gll - thanks for sharing your story; quite the journey. For the mountain, the critical thing was getting water: well drilled 200' through solid granite. In the day, even the best Grunfos pump wouldn't have pulled it up on just solar - so... aw hell. I dont wanna go through all that again. Let me just say that I applaud your perseverance, and as a fellow prepper I'm glad there are others here as nutz as I am.Hybrid...
First, I have to admit to being a TEOTWAWKI paranoid prepper.
My "system" is a real hodgepodge started in ignorance and adapted as best possible...
Water being critical importance, I needed a generator big enough to run my 3hp deep well pump... I bought a Miller Bobcat Welder (10kw). My thought at the time was that I would use the welder far more than the generator, and that has been the case.
Wanting to go solar, I looked for the simplest install that I could do myself... That ended up being 30 LG MonoX 300w panels with integrated microinverters for 9kw. My thought at the time was that a micro inverter failing would decrease my production by 3%, while a line inverter failure would cut power 100%... So far, none have failed, but LG stopped producing integrated inverter panels and now solar panels.
Wanting some off-grid capability I added a 4kw Magnum inverter with my 48v (8x 6v Trojan 105) as the emergency power source. Something like this is required to convert a micro inverter system into a hybrid system, but with the advantage of added cost...
Wanting a more dedicated battery bank for extra capacity, I added a 8x Trojan 105 stationary bank. Thought was that I could transition this set to the golf cart when it's set failed and add a lithium battery bank for house power if those decreased in price.
Wanting a water souce not dependent on batteries or generator, I installed 4x 300w Mission panels and a 750w solar direct controller and pump on my shallow well. This is probably the smartest thing most people could do, at a relatively low cost, to ensure a water source after SHTF.
Wanting the ability to pump water from that well under cloud cover or at night, I added 5x 12v Everstart 29dc batteries to the system, being the cheapest way to 60v...
Then, I added 1200w solar panels and a 750w pump to storage for backup... That's my EMP emergency water backup.
I wouldn't do any of that the same way again, but it does all work, kinda...
My assessment of my primary weakness is still power storage...
For that, I'm currently thinking about 3x 48v 100ah Trophy or SOK LiFePO4 server rack batteries for about 15kwh of storage at a cost of about $5k...
I think anything done toward power generation, beyond an emergency generator, has to just be something you want to do, cause the cost to benefits can't really be justified any other way.
Kinda like guns after the first couple...
I did find a couple old pics: of the cabin, the power room as it was being set up during the addition build, and the 9 panel array - built in place - 100' above the cabin on the highest south-facing almost enough flat spot. It was a bitch to snowshoe up to broom it off, lol
that last section had to be at an angle cause the mountain
dropped off LOL It's foot was barely on the edge.
Last edited: