I have reached the end of the first phase of shifting load to solar power.
All the household rechargeable devices - phones, tablets, headphones, and the big cordless tool batteries for snow blower, leaf blower, drills, drivers, etc, are now 100% replenished using the 500W solar panel
Next step is rigging the furnace blower to run from the solar "generator", making witing changes, and adding 800W of permanent solar panels
@cobalt123
Surprisingly, a lot of household solar is actually cost prohibitive, but that's often because people start with the intention of selling power back to the grid
I started with the aim of being able to work from home if storms or fire cut my power.
PC plus screens plus phones, tablets, a few LED lamps, and the 5G router burn ~30 W
A 3 kW solar "generator" plus a 500W panel lets me run that setup indefinately
It could also run a minimal household for many days.
@cobalt123
I bought a 1500W Jackery from Costco, and then returned it for a 3kW. Part of the reasoning was to be able to pack it up and scoot if we get another fire evacuation. The 3kW model is 59 Lb, so I can lift and lug it to the car, and then have enough power for basic needs.
If you watch special deals, you can get something that is affordable and can give you a start.
Just be aware of what the total input Wattage is, and the max wattage it can deliver
Matthew Loxton
cobalt