THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE TERM "OFF-GRID" conjured images of doomsday preppers or Ted Kaczynski. Today, off-grid is going mainstream, with numerous manufacturers offering equipment to provide the comfort and connectedness we're accustomed to. Solar in particular has become more accessible, with robust system components available to DIYers.
Some reasons to choose off-grid energy include spiraling utility costs and the increased frequency in grid disruptions by natural disasters. But with remote work becoming more common, many people are choosing to build, and live, in areas where it can be costly to connect to the grid-if it is even available. This is where I found myself when my wife and I bought property to build a seasonal cabin. The location isn't too remote, with utility poles about 1,500 feet away through the woods. But it would cost roughly $10,000 to clear trees, set poles, and run overhead lines, so we considered other options. With some basic calculations, it seemed we could install a solar system ourselves for a little less money, with no future utility bills.
As I started researching and planning, I inevitably had questions about the equipment we would need. While there are many companies offering some or all of the components, in many cases they seemed nearly identical from brand to brand. In fact, much of the equipment is manufactured overseas, so it wouldn't be a surprise if at least some of it is made in the same factory. This became more apparent as I reached out to various companies with questions. Some never responded; some replied overnight, their responses peppered with translation issues. One brand, EG4 Electronics, had an address and phone number in Texas and real people that answered the phone.
Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2025 de Popular Mechanics US.
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Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2025 de Popular Mechanics US.
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ONE OF THE 'GREATEST THREATS' TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK.
EXPERTS ARE PREPARING THE REGION AGAINST THE THREAT OF DANGEROUS VOLCANIC MUDFLOWS, KNOWN AS LAHARS, WHICH COULD INUNDATE THE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING MT. RAINIER IN AS LITTLE AS 30 MINUTES.
THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST ROW
They rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, battling unpredictable weather, chaotic seas, and finicky equipment. But what they discovered gave them profound new insights into the power of the ocean.
HOW TO DIY OFF-GRID SOLAR
SPEND THE TIME UP FRONT AND PLAN IT CAREFULLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
Are We on the Verge of an ARMS RACE in SPACE?
RUMORS OF A RUSSIAN SPACE NUKE, ALONG WITH OTHER SATELLITE-TARGETING WEAPONS, HAVE MADE GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS EXTEND INTO ORBIT.
Fresh Fingerprints on an Ancient Statue
A CLAY FIGURINE HAS SPENT MILLENNIA incomplete, waiting at the bottom of a lake for its long-dead craftsman to finish the Iron Age-era statuette.
Quantum Entanglement in Our Brains
IT HAS LONG BEEN ARGUED THAT THE human brain is similar to a computer. But in reality, that's selling the brain pretty short.
The Tools of Copernicus
WAY BACK IN 1508, WITH ONLY LIMited tools at his disposal, Nicolaus Copernicus developed a celestial model of a heliocentric planetary system, which he described in hist landmark work De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. It was a complete overhaul of our conception of the universe-one that, unfortunately, earned him the ire of the Catholic church for decades after his death-and forever changed the way we look at the stars.
Building a Sixth-Generation Bomber Raptor
THE GLOBAL COMBAT AIR Programme (GCAP)-a project by the U.K., Italy, and Japan to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter-has been busy at the drawing board reshaping its vision of the future of air warfare. And judging by the new concept model unveiled at this year's Farnborough air show, that future has big triangular wings.
The Electroweak Force of the Early Universe
TODAY, THE UNIVERSE AS WE KNOW IT IS governed by four fundamental forces: the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, electromagnetism, and gravity.
This Ancient Fossil With a Brain and Guts
WE KNOW WHAT FOSSILS LOOK like. For example, typical dinosaur fossils are bones turned to stone and preserved from the passage of time, located, if we're particularly lucky, in large collections that can be reassembled to represent the beast they used to prop up in their entirety.
