold weather will kill the battery life faster, still works but they wont last as.long as they should.....
Have you looked into bifacial solar panels? They are a great option, especially in the winter.
I have not looked alas them yet
Great update video Jay! Keep after it!!
You can get a Bluetooth for the rover. The app gives you more information. I have it for my small 12v system in my shed
Hummm....that is cool. This would let you monitor or gauge more information than what the display shows? Would be nice to be able to see that info and or keep track of it
@OffgridwithJayandJen it shows data log so you can check daily totals. Also, cumulative amounts, too.
@@northboundcanadian nice....will have to look into the part, thank you
moving to mine in may-june, you got me thinking, a power station is a quick solution to help me understand solar power
thanks
I love that I took the time to learn how DIY Solar systems work....but the perks of having a power station are real.
Awesome update thank you... Been thinking about how I'm going to build my solar system... like the idea of using the portable units 1st for awhile to get comfortable then upgrade and have backups for the bad months... and can take portable units home as some ppl are getting robbed when not there.. again thanks for sharing there eh!
Thanks buddy.....another great reason to keep the solar portable
Keep a lot of candles on hand or some lanterns in case your solar power shuts down. You may already do that though, but the thought popped up in my head, lol!!
Like the idea of gen near the solar shed but why not replace the 10 amp battery charger with a 40 amp charger and charge your house bank at the same time they are not expensive and your gen set can handle the load easily
I'm looking into a unit like that
....I'm wishing I could now run PV directly into the cabin to charge stuff in there.
Keep up the great work y'all keeping lots of people interested
Great video Jay and Jen, When I bought my off-grid cabin the prior owners had installed 15 solar panels at 285 watts each. The remainder of the system was a mess. I am changing it to a 48V system with 560 amp hours which I believe translates to 26,880 watt hours. I sized the system to power two high efficiency window air conditioners, a small fridge and a 5 cu/ft freezer (plus everything else). I am currently building a new solar shed and will be hooking everything up in the next few weeks. As a side note the cabin wiring was a spider-web of danger so when I increased the square footage of the cabin from 405 sq ft to 729 sq ft I ripped out the original wiring and will be having a friend help me in rewiring it the right way.
Sounds like a big upgrade buddy......I'm sure you will be super happy with it once it's done. 😊👍
It's such a good idea keeping all the electronics in the shed. I was checking the emf with a meter I'd bought and my inverter and charge controllers are screaming lol. The electro magnetic frequency is supposedly really bad for people's health and I had no idea how strong those frequencies from the equipment were until I got the meter. I think it can cause cancer in the state of California so I'm glad I live in Tennessee lol. Anyways thanks for the videos and great system
That is another good point....even more things I don't know I don't know
Hi guys hope you're keeping well in the summer you could spend time on really insulating your solar shed as it's the one thing I have seen many people on off grid spend a lot of effort into getting it as near to 100% which they show how much difference it made to the life of the batteries daily as well as not running them low some people put a thermostat in to see the temperatures in side to help with this plenty of channels showing how to do this would be a great project for this year 😊 take care 👍
Just got 10 365w used panels delivered to my door a week ago from SanTan for 1200 bucks, they all produce like new...good stuff...I love your setup, but consider an upgrade soon....it would be life changing to have 3kw of panels on them cloudy days.
Built their mounts from a bunch of 2x4 with chains running to their kickers some hinges on top of kickers so I can adjust their angle a bit or drop them flat on the ground in a few mins if a bad storm is coming....they will prob be fine unless its a tornado...and if its that its up to God kinda no matter what. With a friend could load my whole system on a pickup in about 10 mins. The mounts ran about 500 bucks for the 5 frames holding 10 panels.
Im on the grid myself, but run the solar off grid, it runs all my 120 loads on the house now....the outside heatpump will still be on the grid for now...240v on that....did everything portable so did not ask for permission from the city...better to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes.
3.6kw system with 10kw 48v batteries and a 3kw growatt inverter mounting and cables, all diy spent just a tad over 5k with 10awg cables and an inline 30amp breaker on pv lines and a couple tools to make connections.
Nice work....great deals too
I'd like to see you get sponsored by power queen or someone for a replacement set of lifpo4 batteries this year. The prices have come way down from where they were just a year or 2 back.
Cool....I have kept my eyes on them too and noticed the prices are quite fair now. We are working on a few deals that I hope come through in the next few months
@@OffgridwithJayandJen, I hope and pray that works out for you two.
Great update on the setup!! Battery banks are the perfect backup!! J & C
For sure. Thanks guys
I am not very well informed on solar array systems, but I think yours is quite comprehensive and nicely set up. I like that the panels are not on the roof of the cabin, making it much easier to keep them clean and clear of snow and I like how you have created a utility shed to house everything. Right now where I am living I don't have this option for a system, but I plan on relocating in the next 2 years, and when I do, I would like to start with a system like yours, and then, as you've mentioned, transition to a more sophisticated power wall. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge - you are doing a great job and its much appreciated!!
