Home emergency backup power that is so simple even the weekend DIY can tackle it with ease. Magnum MS4448PAE E-Panel System is shipped pre-wired and ready to hang and connect with all the essential protective electronic devices with a very small footprint. Magnum /Midnite Solar E-Panel power systems are ideal for applications with minimal to medium power requirements such as off-grid cabins, homes and back-up power systems. [continue reading…]

Sherpa 120 Adventure kit is one tough portable solar panel unit that was definitely born hard off the beaten path. I love this small portable solar kit and take it with me to some of the most remote places in America. Goal Zero is working everyday to continue to deliver smart innovative affordable portable power solutions that will change the way you travel. [continue reading…]

When the grid goes down during and emergency blackout, it is very difficult to do anything without electricity in your home today. If you already own a solar system did you know that in the event of a power outage your home solar system will be disconnected from the grid? This is all the more irritating because as we move forward and our utility infrastructure continues to mature with more demands being placed on it, we will have more blackouts in America. [continue reading…]

The Enphase MicroInverter is a grid tied utility interactive inverter that has been on the market since 2009. Consistent upgrades and strong engineering support has made this product an affordable alternative for the DIY homeowner over hiring and paying for the labor and overhead of a solar company to do the complete installation. Our MicroInverter home solar kits are scalable from 230 watts to 20kW (STC-DC rating). You can potentially save thousands with these simplified home solar kits. Less cost = faster pay-back. Fast and simple to install, Blue Pacific Solar will provide all the documents as well as the permit services (Permit Service Optional), or you can do-it-yourself. [continue reading…]

2820 watt (2.8kW) off-grid AC bimodal solar systems is manufactured, pre-wired and pre-tested in the factory, ready to power-up on delivery to your site. A bimodal solar unit works in sync with the utility grid until the grid goes down. Once that happens the inverter on a bimodal system takes over and draws electricity off the batteries. When the batteries are full the solar panels are shut off automatically waiting for the solar equipment to signal when its time to wake up. The complete prepackaged solar, called “SunPods”, are delivered by truck and lowered into place with minimal on-site construction required. [continue reading…]

As the midday sun baked the solar panels on his four-bedroom home in the Honolulu foothills, George Hayashi watched two workers, with drills whirring, install 18 gleaming home solar panels on his garage. A retired military man, Hayashi has lived in Waimalu for 35 years. For decades, rooftop solar didn’t seem viable, but now, he said with a laugh, “I look forward to my electric meter going backwards.” It’s a shared experience in his sleepy neighborhood: One house after another is sprouting panels. “I walk this dog every afternoon,” Hayashi said during a visit to his home earlier this year. “And the route I take, I’ve noticed that more and more. People are installing it.” [continue reading…]

When the stuffy noisy bustle of the city starts to close in its time to escape. That means either the Sierra Mountains or Grand Canyon and it also means going off-grid with my favorite portable solar charger. As the years passed the romance of the West Coast big city life has grown old. Travel in the desert brings a sence of peace only heightened by a hike or a camp under the stars. In case you were wondering, the picture was taken at Deer Creek in the Grand Canyon with one of my BFF. [continue reading…]

Here is a compact 1350 watt solar kit that is the perfect size for quick dependable home emergency back-up power. Don’t let another utility blackout leave you in the dark. This is a fabulous small solar backup kit is completely plug-n-play with a 90 watt solar panel ready to power a wide variety of electronics. [continue reading…]

We had an interesting conversation about home plug-and-play DIY solar kit with a customer from Florida this week. The Floridian was asking about our DIY home solar kits with micro-inverters and could he just rig a plug that just connects via an outlet. This is not an uncommon question and when the inquiry was directed to me to answer I wrote him back and told he no, we would not recommend him to do that but rather, he has to run conduit etc according to National Electric Code (NEC) with an AC disconnect, get a building permit and secure an interconnect agreement with his local utility. [continue reading…]

It does not really matter what device you want to charge off-grid using portable solar. These days there is a charger available for your cell phone, iPad or iPod, laptop or CPAP. Portable solar can give you the power when you are backpacking, hunting or just on a weekend campout with he family. Our portable solar product of choice is Goal Zero. These guys and gals really know the outdoors and walk the walk.

Most solar off-grid power systems will require a battery bank to store energy for use later when the sun is not shinning. A battery bank is like the gas tank in your car. The larger the tank, the longer you can go between fill ups. However, a larger tank also means it will take longer to fill up when you do stop. Also, the larger the car’s engine (electrical load) the faster you will drain the gas tank (battery), which means you will need to stop more often for gas (recharge). [continue reading…]