After 15 months of living with their largest solar panel system yet, an off-grid couple says they are thrilled with their decision but would ideally make some small changes.
Earlier this year, YouTubers Matt and Cass (@runawaymattcass) marked their two-year anniversary of living off-grid in Tennessee. To celebrate the occasion, they gave an update on their solar-panel array, which replaced two earlier, mobile solar-panel systems that the couple had used.
Solar panels offer a reasonable way to generate clean, sustainable energy, lower reliance on fossil fuels, and lower monthly electricity bills, sometimes down to $0. EnergySage's free tools allow homeowners to compare quotes from local, verified solar installers.
Matt and Cass' property features a dozen 400-watt solar panels, for a total of up to 4,800 watts of output, which Matt says has been "freaking perfect for us."
"Even on cloudy days, in most situations, it's still slowly charging our battery or minimally offsetting our power usage," he said.
Matt also shared the importance of getting high-quality solar panels. With the couple's previous builds with lower-quality panels, Matt said that it was common to find "micro-cracks" within their solar panels, but that hasn't been a problem with their new system.
"We had the worst winter of storms that we've had here so far with lots and lots of wind. I've recently scanned over all of the panels, and … everything's still standing strong," he said.
He also showcases their battery, which features 9,600 watt-hours of storage capacity. And although the battery works well, Matt said if money were no issue, they would have a battery with double the capacity and self-heating, as a lithium battery cannot safely charge when its internal temperature gets below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
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"That's our system. We love it," he said. "There's a couple of things that … in an ideal world, we would have more of, but overall, it works great for us here, and it is fully meeting our electrical needs."
EnergySage can help you find not only quality solar panels, but also installers who will help get your system set up within your budget. In fact, the average homeowner who uses their tools can save up to $10,000 on installation costs. To see what kind of savings you can find, check out their free mapping tool, which shows the average installation cost for each state, as well as available incentives.
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The cost 💰 For those interested in other home upgrades that can massively decrease their energy bills, consider installing a heat pump. EnergySage similarly has a heat pump quote comparison tool, so you can see what different trusted installers are quoting you and find the right HVAC for your home.
Matt and Cass show some of the possibilities that exist by switching to solar and how it's possible to end reliance on the power grid. Many commenters said they appreciate the freedom that represents and how thoroughly Matt detailed their system, along with its pros and cons.
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"Has to be the best explanation of solar I've ever watched," one commenter said.
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