Thanks Patricia.....highly recommend the ground mounted solar panels for easy cleaning if in the snow country. 😊👍
Hi! I would change to a Victron MultiPlus! Victron is a gamechanger for offgrid setups! Greetings from bavaria, germany!
...but i don't know if victron energy is very well known in the states?
I think Vitron is used often here, but I was on a budget when I built this system, so it was a bit more expensive....but probably worth it in the long run
@@OffgridwithJayandJen definitely! And a battery balancer is also a good choice for a long batter y life!
I'm watching the flag blowing in the wind you could add wind turbines to aid in the dark months.
If you had the EG4 3K-48 volt inverter/solar charger ($670) and a DIY 14.3 kilowatt battery made with EVE LF280K cells and a JK-BMS with 2 amp active balancing ($1,900) you would have all you need for an off-grid cabin. This combo has a very small footprint. You could run a red (+) and black (-) 10 AWG wire to the inverter from your solar panels and charge at 5,000 watts @ up to 500 volts DC. At this voltage there is no appreciable loss. Lets put this in perspective, you already have Solar panels, so by adding the 48 volt EG4 3K inverter and DIY battery all for around $2,600 you would be all set. Also, the EG4 3K accepts charging from a generator hooked up to it. Four items: solar panels, generator, inverter/charger and battery. I have built two of those batteries for a total of 28 kilowatts and we have the EG4 18K inverter with 4.8 kilowatts of solar and have not run out of electric yet. We live in Michigan. We have our equipment in a insulated room in our garage heated by a $129 diesel heater. Ask signature solar if they will sponsor you.
I love hearing this....I'm excited to experiment with some of these options......the new all in one's and batteries are pretty amazing. It all impresses me
Jay, always appreciate the great explanations and tips re your solar system. I man who knows what he’s talking about! This isn’t a millionaire’s setup - it’s all of us ‘every person’ reality!😍🇨🇦
So glad you enjoy and appreciate it my friend
Yeah I definitely have to think about getting a portable power station for sure Thanks for the information
Thumbs up to you, so may I ask what is a ball park figure you have invested in your solar ? You want to come to my cabin and install one for me LOL....
Lol....we have a little under 4 thousand dollars invested into the solar shed and array.......without the second array....that was given to us for sponsorship. But I bought stuff while it was all in short supply during times of supply issues. Today the panels and batteries can be found for far cheaper
you should see if any of the battery company's would be willing to send you some battery's..... who better to compare the lead acid tech with Lithium. and as for the power stations it is only recently that they have switched from Lithium ion to Lithium iron phosphate which is the safer tech.
The solar system looks like its holding up great. I Built a portable system using a hand truck, an EG4 3000 watt inverter/charger and a 5000 watt EG4 battery. It can take in 5000 watts of solar. I use that to charge my Bluetti AC200p's. This way , when the sun is out, even for a short time, I capture as much as possible. Have fun in Florida. I am about an hr north of you. (Just north of Tampa) Would love to get together before you head home to MI. The rain should stop tonight and then 3 days of sun! Enjoy your time here!
I like the home made portable option for sure......if I didn't have sponsors I would definitely had built one as well.
Good job my theory start small work my way up and learn as you go nice to see someone with the same thoughts, I got my sons watching you now they like your set up, I'm getting ready to retire and look at saving as much money as I can on a fixed income so for now I'm buying stuff while I'm working .
Awesome. Thanks Dave
Hang in there Jay, the sun will be out soon......winter is almost done.
😊....excited about it. Lol
I understand you get the power stations for free but if you really want this system to work adding more storage isn't going to fix the problem, you need more solar capacity.
If I were in your spot id sell most of the extra power stations and buy second hand large solar cells and build a decent sized.array.
300+ watt panels can be found for around $100 each used if you get a good deal.
If you had 6-10k watt array instead of 1000, youd see 500-800 watts of charge in overcast times like you showed here (rather than 50-80 watt trickle). Your batteries would always be charged.
You can still have a power station as backup if you need to perform maintenance.
If you have a weekend cabin and dont know anything about electrical just buy a large solar generator and bring it back and forth.
Yes
I’ve learned so much from watching your videos 👍 great content
Awesome, thank you!
Hey, great info to encourage people. Have you looked into getting an inverter/charger combo?
I wish I had gotten one for sure......I bought this inverter before I really understood the inverter charger thing.....I wish I had done a little more research.
Have you considered a wind turbine to keep the batteries always charged in winter for some reason whenever there's no sun there's wind
we have considered them but just haven't gotten one yet
Thanks Jay! I'm in the preparation phase of going off grid. What recommendations do you have for one too learn more about solar? I want to ensure I understand it well enough to ensure I get the proper system, maintain it well, and am able to fix minor issues. Thank you much!
Hey Cindy.....make sure you check out our solar playlist....but also check out Will Prowse and his early solar videos. Watch a lot of them and it will help it all start to make sense. Also practice with a single Battery, solar panel, charge controller, and inverter.
Probably the furthest thing from your mind this time of year, but in the summer what do you use for air conditioning? That will be my big draw item during summer and am wondering the off grid power I will need for it. Thanks.
