Off-grid Solar Hub
Welcome to the Sunstore Off-grid Solar Hub.
Going off-grid is cheaper and easier than ever before. With global energy becoming more of a concern, energy independence is now a priority for many homeowners. Whether you want to provide energy to your home, weekend cottage, cabin in the woods, caravan or campervan, solar is the way to go.
Solar power is now coming into its own as a viable, reliable source of renewable energy. Learn all you need to know about the benefits, planning, designing and installing your own off-grid solar power system right here!
DIY off-grid solar keeps you in control. You can choose the what, how and where and we can help you every step of the way. From providing solar panel kits to helping you design a complete off-grid solar power system, we’ll make a great team!
Benefits
The benefits of solar are many. With solar panels being more efficient and more affordable than ever before, more people are exploring the opportunities that solar power brings.
The benefits of off-grid solar power include energy independence, free renewable energy, the ability to provide power to properties off the grid, add power to outbuildings, home offices, cabins and other buildings. You can even use solar to power your boat or caravan!
Solar panels can still provide free green energy when the sun isn’t out. As long as it’s daylight, you can produce power. So even in the unpredictable UK, with its amazing weather, you can still use solar to deliver green energy.
Solar Energy Pros and Cons
Solar energy is widely accepted as the primary answer to generating renewable power for buildings. It’s relatively cheap, simple to install and requires almost zero maintenance. It isn’t ideal for ...
The No-nonsense Guide to Off-grid Living
It’s a choice for some, a necessity for others, but how practical is it really to live off-grid in the UK while still maintaining a high standard of living? We ...
Off-grid Home: 6 Steps to Solar Self-sufficiency
Are you interested in taking your home off-grid? Want to learn more about putting together your own solar power system? You’re not alone. The market for DIY solar power has ...
Planning
Planning your DIY solar system is key. You need to deliver adequate energy for your requirements without spending more than you need. You want the features and benefits of free renewable energy without blowing those savings on over-specifying your solar panels or buying too many batteries.
We can help you every step of the way. From where to install your solar panels to getting planning permission, installing backup energy sources to wiring and managing your solar power system, we are always here to help.
The resources below should answer many common questions you may have. If you need expert help planning your DIY solar system, you can always contact our team!
Solar Power Off-grid System Cost
Cost is a significant factor when designing off-grid solar power systems. It is often a limiting factor so careful consideration should be given to ensuring you design the right system ...
How to Power an Off-grid House
There are very few places that cannot be connected to the mains or national grid in the UK. Despite that, some renovators and self builders prefer going the off-grid energy ...
Solar Panel Output – How Much Power Will You Get?
A key question every potential customer asks themselves is about how much power their solar panels can generate. It’s a natural question. You’re planning to invest significantly in generating renewable ...
Watt vs. Watt-hour
When you begin exploring the fascinating world of off-grid living and renewable energy, you will quickly come across two terms, watt (w) and watt-hour (Wh). Both will be used frequently ...
Battery Bank Sizing for Off-grid Systems
In an ideal world a solar energy battery bank would be very simple to design. On the surface it seems to be simple. However, it is not... Here are the ...
Off-grid Solar Cable Size Calculator
Cables are an essential component of any solar project. You could have the most efficient solar panels money can buy and the best inverter, but if you don’t connect the ...
How to Size an Off-grid Solar Power System
Of all of the tasks required in designing an off-grid solar power system, one of the most challenging is specifying the correct size for your needs. You need to accurately ...
Design
Designing your solar energy system is where you bring all your knowledge and learning to bear. It’s where you turn theory into reality and design the right DIY solar system for the property, the position and your needs.
There’s a lot that goes into DIY solar design. From building the solar panels to deliver adequate power to specifying the type and number of batteries to store that energy. Do you need a backup solution for your solar panels? Do you want to be able to monitor it remotely?
While these are considerations for the planning stage, it’s only during design that you can see whether your plans will work in reality or not.
Designing a DIY solar power system is a straightforward process. The resources below should help and the Sunstore Solar team are always on hand to offer their expertise.
Best Off-grid Generator
Anyone in the UK planning an off-grid solar power system has to take into account the many days we don’t have sunshine. Full energy independence means having the ability to ...
Grid-tied vs. Off-grid Inverter
The inverter in a solar power system is designed to transform DC power generated by solar panels into AC current usable by your property or vehicle. As all appliances run ...
Best Off-grid Battery
The best off-grid battery is the battery that successfully performs in a specific situation. Batteries are required in off-grid systems as the intent is to be fully self-sustaining. You generate ...
Best Off-grid Inverter
An inverter changes one power type to the other. In off-grid solar we regularly talk about off-grid inverters. These convert the DC power of a battery power store into 230v ...
Off-grid Solar Power System Design
At Sunstore we are trained and very experienced at off-grid power system design. We have many years’ experience in specifying, building and maintaining on-grid and off-grid solar systems. An off-grid ...
Installation
Installing your DIY solar power system may seem daunting at first but it’s simple enough. Like any large project, once broken down into its constituent parts, it becomes much easier to handle.
You can easily install solar panels yourself, run cabling, hook up batteries, set up power inverters, install backup power sources and connect everything together. We know, we have done it ourselves and helped hundreds of other DIYers with their own solar energy systems!
The resources below should help get you started. If you have specific questions on any Sunstore solar product or would like professional help with your installation, contact our team today.
Off-grid Solar System Battery Installation
Batteries are what makes a solar energy system an off-grid solar system. Without adequate storage, the energy generated is fed into the house and used or not used and wasted ...
Wiring an Off-grid Solar System
Of the many elements involved in putting together an off-grid solar system, wiring is the one that gives most people pause. Also, like other elements of an off-grid system, if ...
Best Off-grid Solar Kit for Your Project
Going off-grid and generating your own clean energy has never been so accessible. Prices are coming down, systems are becoming more efficient and off-grid solar kits provide everything you need ...
Ground vs. Roof Mounted Solar System
Solar panels are typically ground mounted or roof mounted. Other options include pole mounting and wall mounting but these are less popular and more bespoke. There is no ‘best’ solar ...
Maintenance
Maintenance for your solar panels and off-grid power systems is essential to maintain maximum efficiency and power output. In this section we will share some simple solutions to some common problems that may affect your off-grid power systems.
The resources below are here to help you with maintaining and carrying out general up keep of your solar panels and off-grid power systems. If you have specific questions on any Sunstore solar product or would like professional help with your installation, contact our team today.
Pigeon Proof Your Solar Panels
Solar panels have exploded in popularity over the past decade or so. With the huge increase in energy prices, that’s set to continue well into the future. Which presents a ...
Sunstore - The Solar Experts
Our store is for everyone including trade and professionals. We go the extra mile.
Supplying the most comprehensive and tested range of solar products including 12v Solar Panels and solar kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, farms, homes and businesses. All solar components for battery charging and off grid energy including 12v and portable solar panels and MPPT charge controllers. Our technical team installs and tests all of our products to ensure they are the best on the market. We are always happy to use our knowledge and experience to advise you and help you select the correct product.
Solar Panel installations on your home, business or farm. Sunstore, as a professional MCS accredited company, can install your solar system for you to take advantage of the governments Feed in Tariff scheme even when off-grid. From less than a KW up to 250KW, we can help and at a price that will make you smile.
As Off-Grid Specialists we are able to supply power to remote areas or where power is unstable or unavailable. From projects as small as a light bulb in your shed to producing power for your house, business or small town we can supply your power system from sustainable mean. In 90% of project our renewable power systems are more reliable and lower in cost than traditional diesel generators. See our info pages for details or contact us.
