Solar Power for Raw Land: A Simple Place to Start

When people think about solar on raw land, they picture a roof full of panels and a wall of batteries. That can come later. You don't need it on day one.

Here's a simple way to think about solar when you're just getting started on a piece of land.

Start with what you actually need

Before you buy anything, make a list. What do you want to run out there?

For a weekend camping trip, it might be phone chargers, a few lights, a fan and a small fridge. For a cabin, it might be a lot more. For a full time home, it's a whole different conversation.

Write down each thing, how much power it uses, and how many hours a day you'd run it. Most appliances have a label that shows the watts. That list tells you how big your system needs to be. Skip this step and you'll either buy too much or not enough.

The pieces of a solar setup

Every solar system has the same basic parts, no matter the size.

• Solar panels. They turn sunlight into electricity.
• A charge controller. It manages the power going from the panels to the batteries so you don't damage them.
• Batteries. They store power so you have it at night and on cloudy days.
• An inverter. It turns battery power into the kind of power regular household stuff plugs into.

That's it. Bigger systems just have more and bigger versions of each part.

The easiest way to start

For a lot of people, the best first step is a portable power station with a folding solar panel or two.

A power station is basically a battery, a charge controller and an inverter all in one box. Plug the panel in, set it in the sun, and you've got power for your lights, phone, laptop and small stuff. No wiring, no installer.

It's not going to run an air conditioner all day. But for weekend trips it's a great way to learn how much power you really use. And you can take it home with you when you leave.

Growing into a bigger system

Once you know what you need, you can step up.

Some people mount panels on a shed or a carport and wire in a bigger battery bank. Some build a ground mount. Some go all the way to a full home system.

For anything bigger than a plug and play setup, I'd talk to a local solar installer or an electrician. Batteries and wiring can be dangerous if they're done wrong. If you're tying solar into a home, call the county about permits.

Get quotes and compare what's included.

Tips from the field

A few things I've learned from being around a lot of off grid land.

• Point panels at the sun. It sounds obvious, but shade from one tree can cut your power a lot.
• Plan for cloudy days. Have a little extra battery, or a small generator as backup.
• Keep batteries out of extreme heat and cold. It helps them last.
• Clean your panels. Dust and dirt cut down how much power they make.
• Lock it up. On remote land, take portable gear home with you or secure it.

Solar isn't always the answer

Here's the honest part. If a lot already has electricity available, it's often simpler to hook up to the grid. Solar shines on remote land where running a power line would be a big job.

I covered how to check for power and the cost of running a line in Power, Water and Septic on Raw Land.

A lot where you might skip solar

If you'd rather not deal with solar at all, our quarter acre at 901 White Oak in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas has electricity and water available, and septic is needed. It's set up for site built homes of 800 square feet or more, and there are homes already built nearby. Horseshoe Bend is an Ozarks town with lakes, a golf course and the Strawberry River close by. It's $3,000 cash, or $75 down plus the $249 doc fee, then $75 a month for 39 months. See it here.

Questions? Call or text me at (817) 631-1858.

Jarod