The Best 1000-Watt Solar Panel Kit (1KW) – Off-Grid Application | SolarKnowHow

Solar Panel Kit Overview

A 1000-watt solar panel kit with the right size inverter and battery bank will provide an excellent off-grid solution for essential appliances and devices.

This post discusses planning for a 1000W system and items to consider before purchasing. Planning is a critical step and can be the difference between a system that works or wastes time and money.

Renogy 800W Solar Panel Kit

The 800W Solar Panel Kit from Renogy is a comprehensive solar kit that has the components needed to get started on your solar project.

Components: 8 × 100W panels, Rover60 MPPT Charge Controller, BT1 Module, 8 × Mounting Z Brackets, 1 Pair x Solar Y Branch Connectors, Cables: 20ft 10AWG Adaptor Kit, 8ft 4AWG Tray Cable, 2ft 4AWG Fuse Cable, Fuses: 15A In-Line FUSE, ANL 60A FUSE

This solar kit also has several components that make it now only a powerful, easy-to-use system, but also allow you to expand your solar system as your power needs grow. This solar kit provides up to 4kWh of electricity and can expand up to systems like 48V, and 3200W.

The MPPT Rover60 Solar Charge Controller has multiple safety features (reverse polarity, overcharging, overload, short-circuiting, reverse current, etc.), a convenient LCD screen, and can detect 12V, 24V, 36V and 48V systems.

The BT-1 Bluetooth Module allows you to communicate with and monitor your system. This can be done on your phone up to 82 feet away, making this a convenient system to use.

The 8 x 100W Monocrystalline solar panels are high-quality panels with IP65 and IP67 rated junction boxes and connectors, making them highly weather resistant.

Heads-Up: This system does not come with an inverter or batteries, and you will need additional cabling and probably fuses. Make sure you layout your system plan before purchasing your kit and additional components.

Pros:

• A powerful charge controller provides you with the ability to expand this system.
• Bluetooth communication allows you to set up this system on top of a vehicle or home and access performance easily.

Cons:

• Not necessarily a con, but all components are not included as mentioned above.
• Depending on your system requirements, the cabling provided may not be heavy enough.

ShopSolarKits.com 12000W DIY Solar Kit

Solar kits are what shopsolarkits.com does, and they pride themselves on excellent customer service and detailed instructions.

This solar kit offers everything you need for an install except mounting brackets and rails.

Components: 6 x 200W 12V Monocrystalline Solar Panels (or 8 x 100W Panel / Rigid or Folding) – 25 Year Power Output Warranty, Choice of AGM or Lithium (LiFePO4) battery bank: 5-10 Year Warranty, 1 x 3,000W 24V Pure Sine Wave Inverter 120 AC (9,000W surge), 1 x 60A MPPT Solar Charge Controller, 1 x 15A inline fuse kit (MC4), 1 x 60A inline fuse kit, 1 x 200A inline fuse kit, 1 x Entry Gland, 1 x 50ft – 10 AWG Cables MC4 (Male/Female) to Bare SET, 1 x 3ft – 4/0 AWG ring lugs SET 5/16″, 1 x 1ft – 4/0 AWG ring lugs RED 5/16″, 1 x 3ft – 4 AWG Cables Bare to Ring Lug SET 5/16″, 1 x 1ft – 4 AWG Cables ring lugs RED 5/16″, 1 x 1ft – 4/0 AWG ring lugs SET 5/16″, 2 x 1ft – 1/0 AWG ring lugs RED 5/16″, 6 x Sets of Solar Panel Z-Bracket for mounting solar panels, Custom Wiring Diagram and Setup Instructions

Components are quality made, and they have three distribution centers here in the United States, where their corporate headquarters are also located, so faster ship times and reduced damages are an advantage.

This is an excellent system for small off-grid cabins, power backups, or a mid-size RV / mobile business office. This kit comes with 4 x 100ah AGM batteries providing 200ah of the useable battery capacity or about 2.4kWh of the useable battery bank. The additional 1,200-watt solar panels will generate 1.2kw of power per hour while the sun shines.

Pros

• Complete system with about all you need for installation
• These are some of the most comprehensive instructions you will find
• Excellent customer service to help you through the whole installation

Cons

• More expensive in some instances

Eco-Worthy

Eco-Worthy owners often love their Eco-Worthy products and service. There have been complaints about customer service in the past, but it seems to have improved in the last year with more positive feedback and reviews.

