This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Off-grid workshop solar sizing starts with a number that is not on any tool’s nameplate. I had a client call after his second inverter failure in eight months. He was running a […]
the High-Torque Standard: Off-Grid Workshop Solar for Makers and Builders Read More »
Updating inverter firmware safety is not a setting. It is a procedure. I had a client call after his Victron MultiPlus-II stopped responding mid-update. He had started the VictronConnect firmware push from his laptop, which was running on the MultiPlus output through the AC panel. The update reached 67% and the inverter rebooted as part
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. DC disconnect switch types are not interchangeable with AC switchgear, and the difference is not academic. I had a client bring in a system after a short circuit event on a 48V
The High-Amperage Standard: DC Disconnect Switch Types for Your Off-Grid Fortress Read More »
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Solar battery room venting standards exist because heat kills electronics faster than anything except water. I apply the same rule in the shop that applies in the Fortress: we never run an
The Active Air Standard: Solar Battery Room Venting Standards for Your Fortress Read More »
Off-grid sub panel wiring is where most DIY Fortress builds either get done right or get dangerous fast. I had a client call me after their inverter kept tripping every time the well pump kicked on. They had wired the inverter output directly into a breaker space in the main panel and connected four circuits
The Isolation Standard: Off-Grid Sub Panel Wiring for Your Critical Load Fortress Read More »
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Off-grid dc lighting systems are the fastest way to reclaim 50 to 100 watts of overnight battery drain in a Fortress build. I had a client call after their first winter off-grid
The Inverter-Free Standard: Off-Grid DC Lighting Systems for Your Fortress Read More »
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Off-grid conduit wiring is the skeletal system of the Fortress power plant: get the selection and fill calculation right and the conductors run cool and protected for a decade; get it
The Conduit Standard: Off-Grid Conduit Wiring for Your Fortress Power Runs Read More »
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Off-grid conduit wiring is the skeletal system of the Fortress power plant: get the selection and fill calculation right and the conductors run cool and protected for a decade; get it
The Conduit Standard: Off-Grid Conduit Wiring for Your Fortress Power Runs Read More »
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Equipment room rodent exclusion is the perimeter standard that determines whether your Fortress stays a power plant or becomes a winter hotel for local wildlife. I have diagnosed the vehicle version
The Exclusion Standard: Equipment Room Rodent Exclusion for Your Off-Grid Fortress Read More »
Off-grid system maintenance is the difference between a Fortress that produces cleanly for a decade and one that develops a fault in year three and traces it back to a bolt that walked loose over two winters. I have seen the vehicle version of this story many times. A customer brings in a GS with
The Maintenance Standard: Off-Grid System Maintenance for Your Fortress Read More »