Cut demand before you buy hardware
Every kWh you remove from the load list removes panels and batteries you would otherwise have to buy and replace. Efficiency is the cheapest power source on an off-grid estate.
How
- Rank the load table by daily Wh and attack the top items first.
- Replace old fridges and freezers, incandescent lamps and inefficient pumps with high efficiency models.
- Move heat loads (space heating, water heating, cooking, clothes drying) off electricity where possible: see the thermal module for solar hot water, wood and gas options.
- Remove or switch off phantom loads with switched power strips.
- Mark loads that can run only when there is spare solar (washing, pumping water to a tank, charging tools). These become opportunity loads in step power-25.
- Recalculate the daily kWh with the new figures.
Sources
- Planning a Home Renewable Energy System. US Department of Energy, Energy Saver, accessed 2026-11
- Grid-Connected or Stand-Alone Renewable Energy Systems. US Department of Energy, Energy Saver, accessed 2026-11