Sunlight to Socket

This is a rewrite of the off-grid solar guide I wrote after more than six years living off the grid, updated for current equipment: LiFePO4 batteries, MPPT controllers and pure sine inverters. It starts where every good system starts, with your loads, then walks through sizing each part, wiring it safely, and building it in the right order. The theme throughout is maximum versus safe.

What's inside

1. Why off-grid solar starts with your loads
2. The parts of a system
3. The five formulas you need
4. The load audit
5. Sizing the battery bank
6. Sizing the solar array
7. The charge controller
8. The inverter
9. Wire, fuses, breakers and disconnects
10. Battery monitoring
11. Build order
12. Three example systems with costs
13. Generators as backup
14. Living within your harvest
15. Maintenance and troubleshooting
16. Glossary and resources

Download the PDF

© 2026 Steve Spence. Shared under CC BY-NC 4.0: copy, share and adapt it for non-commercial use with credit to Steve Spence and a link to kk4hfj.com. Please don't sell it.