Off-grid solar: Panels, batteries and inverters · Alt Ordo Systems Guide
Solar is the hub of an off-grid home's power, and this guide starts small on purpose: a power station and two folding panels on the porch, then a 24 V battery board for a cabin, then a 48 V bank with room to grow. Each step keeps its value when you move up. It is plain about the two hard parts, sizing for winter sun and fusing the battery side so it can never start a fire, and clear about which jobs belong to a licensed electrician.
This guide helps you size, buy, wire and run a small off-grid solar system for a tiny home or cabin, from a power station on the porch to a 48 V battery bank, and know which parts you should hand to an electrician.
What's inside. 24 pages in 9 chapters (At a glance, Where it works, How it works, Size it, Parts and cost, Build it, Run it, Rules and permits, How it connects), then the sources and a notes page. 11 numbered figures drawn for this guide, including a fit map of every US county. You also get a worked example with a fill-in worksheet, 12 numbered steps, a year-round calendar, and a troubleshooting table.
Three builds, costed line by line (typical US prices, October 2026):
- Bare-bones: $949–$1,497
- Standard: $5,223–$6,565
- Comfortable: $8,142–$11,444
Sourced and fact-checked. Facts and figures are cited to the 32 sources listed at the back, and the whole guide was fact-checked before release. General guidance, not engineering advice: your county and a qualified pro have the last word on your site.
Pairs with other Alt Ordo Systems Guides: Wood stoves; Roof rainwater catchment. For your county's permits and rules, see our county and state guides.
Instant PDF download. After checkout you get a download link by email. Letter-size pages, made to read on screen or print at home.