It’s one thing to talk about off grid solar kits in our reviews and on our YouTube channel, but it’s another thing entirely to live with one. That’s exactly what a member of The Solar Lab team, nicknamed “Health and Safety,” decided to do at his own off grid cabin.
Seven years ago, he built a small cabin on a remote property—picture a true cabin in the woods type of setup. Over time, it’s evolved into a small off grid homestead, complete with a screened porch, outhouse, and workshop. Until recently, it was running on a small, makeshift off grid solar system with minimal power. This year, he decided it was finally time for a real upgrade. The aim was to install a solar power system that could power the cabin year-round, easily, safely, and efficiently.
So, he took matters into his own hands (literally) and installed an all-new EG4 solar power system almost entirely by himself. We’re going to walk you through this process so you can discover just how easy and doable true off grid livin can be!
When the cabin was first built, it was wired like a normal home — with outlets, lights, and appliances ready to be tied to the grid someday. That forward thinking paid off when it came time to upgrade with a pre-packaged EG4 solar kit.
This new system features an EG4 6000XP Off-Grid Inverter, two EG4 100Ah V2 LifePower4 Lithium Server Rack Batteries, and a 3kW solar panel array mounted on a Chiko GroundFlex Ground Mount, just like the setup we use back at The Solar Lab.
Compare that to the old setup, which consisted of a few hundred watts of panels, a bunch of 12V batteries sitting on the ground, and a small inverter. On paper, this EG4 system is a massive upgrade and a leap towards true power independence and off-grid comfort.
Here’s exactly what “Health and Safety’s” new off grid solar power system consists of:
Thanks to the huge increase in storage capacity, output power, and the fact the EG4 6,000XP Inverter supports a split phase capabilities (120V or 240V), this configuration would give him access to true 240V power, something his old inverter and gas generator combination couldn’t provide.
It also means he’d have significantly more power stored in his batteries, and that those batteries would charge much faster than his old DIY setup.
With it, he can comfortably power lights, a mini-fridge, stereo, and internet router, which are the essentials for off grid living. Since the stove and hot water tank are both powered by gas (for now), there was no need to account for them when planning this system.
Upgrading an off grid solar power system isn’t just about wiring and panels, it’s about logistics. Every single component had to be transported by ATV through narrow trails after being unloaded from a pickup truck.
The Chiko Ground Mount had the largest pieces to move, but they were surprisingly easy to manage once disassembled. The solar panels, on the other hand, were big, awkward, and fragile, so transporting them was definitely a two-person job.
As he explained, “The EG4 products were the easiest to handle. Everything was boxed up nicely, easy to stack in the ATV, and made it down to the cabin without any issues.”
Beyond basic presentation and making sure they survived delivery, how solar components have come packaged isn’t really something we’ve had to put too much consideration into, as they usually arrive right at our front door. For true off-grid properties, where you’ll either have to bring items on the back of an ATV or some other 4x4 vehicle, it matters a lot. The boxes need to be durable, as well as small enough to make transportation practical.
Luckily, most of the items that arrived at the edge of Health and Safety’s property were packaged nicely and portable enough that he could take them to the cabin.
After clearing out a few rotting ash trees that would have posed a risk to the installed solar panels, the real work began.
Driving those Pylex ground screws into the soil was the first job, then installing beams, assembling the other parts of the Chiko Ground Mount, and lifting the panels onto the mount and attaching them. All of this was done alone in the rain.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was relatively efficient, even as a one-person job. If you’re less handy than Mr. Health and Safety, you may want to get some help when putting together a large-scale solar panel array like the one he installed.
For a smaller solar panel setup, you could also go with something a lot more basic, like a set of PowerField PowerRack Mounts. Solar racks like that require minimal setup, and they stack nicely, which makes transportation even easier.
Once the solar array was up, the pump house became the home base for the new system. The EG4 inverter was mounted on the wall, the server rack batteries wired and installed inside the cabinet, and the sub panel fixed into place and wired in.
Because both the inverter and batteries were made by EG4, setup was incredibly smooth. Within an hour, everything was connected, charging, and running smoothly. There were no firmware updates or complicated commissioning required, which was incredibly helpful for an off grid environment with less than reliable mobile service.
Seeing the system push solar energy into those new lithium batteries for the first time was a big moment. “After running on 200 watts before, seeing all that power flow in felt like magic. Within a couple hours, the batteries were full.”
Remember, we’re talking about over 10 kilowatt hours of storage capacity here. For those seven panels to be able to charge up the batteries to 100% in a couple of hours is incredible, especially when you consider how much of a lifestyle improvement that type of power could be for someone who is used to making do with minimal battery power and a loud gas generator.
After a quick trip to the hardware store for more wiring to tie in the cabin’s circuits, the off grid cabin was finally running at full strength.
Even with LED lights, a Wi-Fi router, and stereo running at full volume, the load hovered around 400W, which is just a fraction of what the EG4 6000XP can handle. With 6,000W of inverter output power and 5kWh of lithium storage in each battery, there’s plenty of headroom for using more power, either with appliances, power tools, or pretty much any other type of electrical load.
Going forward, Health and Safety’s plan is to install a small baseboard heater inside the pump house to keep the batteries warm through the freezing winter temperatures. The EG4 battery BMS already protects them by shutting off below about -20°C, but keeping them comfortable will ensure year-round functionality, and potentially extend the lifespan of the batteries and other components.
When you think about how remote this property actually is, there kind of is something magical about flipping on all the lights, the stereo, the fridge, and the floodlights. We’re talking about what is essentially a tiny home in the middle of a forest, so being able to access near-limitless power without having to worry about tripping a breaker or draining the batteries is an amazing feeling.
Having used dozens of systems and brands here at The Solar Lab, including Growatt, Rich Solar, Fortress Power, as well as portable options from brands like EcoFlow and Anker SOLIX, we’ve learned that ease of use matters a lot when you’re working off-grid.
Compared to other inverters that require online setup, firmware updates, or constant troubleshooting, the EG4 6000XP just works. It’s simple, powerful, and reliable.
As Health and Safety put it: “I had this inverter up and running within a couple hours completely off-grid. No updates, no headaches. The hardware’s solid, and it just worked.”
And that’s exactly why we keep coming back to EG4 for off grid solar power systems. We recommend and use EG4 components not because they pay us (they don’t), but because they consistently make dependable products that real people can install and trust.
Working at The Solar Lab, Health and Safety pretty much had his choice of any brand for this upgrade project, and he chose EG4 because he’s seen their products work well in our seriously intense testing environment.
Now that it’s all said and done, here’s the main takeaways Health and Safety had from this project:
This off grid solar setup shows what’s possible when you combine the right gear with a little determination. With the EG4 6000XP inverter, EG4 batteries, Sirius 415W Panels, and Chiko GroundFlex, this cabin now has a clean, powerful, and expandable off grid solar power system that can handle year-round living.
No headaches. No constant tweaking. Just power that works, even if it’s in the middle of nowhere.
If you’re thinking about building or upgrading your own off grid homestead or off grid cabin with a solar kit, take it from Health and Safety—pretty much anyone can do this. You just need the right tools, the right plan, and maybe a few less blackflies.
You can also check out a few of our guides to help you through the process: How to Pick the Right Solar Kit and Sizing Solar Panels for Your Solar Power System
You can also check out our experience visiting Josh’s off grid tiny home: Affordable and Simple Solar Setup for a Tiny Home
EG4 Off-Grid Solar Kit: www.SignatureSolar.com
Use Code: SOLARLABGET50 for $50 Off Your Order
EG4 Batteries and Inverters: wwwSignatureSolar.com
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