We can run a window air conditioner on a really hot day.....and if we have Full sun all day. But we only get hot Temps like that a couple weeks a year, thus far we have only use AC one day
You need the powermr 24 vdc 3000 watt inverter charge controller in series of up to 5000 watts and up to 450 vdc from the panels I see the inverter taking the amps coming in from Pv x 5 to the battery 5 amps x 5 = 24.5 amps .5 for the inverter doing it's converting DC to AC.$489
I'll have to seriously look at that. Thanks Richard
You will not regret
Why don’t you get a wind turbine or a diesel generator?
Wind turbines are something we have been researching
If you guys were starting right now would you go with the portable power stations or the batteries? Were thinking about just getting a big power station with extra batteries.
The power stations are nice....they are portable and charge fast too. Depending on your situation it changes things a bit...but I have faith in the larger companies that build the power stations. Keep an eye out for some great options In a few of our coming videos. I love the versatility of the the power stations
~tyfs~
I have a headache 😂SEMPER FI
Lol.....it can be a but overwhelming. Or maybe all the chat caused it,? Lol
If you doubled the battery bank wouldn't that solve the problem?
We will definitely get more battery storage when we upgrade them
What do you think of the Jacberry?
Jackery? They are nice for smaller needs
your running a 24 volt base
Yes
Want to come put one in for me lol!😂 just kidding I can’t afford a system anyway! Great video, I do want to be totally offgrid, or atleast be able to be if big brother flips me off! 🍀👋🦌❤️🍂☝️👍👴🌮⛪️
Try it. Small steps.
Have you considered propane tank for heating? Is that still off-grid if it gets filled up every few months?
I have been looking for a way to assist with heating during spring and fall days where it isn't cold enough for a fire, but the cabin is chilly. I'm considering adding a minisplit system if I could figure out where to install it.
Where did you get the solar array thing that moves with the Sun?
Eco-worthy....we have a video about the whole install
Did you get that linear actuator fixed on that tracking solar array? I saw another video where it was just a pin that comes loose on the end with the motor. Idk if that info helps or not.
I have not replaced it yet. I have the part....but am waiting for spring to fix it.....don't want to ruin another one
Naw. Nice practical update.
😊👍
If you were both going to work, how successful do you thing that you'd be in keeping your batteries charged? Would you think that you'd run your generator more?
I'm not sure what you mean about both working....but Jen teaches online and I spend multiple hours each days editing and producing videos for you guys....so LOTS of computer time just to post here and make an income.
Actually I meant if you both worked at places where you had to go into work. Because of all the time away, I was wondering if your setup would work as well because you seemingly monitor it quite closely.@@OffgridwithJayandJen
Did you ever get any help with your solar tracking or get it fixed?
I did not get any more help, just told to order the actuator on Amazon, which I did, and I'm waiting for the weather to improve before I install the new one, in hopes it won't break again for the season.
Do you have your outdoor wires from the solar panels to the storage room in conduit? If not, are you worried that over time the wires will eventually crack and break? Just curious. I'm not familiar with solar panels at all, but I am interested in getting some in the future.
All the wires are in conduit yes
@@OffgridwithJayandJen okay, thank you!
If you have the abundance of power stations, why not just charge the stations with your panels? Forget the shed.
It is an option and we do do that during summer with more portable units....but these larger units we leave inside and just run the power to them. I'm thinking running the PV voltage directly inside might be a great option as well. Just kind of milking my old set up while I can
Are you living here full time or is it just a vacation home?
We spend 80% of our time here. We only go downstate for holidays and occasional family gatherings
Looking great up there. We made it through Jan with 4 hrs of generator use and three weeks of wood burner. It took 47kWp!
How much power do you lose being that far away from the cabin?
I'm not 100% sure to be honest, but it is only 60 Feet from the shed to the inside outlet I installed, and I have it in AC current so it should travel just fine. If I could do it Again I might have used a heavier 8 gauge wire instead of 10 for that stretch, but inside the cabin we rarely draw more than 15 amps so I feel everything it safe and pretty efficient
Why did you choose a 24Volt system over a 12 volt system ?
Reduces the size of the wire you need for the whole system and more efficient in general
🇳🇴👍👍
Leviticus 23:22
King James Version
22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.
What is your favorite thing about living off-grid ?
Great question. Hope you get an answer!
I'm not sure if off grid is the only way to live it or enjoy it......but living simple is very freeing. Removing the daily grind that keeps most in a vicious cycle allows you to enjoy life. Spend less and you can make less. Make YOU a priority my friend
@@SJC49 that's
@@OffgridwithJayandJen you have a good point and thanks for sharing your feelings 👍👍👍
Salut. Te urmăresc de ceva timp și îmi place ceea ce faci Te invit să arunci o privire și pe canalul meu,când ai timp bine înțeles.L-am pornit de puțin timp și mi-ar prinde bine o părere avizată.Îți mulțumesc și îți doresc mult spor în ceea ce faci!
Send me an email and your channel link. I can't click on your name here on my phone for some reason. Thanks and I'll check you out