“We shouldn’t be digging up coal, gas, and oil just to burn them. Instead, we should rely on the ball of gas 93 million miles away.” – Bill McKibben
Our solar journey began as a simple experiment: could a modest system handle our continuous household loads and protect computers from power outages? Instead of sinking $3,000 into a large UPS or $20,000 into a whole-house generator, we chose to see what solar paired with a backup generator could do. That decision set us on a path that has transformed how we power our lives.
At first, the goal was resilience—keeping essential systems like computers, networking gear, refrigerators, and freezers running without interruption. Over time, as we gained confidence, we shifted more everyday loads to solar: lighting, TVs, office equipment, the ride-on mower, and even some EV charging. What started as a backup solution gradually grew into a core part of how our household operates.
The system taught us important lessons. Solar is not one-size-fits-all. Heavy loads—like HVAC, ovens, dryers, and water heaters—would have required scaling the system 10×, which wasn’t practical or cost-effective. Instead, by focusing on continuous and lighter loads, we significantly cut our reliance on the grid while keeping the system manageable. The flexibility came mostly from batteries: upgrading from 10 kWh to 42 kWh unlocked the ability to ride out multi-day outages, charge the EV overnight, and balance sunny and cloudy days without waste or worry.
Today, outages barely affect us. While neighbors scramble for flashlights or fuel for generators, our refrigerators, network, lights, and even entertainment systems keep humming as if nothing happened. We use the power we generate locally, avoiding transmission losses, and there’s a unique satisfaction in driving 60 miles powered entirely by sunlight harvested at home.
We recently added an inverter style window Air conditioning unit and the beauty of this is that when the sun is the strongest causing the most heating effect, we can run the window unit all day from the solar.
Financially, the project wasn’t about quick payback—it was about independence, resilience, and reducing CO₂. The 15-year payback period will likely shorten as electricity prices rise, but the real return is knowing that many of our most critical systems now run with zero emissions. Along the way, we discovered hidden costs (wiring, code compliance) and unexpected benefits (quiet resilience during outages, EV charging “for free” in the sun).
Most importantly, this experiment proved that small-scale solar can be both practical and rewarding. It’s not just about saving dollars—it’s about cutting carbon, building resilience, and taking back control from utility monopolies. Looking back, I’d refine some choices (like planning for dual inverters from the start), but I wouldn’t trade the experience. For us, solar has shifted from “backup plan” to “way of life.”