Blog
The Off Grid Solar store is live and we have an amazing deal on battery inverters. See this YouTube post to learn more!
Are you a maker that's eager to be energy independent? An inquisitive builder who wants to know how solar energy can power your life? This handbook describes how to use solar technology completely detached from the grid.
The U.S. Federal Government was slow and reluctant to send appropriate resources to aid the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Before the storm, Puerto Rico’s archaic power plant was already in decline as well.
One month after Maria, only 20% of the island has electrical power restored, and the grid is not expected to be completely restored for six more months. Solar energy is the only smart, sustainable, long-term solution to Puerto Rico’s power problem. To help John and a team of volunteers build a large-scale community solar power charging station, click below.
To encourage the U.S. government to support Puerto Rico’s shift to solar energy, call your senators and ask them to support legislation that combats climate change and subsidizes solar.
To donate, please visit the Solar Gazebo Community Center in Puerto Rico
I'm starting a YouTube Channel. Please subscribe and watch the video...
I'm starting a YouTube Channel. Please subscribe and watch the video...
I was recently a guest on the podcast Off Grid Build with hosts Paul and Dan, who are super interesting and funny guys. They've built their own off grid "earthships" in Taos, New Mexico. Now they're building an off grid house in upstate New York and sharing their progress on YouTube. They are extremely hands-on, and we had a great (and long) conversation about solar, micro grids, lithium batteries, and the pros/cons with off grid systems. Watch the podcast on YouTube below.
I believe right now we are at a clear crossroads when it comes to choosing a battery type for energy storage for off grid energy systems. We are at the transition between lead-acid batteries, the tried-and-true technology used for decades, and lithium-ion’s promise of higher density, improved resiliency, and longer cycle life.
Off Grid solar is the ideal form of self-reliance. With solar and energy storage you don’t need to pay bills to a utility or buy an endless supply of fuel for your generator, you can harvest energy from the sky. By avoiding dirty fossil fuels, you’re also not contributing to climate change. We’ve been waiting for a silver bullet and it’s here.
The definition of a microgrid changes depending on the project constraints in which it is used. The term gets thrown around with different context and a new definition almost every time I hear it. I’ve seen the differing points of view and it is about time for a consensus. We all need to be on the same page using the same terminology.
It’s a hazy afternoon and I’m sitting in an open-air jeep driving fast down a bumpy road full of boulders and muddy puddles. Our driver is honking, trying to pass a line of trucks so overloaded with people and goods that I think they might burst. Leaving later than expected, we’re rushing to get to the next site before dark. The rangers warned us that the threat of being kidnapped heightens after nightfall. So when we suddenly slow to a stop with cars and trucks blocking both directions, I become anxious. In the front of our caravan, several rangers with loaded machine guns hop out of the jeep to investigate the scene ahead.
