DIY Off-Grid Cabin Kits

In Northern climates with Winter snowfall, having solar as your primary means of energy generation becomes problematic. You don't want to be climbing on the roof to remove snow from your solar panels! For the rest of the year, cleaning leaves, dust, bird droppings, etc. is much easier on the ground than working on the roof. 

In residential neighborhoods, solar panels are usually installed on the roof because neighborhood lots done have enough room for ground-mounted solar arrays and most HOAs and local zoning regulations don't allow for ground-mounted arrays. But, since the homes are connected to the grid, having snow and ice cover the solar panels on the roof is less of a problem.

We can work with you to modify a package or create a customized design for roof-mounted solar panels if that is your preference. Please email or call Off-Grid Power Systems for more details.

No, it is not true, but there's a lot more to it than that. First, there are multiple categories of "lithium" batteries; lithium ion and lithium metal. 

Lithium ion batteries use a graphite (or silicon-carbon) anode where lithium ions intercalate — they slot in between the carbon layers during charging. The lithium is always in ionic form, never plating out as metallic lithium under normal operation.

Lithium metal batteries use a pure lithium metal anode. This gives much higher energy density but comes with serious safety challenges (dendrite formation, reactivity). Solid-state batteries being developed now often fall into this category.

LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate): Lithium-ion. The "lithium" in the name refers to the lithium ions moving between the iron phosphate cathode and the graphite anode. It's one of the most thermally stable li-ion chemistries, which is why it's popular in stationary storage and marine/RV applications.

NMC (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide): Also lithium-ion. Higher energy density than LFP, but less thermally stable — the nickel content is what pushes energy density up but also introduces more thermal runaway risk compared to LFP.

Every type of lithium chemistry batteries have a battery management system (BMS) that protects the cells inside the batteries from overcharging, undercharging, high & low temperature charging, etc. 

The practical takeaway is ALL lithium batteries sold and installed by Off-Grid Power Systems are lithium iron phosphate batteries with BMS's which makes the likelyhood of any issues vanishingly low. In short, any lithium battery we recommend, sell, or install will be safe for you and your family.

The specifics of each installation is unique and will require different lengths of wiring between some devices and others. For example, the solar array could be located 20 feet from the building or 200 feet. 

We do provide a list of recommended supplies and where to obtain them. That will save you a lot of time having to research where to purchase them. You will just need to determine the quantities you need. Most supplies can be purchased on Amazon or your local electrical supplier.

Short answer: We'll tell you what you need!

Complete answer: All kits, packages, or bundles designed for DIY installation will come with two things: detailed wiring schematics and a list of specific supplies and where to buy them in small quantities. 

We will make sure you are successful in your installation, one way or another.

Energy has to come from somewhere; solar panels, wind, hydroelectric, or fossil fueled generators. We store this collected energy in batteries so the energy can be used anytime. However, the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. In a typical residential solar system, the house is connected to the grid, so during periods of no sun, the needed energy can be supplied by the grid.

Not so with off-grid energy systems. We need to generate everything needed on site. So, for year-round use a means of backup power is needed, and for most customers this comes in the form of a backup generator powered by gasoline, diesel, propane, or natural gas. 

Every one of our kits can be paired with a backup generator. If the generator is a standby generator, then it can easily be controlled (started and stopped) from the GX controller included in every cabin kit. It's even possible to control some portable generators, but that's hit-and-miss. Honda generators - the gold standard of portable generators - can be automatically controlled. Most of the inexpensive generators purchased at places like Harbor Freight, Costco, Sam's Club, etc. cannot. If you want to guarantee power is always available, whether you are present or not, then a standby generator with 2-wire start capability is what you want; not a cheap portable generator. If you don't care if you lose power for a couple of days due to bad weather when you are not at the cabin, then a portable generator is a cost-effective means of backup power.

If you have any questions about this, please email or call us and we're happy to answer your questions.