Batteries
12V UL Certified Certified to UL1973. Consistent quality, audited over time.
12V UL-certified LiFePO4 battery
12V UL Certified
Certified to UL1973. Consistent quality, audited over time.
12V Budget Cheaper per amp-hour. Reliable today, no long-term guarantee.
12V budget LiFePO4 battery
12V Budget
Cheaper per amp-hour. Reliable today, no long-term guarantee.
48V UL Certified Required if you are permitting your system or tying…
48V UL-certified wall-mount home battery
48V UL Certified
Required if you are permitting your system or tying to the grid.
48V Budget Great build quality, but off-grid use only — not permit-legal.
48V budget server rack battery
48V Budget
Great build quality, but off-grid use only — not permit-legal.
Battery Capacity Testers After a few years, you need to test the…
ITECH battery capacity tester
Battery Capacity Testers
After a few years, you need to test the capacity of your system.
Inverters
12V Off-Grid RVs, boats, vans and small cabins. 1,000–3,000W.
Victron MultiPlus-II 12V inverter charger
12V Off-Grid
RVs, boats, vans and small cabins. 1,000–3,000W.
48V Off-Grid Run a whole house off-grid. 6,000–12,000W.
EG4 6000XP 48V off-grid inverter
48V Off-Grid
Run a whole house off-grid. 6,000–12,000W.
48V Hybrid Grid-tied plus battery backup. Certified for interconnection.
48V hybrid inverter
48V Hybrid
Grid-tied plus battery backup. Certified for interconnection.
High-Voltage Residential Highest efficiency. This is what I run in my own…
High-voltage residential inverter
High-Voltage Residential
Highest efficiency. This is what I run in my own home.
3-Phase Commercial Take an entire warehouse off-grid. Effectively unlimited capacity.
3-phase commercial inverter
3-Phase Commercial
Take an entire warehouse off-grid. Effectively unlimited capacity.
Solar Panels
Mobile Panels Lightweight and low-profile for RVs, vans and trailers.
Flexible mobile solar panel
Mobile Panels
Lightweight and low-profile for RVs, vans and trailers.
Standard Panels Best cost per watt for homes, ground mounts and carports.
Standard rigid solar panel
Standard Panels
Best cost per watt for homes, ground mounts and carports.
Solar Mounting
Ground Mount Fast to assemble, engineered and legal for permitted installs.
Solar panel ground mount
Ground Mount
Fast to assemble, engineered and legal for permitted installs.
Roof Mounted Low-profile systems engineered for secure, long-lasting roof installations.
Roof-mounted solar panels
Roof Mounted
Low-profile systems engineered for secure, long-lasting roof installations.
Solar Carports Dual-purpose structures that provide shade while generating clean energy.
Solar carport
Solar Carports
Dual-purpose structures that provide shade while generating clean energy.
Generators
Anker Solar Generators Build a system in minutes! Beginner friendly and reliable.
Anker SOLIX solar generator
Anker Solar Generators
Build a system in minutes! Beginner friendly and reliable.
Jackery HomePower This is the only Jackery that I like. The output…
Jackery HomePower solar generator
Jackery HomePower
This is the only Jackery that I like. The output for the size and price is fantastic.
System Packages
Don't Want to Piece it Together?
These are complete, wire-by-wire builds I’ve assembled and tested myself. Every fuse, lug and breaker is specified, so nothing shows up missing on install day.
Hand-Truck 48V System

Hand-Truck 48V System

Portable 5 kWh, builds in 25 minutes ~$1,900

Budget Whole-Home Backup

Budget Whole-Home Backup

12 kW inverter, 32 kWh battery from ~$4,750

Off-Grid Home Blueprint

Off-Grid Home Blueprint

Whole-house off-grid, 5–12 kW ~$9,800

Code-Compliant 48V System

Code-Compliant 48V System

Grid-tie hybrid, permit & inspection ready ~$13,500

Components
Battery Chargers Reliable charging for lithium batteries.
Lithium battery charger
Battery Chargers
Reliable charging for lithium batteries.
Wire & Connectors Wiring essentials for a clean, reliable setup.
Solar wire and connectors
Wire & Connectors
Wiring essentials for a clean, reliable setup.
Fuses & Breakers Essential protection for your electrical system.
DC fuses and circuit breakers
Fuses & Breakers
Essential protection for your electrical system.
Crimpers & Tools Tools for building and maintaining your system.
Battery cable crimping tool
Crimpers & Tools
Tools for building and maintaining your system.
Battery Monitors Track your battery’s power and performance.
Battery monitor with shunt
Battery Monitors
Track your battery’s power and performance.
Solar-friendly A/C Efficient cooling built for off-grid power.
Solar-friendly mini split air conditioner
Solar-friendly A/C
Efficient cooling built for off-grid power.
12V Fridges Efficient cooling for life on the road.
12V portable fridge
12V Fridges
Efficient cooling for life on the road.
Components
Van or RV

Van or RV

Mobile, 12V, tight on space and weight

Boat

Boat

Marine-rated, waterproof, heated cells

Cabin or Shed

Cabin or Shed

Small off-grid build, 12V or 48V

Whole House

Whole House

Off-grid or grid-tied with backup

Battery monitor with shunt

Battery Monitors (shunts)

These are very simple to install! Simply disconnect your battery’s main negative cable and slap this in between. Bam! You now know how much energy your batteries have available and you can track it over time. Every year or so you should use your shunt to do a full capacity test of your system to ensure it is working properly.

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Keep Track of Your Battery System

Monitor your battery status and current flow with these simple, reliable options. Whether you need detailed data and Bluetooth connectivity or just a basic display, both get the job done without overcomplicating your system.

Victron SmartShunt

This is the best one by far. I have a small box of these and use one in every system I build. Connect it to your phone and get the data you need. Worth every penny. Just make sure it is sized to handle the current of your entire system — not just your inverter.

AILI Battery Monitor

A dirt-cheap bare-bones battery monitor. I would still go with the SmartShunt above because of the additional features, but if you’re building on a budget, this one works fine. I’ve never had an issue with it — just don’t expect Bluetooth connectivity.

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