DIY PV System to Save Money AND for SHTF

[Tarrel]

Thanks for the thoughts about the earthing. I hadn't really considered this.

The Soladin 600 is a plug and play system which plugs into a 13A socket, so there shouldn't be any compliance issues. It has all the certifications for a grid-tie inverter.

I need to check the current draw for the freezer (start up and continuous). It's one of the new A+ rated ones. To be honest, the essentials for us are low energy lighting, laptop charging (although this may become redundant post-SHTF) and being able to charge my electric chainsaw for firewood production. The charger for this takes 65W and charging takes about 90 minutes. It's a 36V li-ion model. We have a wood fired Rayburn which gravity-feeds a thermal store. It provides space heating to a large part of the house, so no electricity required for heating, hot water or cooking.

I did think about a dedicated 12V system, but the running of separate circuits was a pain. I might consider keeping in store the materials to put this in after SHTF, when such issues as aesthetics will be less important! For me the important thing is to get hold of the equipment to generate the power now, while it's available, and, hopefully, get some return on the investment during BAU.

I'll definitely look into the earthing issue.