Along with the joys of off-grid living comes some realities.

• You will have a finite amount of energy to use in a day or period of days.
• The amount of power you can use at any given time is usually less than an on-grid home.
• There is maintenance involved.
• You need to know how to use the system, diagnose problems, and reset things if there is a problem.
• Components will fail, leaving you reliant on a backup and needing service.

This is not meant to scare you off, but it is important to be candid and practical about an off-grid system. While for the most part these systems are as reliable as the utility grid, you will have limits on your power/energy use, and when your system goes down you can’t call the utility company to repair the line. You will need to resolve the issue on your own or hire a professional to fix the problem. Maintaining the system and using the system without abusing it will result in much higher satisfaction.