We Can Now (Will) Make Our Own Independent Power!

After years and years of knowing that someday we'd have our own independent power at our new house (which is still not done), we picked up everything we need to make it happen. Last Saturday, we drove to New England Solar in Massachusetts to pick up our system and solar panels. With this, we'll be able to add wind and micrhydro power as simply as plugging it in!

In case you're one of the many (which included me) that doesn't know what's entailed to get off-grid power working, for just over $16,000 we got all this (and yes, we still need to add more power via wind/water/solar, as needed):

• Wall mount racks for the solar panels
• MC connector cables
• Outback Array combiner box
• Outback Array circuit breakers 10A
• Watertight connectors
• MidNite Solar MNE175STM-240-L AC/DC disconnect (pre-wired)
• Magnum MERC-50 remote control (needed for inverter settings)
• Set of 10' 2/0 inverter cables.
• FlexMax60 60A MPPT Charge Controller
• Delta LA303DC lightning arrestor
• 60A circuit breakers
• Trojan T105 batteries (24)
• 2 Ga. battery cables.
• Battery anticorrossion rings
• 12V battery vent fan
• Lightning arrestor (for AC)
• 8 Sharp 170W solar panels
• Magnum MS4448AE 240/120 VAC inverter

Yes, this is a daunting list, what the heck is all this? Now, if you were to add solar or wind to your current grid-tied system, this list would be much shorter. Before all this, we had an electrician in who wired our house just like he would anyone else's house, except that it doesn't connect to a city-supplied electric source.

We first will need to mount the solar panels. Then mount the pre-wired inverter (the last item in the list above) that they so nicely put together for us, and build a wooden box to house the batteries, including the vent fan. And then we'll get our electrician in again and he'll hook it up! I can't wait to plug something in and see it turn on!

The picture you see is all that I've listed above, it all fits in one 6' truck bed. I'll definitely post pictures of the finished product.