This particular kit is comprehensive and includes many components you will need for installation, but make sure you have a plan and list of what you will need for the project.

The kit listed here is a 1200W system on Amazon and a 1000W system on Eco-Worthy’s site. Eco-Worthy also has regular sales, so check the Eco-Worthy website before purchasing your kit.

Components: 6x195W Solar Panels, MPPT Solar Charge Controller, 3500W Pure Sine Inverter, 2 x 100AH Gel Batteries, 2 pcs 16.4′ 12AWG Solar Cable, 6 sets Z Mounting Bracket, 2 pcs Y-Branch Cable, 1 pc Controller-to-Battery Cable, 4 pcs Battery-to-Battery Cable, 1 pc Solar Cable with Connector,1 pc 150A Fuse.

This is a good system for a small cabin, barn, backup power, etc. The 3500 inverter will provide 7000 watts of peak power for appliances, and the inverter has safety checks in place to prevent overloads, etc.

Goosun

This is a tough kit to review, but I wanted to include it because it offers good components and panels.

Components: 6x160W Monocrystalline Solar Panel, 6 String Combiner Box, 1x12V 100AH lead-acid battery, 4xZ Brackets

Although Goosun does not have a significant e-commerce presence here in the states, it does have a good industry reputation.

Planning Your Solar System Needs

Planning your Solar System needs is essential, and if you are trying to narrow down exactly what you need, I’ve included what I consider one of the better videos below.

The video is about 15 minutes long and will help you size your system and its components.

Why a 1000 Watt Solar Panel?

You do not need a 1000-watt solar panel kit to start your journey off-grid, but a kit this size is a good start. This size solar panel kit will provide enough power during the day while also charging batteries to be used at night. If a 1,000-watt kit is a big leap, you might consider a 500 Watt solar panel kit.

How Much Energy Will a 1,000 Watt Kit Generate?

Many solar panel kits are 24-volt systems. While you can use a 1000-watt solar panel system with a 12-volt system, the downside is that you will draw more current from your batteries and lose power when your battery cables heat up.

A 1000-watt solar panel system does not mean you have 1000 watts to use. Instead, the 1000 watt rating refers to the amount of power returned to your battery bank from the sunlight.

A 1000-watt solar panel system will deliver 1000 watts to your batteries every hour the sun is directly over the panels. So, depending on your location and time of year, you will get an average of 5 – 12 hours of sunlight daily.

This means your 1000-watt solar panel kit can theoretically deliver 5,000 – 12,000 watts of power to your battery bank. In practice, estimate 50-70% of that amount. The sun is only directly over your panels for about 1 hour daily. The rest of the day, the sun is at an angle, and your panels will not deliver the total 1000 watts.

What Size Solar Panels Should I Consider?

Right now, there are no single 1,000-watt solar panels on the market. Instead, there are a few 400 Watt solar panels on the market, and recently single 500-watt solar panels hit the market (2020).

How then would you get your 1000-watt solar panel system? You can combine panels and purchase efficient solar panels that generate increased output in a smaller footprint.

With a combination of solar panels, you can achieve a 1,000-watt system.

There are a few things to remember as you choose your solar panels.

• The amount of space you have for solar panels is important. Less space will require more efficient panels.
• Do you plan to expand your solar system in the future? There is a good chance you will if this is your first system.
• Durability – This is important if you will be remote. Check the warranty and make sure your panels meet durability standards.

How Many Batteries Do I Need for a 1000-watt Solar System?

I suggest you consider at least a 200AH battery bank. This means you can run 12 x 200 watts of power for 1 hour or 200Watts for 12hrs. This also depends on how deeply you deplete your batteries. Most deep cycle batteries can only be drained up to 50% of their rating. This means you can run 100 watts for 12hrs on a 200AH battery bank.

A new type of deep cycle battery called the LiFePO4 battery can be depleted deeper and still be charged. As a result, they are more expensive but more efficient.

A 200AH Battery bank can be achieved with two 100AH batteries or four 50AH batteries. You can also buy one 200AH battery that is a 24V battery.

FAQ

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