Calculate exactly what you need to power your off-grid office or shed.
Building a backyard office, a "she-shed," or a workshop? The hardest part is figuring out exactly how much solar power you need. Guessing can be expensive—if you buy too little, your lights go out. If you buy too much, you waste money.
The number one mistake beginners make is underestimating power usage. A "laptop" might only use 60W, but if you have two monitors and a docking station, that number jumps to 150W. Use the calculator above to add every single item you plan to plug in.
A 100-Watt solar panel does not generate 100 Watts all day long. It only produces that maximum power during "Peak Sun Hours" (usually 10 AM to 2 PM).
Your solar panels charge the battery, but the battery is what actually runs your devices. If you plan to work at night, your battery bank is more important than your panels. We recommend LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries because they are safer, lighter, and last 10x longer than old-school lead-acid batteries.
Yes, but it requires a massive system. Heating and cooling use 10x more power than lights or laptops. If you select "Space Heater" in the tool above, you will see the cost jump significantly. For heating, consider a propane heater instead to save electricity.
Yes. Your solar panels and battery produce DC (Direct Current) power, but your laptop and outlets need AC (Alternating Current). You will need an inverter that can handle the total watts of all your devices running at once.