feet
Click "Calculate Wire Gauge" after the system calculator has run.
Fuse/breaker recommendations appear after calculation.
Size the perfect solar system for your off-grid cabin. Enter your appliances and get exact recommendations for panels, batteries, inverter, and charge controller.
Pre-loaded with typical off-grid cabin appliances. Adjust for your actual setup — seasonal or year-round.
Pick a preset to load typical appliances, or skip and add your own below.
The duty cycle accounts for appliances that don't run at full power continuously. A refrigerator compressor cycles on/off (~35% of the time); a lamp stays on 100%.
| Appliance | Peak Watts | Duty Cycle % | Hours/Day | Wh/Day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Total: | 0 Wh | ||||
Cabins have the luxury of space. Ground-mounted panels are easier to install, clean, and tilt for optimal angle. They also stay cooler than roof-mounted panels (heat reduces efficiency). If your cabin has tree shading on the roof, ground mounting lets you place panels in the sunniest spot on your property.
Off-grid cabins in northern states get as little as 2–3 peak sun hours in December. Use the Winter season toggle above for realistic sizing. Many cabin owners combine solar with a backup generator for the worst winter weeks rather than oversizing the solar array for a month of bad weather.
If your cabin uses more than 5 kWh/day (well pump, refrigerator, washing machine, power tools), go with a 48V system. It reduces wire size requirements, allows longer cable runs from a ground array to the cabin, and gives you access to more powerful all-in-one inverter/chargers.