How to Choose the Best Alternative Power for You?
Determining the best alternative power source for your remote homestead or G-pod starts with you. System design is based on your site, your needs, your budget and depends on what is available. Only you can determine how you will use the power to be generated and what is most important to you when considering power generation alternatives. So, to start this discussion, we'll outline some steps and basic questions you'll need to address to narrow down your choices. From there, we'll take you through the power portion of this off-grid G-pod install and some of the choices we made in the install of our renewable power solution.
Do some research and ask a lot of questions
Before you can fully assess the decisions around power choices and needs assessment, there are several questions to consider. So be prepared to make some guiding decisions as you learn more about your choices. These questions might include:
Do I need 24/7 power or intermittent?
Will the installation be completely off-grid or grid-tied? (understand the difference)
How mobile will I be? Does my power source need to be portable or stationary?
What kind of power storage will I need? Do I have the space for the system itself, batteries and perhaps a generator?
What is the ecological impact of my choice on the site?
Check out these educational resources:
7 Ways to power Your Home with Renewable Energy
Generating off-grid power: The 4 best ways
Off-Grid or Stand-Alone Renewable Energy Systems
Know your power options and needs
Power options in your area may include solar power, (for our purposes we are only talking about solar photo voltaic, aka solar pv, where an array of solar pv modules turns sunshine into electrical power), wind turbines, battery systems and generators — and any combination of these. Your needs for power output and storage will also be a key factor in choosing the right solution.
There isn’t a standard system type or size for all needs, regions and budgets, so the renewable power systems marketplace enables system designers to mix and match off the shelf components that they think will work best for a customer. At G-pod Americas we see the building and system as integrated and try to simplify things for the customer by using familiar categories for sizing solar pv systems: Large, Medium or Small renewable systems that can be easily bundled for the customer’s specific needs, increase convenience and maximize value.
Talk to most renewable energy dealers or designers and they'll all agree: "It's a math equation." That may sound complicated, but it's straightforward. You can start by gathering your appliance/demand information, then head over to these online calculators:
Off-Grid Load Evaluation Sheet
Off-Grid Calculator (altestore)
Choosing solar power for our G-pod off-grid site
For G-pod America's off-grid Texas site, we decided on a roof mounted, stand alone solar pv system. From there, we followed these steps:
1. Identify how much power you will need
2. Determine the size and number of batteries you will need to make the power you want
3. Calculate the number of solar panels your system requires
4. Select a charge controller for your system
5. Pick an inverter to convert DC to AC
1. Power Calculation
For this part of the project we kept it simple. We calculated for a G-pod Dwell 20 needing a Medium sized system that would make enough electrical power over a period of time for "average" usage with the following appliances: mini-fridge, small microwave oven, 2-burner induction cook top, water pump, a water heater controller, 12,000 Btu mini-split heat pump, LED lighting and a few other electrical items, all using 120 v AC/60 Hz US standard power.
If your list of required appliances is long or you dislike the idea of having to run a generator to charge batteries now and then, you’ll need to be more formal with your power requirement calculations. For our system style and size, we were more concerned about being able to deliver enough amps for our expected usage periods without taking too much out of the battery bank each day. We planned for moderate use 24/7 in a fairly sunny place where the highest demands align well with solar production, i.e. summer when HVAC is most desirable corresponds with long sunny days. For extreme conditions and less conservation-minded folks, it pays to be precise when doing your system production calculations.
Battery Bank | Power Center
2. Battery Choice
Based on our estimated power requirements we used 8 batteries, each of them rated at 110 amp hours. The goal was to have a system that was fully charged at the end of most days and could provide enough power for several days of low intensity use, even in cloudy conditions.
A solar charge controller manages the power inputs from the solar PV array to the battery bank. The battery bank is connected to a power center that houses various switches and connections including output power to the pod distribution panel and input power from a gasoline generator for back-up power. The system also provides a connection for grid assist, if available.
3. Array and racking system
We chose to use a G-pod specific flyroof-mounted array, supported by a custom aluminum racking system, made up of 8 x 300-watt bi-facial modules. We had to work around some tree branches that shaded one side of the roof. Identifying shaded locations in the area where you want to place your array is crucial and a big part of designing the system. Trees are good, but they and other objects like mountains and buildings can block the sun, and shading limits the power your system will produce. You need to consider these details when you plan where to locate the solar array, balancing solar needs against site restraints and aesthetics.
4. Charge Controller
The system we used includes a charge controller from MidNite, one well known supplier in the renewable off-the-shelf marketplace. Cost, functionality, reliability, ease of use and good tech support are all things you want to consider when selecting your charge controller. If you use a solar designer, they will probably have some charge controller brand or model recommendations for you to consider.
Tankless Hot Water Heater | HVAC Heat Pump, Solar Array, Load Center
5. Inverter to Convert the Power
An inverter is used to make sunshine into household current. The solar array turns sunshine into DC (Direct Current) and an inverter turns that into electrical power that works for standard US AC (Alternating Current) electrical appliances like in most American homes. In our case the renewable power solution plugs into the pod just like mains/shore/grid power so no special modifications were required.
G-pod’s are designed be connected to power and water in any common way, no matter how you configure your pod. That design approach meant we didn’t need to buy different appliances to make this pod operate autonomously. However, if you want to operate a building or G-pod on DC power only, you will need to select DC-powered appliances, common in RV’s and boats and available from several suppliers. No matter which type of power you prefer, efficiency really matters, though. Choose appliances carefully.
G-pod makes it easy
Going off-grid or choosing a nomad lifestyle with an innovative product like G-pod is still a mostly new option for most people. But G-pod is designed and manufactured to help you navigate these choices with ease. G-pod products use a variety of solutions for utility closets, full size laundries, outdoor showers, storage rooms and system enclosures that can be located at the ends of each pod, perfectly outfitted to accommodate your off-grid power solutions. Heavy steel shelves and supports make an ideal, easily-customizable space to put any kind of power generating system that you want to be safely stored but also easy to access.
Most off-the-shelf renewable power systems, including this one, can be Wi-Fi-enabled so that you have real-time and historical data, can track state-of-charge and periodic production, plus manage and control the system remotely. Some vendors use system components that might not provide global, 24/7 support. We love that our vendor provides G-pod customers global 24/7 tech support for our renewable power solutions.
G-pod Americas offers various sizes of plug-and-play bundled power solutions, configured for your G-pod that will fit your needs. Installation doesn’t have to be DIY but can be if that’s your style. Select ours or any other off-the-shelf system you prefer. No matter which system you use we can advise and assist with your G-pod renewable power solution, helping you plan, install and maintain your system.
