Complete 48V Offgrid Solar Power System

Be sure to check with local laws and regulations for your electrical code. Some places are more strict or lax than others! Many places will require conduit for the PV conductors.

0:00 Intro
1:42 Mounting Devices Safely
2:36 Component Overview
3:17 Inverter Connection and Cable Sizing
3:52 Fuse/Circuit Breaker
4:11 Battery Cable Sizing
5:46 Server Battery Connection
5:00 PV Disconnect and Limits
6:21 AC Output Connection and Discussion
11:41 Programming the Inverters for Split Phase Output
13:14 Powering On and Testing Output Voltage
14:00 Conclusion

*Does off-grid solar confuse you?*
Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more!

*Join our DIY solar community*
#1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike:

*Check out my Book*
Best-selling and beginner-friendly guide to 12V off-grid solar!

*My DIY Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):*

*My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:*

*Signature Solar*
Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps:

*Current Connected*
SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components. Fantastic customer support:

*Litime*
My favorite 12V budget battery!:

*Epoch Batteries*
My favorite high-quality 12V battery:

*Renogy*
A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! DC to DC Chargers and more!

*Rich Solar*
Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price:

*Battery Hookup*
Cheap cell deals
5% off code: diysolar

*Contact Information:*

*FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:*
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)

DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,

[WillProwse]

Be sure to check with local laws and regulations for your electrical code. Some places are more strict or lax than others! My system is not connected to the grid in any way, so I am not going to get an inspection. This is considered the same system as a car battery connected to a 12V inverter. There is nothing special about it.

If you need to earth ground your system, have an electrician assess your environment and system and figure out what is most appropriate. And any other special safety equipment. Always hire a professional if you do not understand something! In the blueprints above, I go into this point with more details. Please read it!

0:00 Intro
1:42 Mounting Devices Safely
2:36 Component Overview
3:17 Inverter Connection and Cable Sizing
3:52 Fuse/Circuit Breaker
4:11 Battery Cable Sizing
5:46 Server Battery Connection
5:00 PV Disconnect and Limits
6:21 AC Output Connection and Discussion
11:41 Programming the Inverters for Split Phase Output
13:14 Powering On and Testing Output Voltage
14:00 Conclusion

*Does off-grid solar confuse you?*
Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more!

*Join our DIY solar community*
#1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike:

*Check out my Book*
Best-selling and beginner-friendly guide to 12V off-grid solar!



*My DIY Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):*








*My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:*

*Signature Solar*
Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps:

*Current Connected*
SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components. Fantastic customer support:

*Litime*
My favorite 12V budget battery!:

*Epoch Batteries*
My favorite high-quality 12V battery:

*Renogy*
A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! DC to DC Chargers and more!

*Rich Solar*
Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price:

*Battery Hookup*
Cheap cell deals
5% off code: diysolar

*Contact Information:*


*FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:*
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)

DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

[williamanderson]

As a home inspector and residential contractor with 15 years in the housing industry, I can say I am impressed. As I was watching the video, I had several concerns/issues, ready and waiting in my mind. Will addressed them all one by one in very satisfactory manner. Main disconnects, grounds and neutrals being separated, or not being separated and so on. Top-notch video.

[tobymaples]

Will, I can't thank you enough for making this series. I've been on the verge of buying and building a system for a while and this fits the bill perfectly. The way you lay everything out is perfect for a beginner that has only done minor electrical work in the past. I now have the confidence to start ordering my supplies and gaining my independence from the ever-rising electrical rates.

[JMSobie]

Will, you are by far the best gahdam walking owner's manual for a post-industrial electrical setup that po'folks can build and scale. I started watching you when you were building small systems on a sheet of ply for RV'ers and now you're bodging up splendiferous split-phase bonanzas that could power an entire domicile. I might be years away from a solar rig but you can be sure when I tell DTE to yank the cord and good riddance, my system will have a fair amount of Prowse (and Poz) in it.

[aussieuGA]

I really appreciate the time you spent making the list and video. The bonus for all of us is that if/when you find a specific component is not "aging well", you can update the list or make notations for improved updated products. Thanks again!

[guaranimike]

My son and I each just purchased this system. Excellent video, Will! What timing! Hats off to the folks at Signature Solar who make this purchase pain free.

