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IPFS News Link • Off Grid Living - Survival Prepping

Can Solar Alone Get You Off The Grid?

• https://www.offthegridnews.com, by: Patrick Shelle

The answer to this question is "yes," but keep reading if you want more details.

Using solar to go off grid is a fantastic way to go. You'll need to keep the following in mind throughout the process:

1. Cloudy days are fine. Let's first dispel the myth that you need every day to be sunny to go solar. Solar panels do, in fact, work in foggy or overcast days with ambient light and will produce significant power in those times as well. As a matter of fact, solar panels can work just as well in cool weather as in hot weather.

As an example: Solar panels in Sacramento, California, only produce one percent more electricity than do the exact same panels in San Francisco, California. Sacramento is known for its hot sunny days while San Francisco is known for its foggy, overcast, cooler climate.

2. Monitor your electricity usage. The average American home uses 911 KWHs of electricity each month. Some states are higher and some lower. But, 911 is the average. Louisiana is the highest with 1,291 KWHs and Hawaii the lowest with 506 KWHs of electrical energy usage average per household.

We all use more electricity than we need, so consider cutting back. But there are solar system calculators that you can use to ensure you're getting enough power. Having a little more than you need is far better than not having enough.

3. Off the grid or grid-tied? Many don't fully understand how grid-connect systems work. With a grid-connect system, you don't have power storage batteries. You generate power, use what you need and deliver the rest to the grid.


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