[michaelstaruszkiewicz]

I just wanted to thank you for the clear, concise language in describing this System; I'm moving to WV, a very unfriendly state in terms of renewable energy. This is perfect for my soon to be renovated 1300ft Craftsman. I have to rewire the house anyway. Mahalo.

[provocativepolitic]

I am years away financially to be able to build an off grid system, that said I will have learned so much from the quality content you put out about sustainable power systems. Many thanks Will😊

[rudetoy]

The 240Vac is common in Asia and Europe. The kicker is massive output of 13KW which got everyone jump for joy this side of the pond! The battery bank to inverters sizing is spot on. Thanks for the clear and concise info as usual.

[brokerbud]

Fantastic job Will. A ton of work went into this video. The information is clear and concise. Your blueprint on your website is super detailed. Links to all the parts are included. There is nothing missing. Outstanding work. Thank you for all you do.

[NTheSnake]

Will this is one of your best videos. You just clearly illustrated the products and installation methods necessary to realistically build a completely off-grid electrical system that can power ALL THE THINGS people expect in a modern home. Really nicely done sir.

[proverbs]

I've watched this at least 20 times. 1) I learn something else each and every time. 2) I get super excited for my system each time!!

[MrBbeck]

Will - thank you for your work! I credit this video for giving me and my family the confidence to DIY our off-grid project. And I’ve watched it at least 25 times on my way to a successful install. Today we turned the lights on and all went great. Exciting day. THANK YOU!

[gregorygagnon]

Will, you need to be a professor at a college. You explain everything in laymen's terms. Easy to understand. Thank you.

[benjones]

Thanks Will! You’re getting better and better at explaining this stuff. I can’t emphasize enough that we need to get everybody we can off grid for what’s coming! 🤙

[stuartbrock]

This is incredible Will, I can't believe how much the systems have changed in just a few years.

[barrycrawford]

Well, clearly you are a genius. As a mere mortal, you lost me about half way through, but I am on the learning curve. I plan to build an off grid place and your videos are of great help. Thank you.

[centerrightproudamerican]

Great video (As Usual).

Edited: (After thinking about this some more I came to a different conclusion)
With the system set up as shown in the video, the bonding relays in the inverters will always be turned on, so the system has 3 neutral-ground bonds (One in each inverter and one in the distribution box). Therefor there *will* be current on the ground. All of the assertions about the risk being lower due to the short distance and conduit are true. In addition, since it is a split-phase system the ground current will be limited to roughly 1/2 the differential between the two hots. *However, with the multiple bonds, I do not believe it is technically to code.* The good news is that this is easy to fix by removing the N-G bond screws from each of the inverters.

Also, it is important for everyone to understand what you asserted in the video: If you have AC-in (Using it as a UPS) the situation changes significantly. When in passthrough mode, there will be two N-G bonds, and when in inverter mode there will be 3 N-G bonds. As you said, in this case, there should be no N-G bond in the panel being fed by the inverters. In addition, the source of the AC going into the inverters should have an NG Bond and the N-G Bond 'disable' screw should be removed from one of the two inverters.

Note: I would not be at all surprised if an inspector missed the issue and passed a system like yours. Most of them have never done a deep dive on this type of set-up and they would not realize the problems that could exist. (This is why more and more municipalities are requiring an Engineers Plan and sign-off.... but even a lot of residential electrical engineers will not get this right.

[jar]

If you are like me and learned a lot of what you know from Will, just remember to check with your local zoning officer before you buy. I purchased an offgrid system under the assumption that it would not need to be code compliant and then I learned otherwise. My municipality did not care that my system was ground mounted and totally off-grid. They are requiring that I get zoning and building permits and an inspection before I power it up. If I were doing this all over again, I would get the zoning and building permits that give the "ok" for the equipment I want to use and _then_ purchase the equipment.

[makwaphy]

I bought 30 panels from these guys and bunch of batteries, spent 15k. I need one replaced. They absolutely refused to sell me one. I begged them and offered to pay the extra cost of building a shipping crate. Or come up with a reasonable solution. The best they could do is sell me another $1, 000 worth of panels. What a joke.