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Home solar
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As electricity prices climb, more homeowners are exploring total energy independence—but is it worth it?
Between rising electricity rates, growing concerns about grid reliability, and the pressure to stay constantly plugged in, the idea of going off the grid has never been more appealing. And while solar panels on your roof are a step toward energy independence, most homeowners stop well short of cutting ties with their utility completely—and for good reason.
Going off the grid means producing 100% of your own electricity, with no relationship to your utility company. It's more than just installing solar panels. It requires substantial battery storage, backup power, and careful planning around your energy use. For most homes, it's neither practical nor cost-effective.
The vast majority of home solar panel systems stay connected to the grid because it's simply the smarter choice. Not only does a grid connection ensure your lights stay on at night and during cloudy weather, but it also lets you take advantage of programs like net metering that can drastically boost the value of your solar investment.
That said, going off-grid can make sense for specific situations: Homes with low electricity consumption, properties in remote locations where grid connection is impractical or expensive, or anyone eager to achieve complete energy independence. If that describes you, here's what you need to know about equipment, costs, and whether it's worth the investment.
Going off-grid means you no longer receive electricity from your utility company.
Residential solar panel systems are almost always more cost-effective and reliable when connected to the grid. 
Off-grid living works best for people with low electricity consumption or homes in remote locations with limited access to an electricity grid.
Sungold, EG4, and ECO-WORTHY all produce flexible, high-quality off-grid solar panel kits for smaller off-grid applications.
Installing an off-grid solar-plus-storage system for an average-sized house often costs $115,000 or more.
The term "off the grid" refers to living autonomously without any connection to a utility for power. If you go off-grid, you'll need to meet all your household needs with electricity produced onsite. For this reason, off-grid living works best for small homes in rural locations where reliable grid access is lacking.
Going solar does grant you a level of energy independence, but it doesn't mean you’re off the grid. Since solar panels can’t produce electricity without sunshine, most residential solar power systems in the United States remain grid-connected so that they can draw power at night or on cloudy days. 
It’s possible to go off-grid with your solar panel system, but you’d have to install a larger system with multiple solar batteries to store energy—which is expensive. Generally, you'll need the following system components for an off-grid solar setup:
Solar panels 
Solar inverters
Wiring/cables
Mounting equipment 
PWM or MPPT charge controller
Energy storage (typically a solar battery or a backup generator)
Safety equipment (safety disconnects, grounding equipment, surge protection)
There’s a reason why the overwhelming majority of residential solar panel systems maintain a connection to the utility grid. Solar panels can’t produce electricity on demand, and connecting to the grid allows you to keep the lights on at night and on cloudy days. Energy storage systems can also help you achieve this, but even most solar-plus-storage systems are more reliable and cost-effective when connected to the grid. Here’s why:
An off-grid solar system can be a solid way to power a shed or a portion of your home, but it rarely makes practical and financial sense for a whole home, even with energy storage. On average, you’ll need around 9 solar batteries to go off the grid. 
Additionally, you shouldn’t install just any solar battery for off-grid use. You’ll want a specific type of battery that can "island" or form its own grid to recharge the battery daily without a grid connection.
Many of the best solar panels for sale aren't available for retail purchase. To buy them, you’d need to hire a professional solar installer with access to a distributor. Otherwise, you’re limited to off-grid solar kits, typically of lower quality. 
If your priority is to build a high-power output solar system for your house, your best bet is to work with a qualified solar installer like the ones on the EnergySage Marketplace.
Installing solar is a complicated undertaking. Solar panel installations require skilled work that can’t be replicated by online research or DIY guides. Unless you have the necessary experience, a DIY off-grid installation poses a higher risk for system errors and your safety.
You’ll probably want to keep your panels connected to the grid if you live in an area with true net metering. 
Under net metering, the grid essentially acts as a battery. On sunny days, when you produce more power than you need at home, your system will send that excess electricity to the grid. In exchange, you’ll receive credits on your electric bill. You can apply those credits to your bill when your panels don’t produce enough power and you need to pull electricity from the grid, making it so you owe little to nothing.
Incentives like net metering can speed up your payback period and increase the value of your solar investment. Without a grid connection, you won’t be able to take advantage of these cost-cutting programs.
While going off-grid doesn’t make sense for most homeowners, there are definitely situations where it can be efficient:
Some homes in remote areas function well off-grid with smaller, less expensive solar and storage systems. Often designed specifically for off-grid living, these homes may require little energy for heating and cooling and limit the extent of electrical systems in the house. Still, you may have to manage your lifestyle to accommodate periods throughout the year without electricity.
You may not always agree with how utilities and regulators operate, and want to separate yourself from their service. Whether you want to support free market principles, reject a fossil-fueled grid, or avoid additional fees for connecting your solar installation to the grid, establishing autonomy can be a way to take back your power (literally). 
The desire to go off-grid may be less about cutting the cord with your utility and more driven by improving resiliency if steady electricity is not something you can expect from your utility. 
Installing one or two solar batteries with islanding capabilities, or the ability to form their own grid, can ensure your house remains powered during a severe weather event or grid outage. For most solar shoppers, this is a cost-effective way to improve the resiliency of your home without breaking the bank by going entirely off-grid.
Choosing the right off-grid solar kit depends on your power needs, budget, and how you plan to use the system. We've organized options by scale to help you find the best fit.
*Prices accurate as of February 5, 2026. 
Credit: Sun Gold Power
This premium high-capacity system delivers around 20 kW of power with approximately 30 kWh of lithium battery storage. It's designed for full-time off-grid homes with significant electricity demands. If you're running multiple large appliances and need reliable power year-round, this is your best bet. Just keep in mind that if you need to run your home on the backup battery for a few days straight (like when it’s cloudy), you may run out of power.
Credit: Renewable Outdoors
Despite its name, this off-grid kit from EG4 is great for larger cabins needing mid-range power, as well as shops, sheds, or garages. This kit is extremely customizable—EG4 gives you options for various batteries and panels from brands that are widely used by professional solar installers. However, that also likely means this kit may be a bit more complex to DIY compared to other solar kits, and may require calling in the pros.
Credit: ECO-WORTHY
ECO-WORTHY’s 2.34 kW system is best for small cabins, tiny homes, sheds, or those who want to test-out off-grid living without breaking the bank. At less than $4,000, it’s one of the most affordable off-grid solar kits that comes complete with panels, an inverter, a controller and a battery.
Credit: Renogy
Renogy offers an excellent low-cost off-grid entry solution that can meet very basic needs like lighting and small devices. It’s perfect if you're just beginning off-grid experimentation or planning to scale up gradually—a smart way to ease your way into off-grid living without a major upfront investment. Note that this kit does not come with a battery, so it will only provide power when the sun is shining. But you can always add a battery down the line.
Lightning strikes, malfunctioning equipment, and electrocution pose safety risks when working with electrical systems. For these reasons, safety disconnects, grounding equipment, and surge protections should all be on your radar when buying components for any off-grid system. When in doubt, talk to a licensed electrician or solar installer to learn more about the safety requirements for going off-grid with solar panels.
Going off-grid isn’t cheap, and it requires more than installing solar panels and disconnecting from your electric utility. Use these four steps to determine if going off-grid is cost-effective for your home:
Calculate your electricity use
Determine how many solar batteries you need
Design a solar panel system to fit your needs
Add up the costs of the combined solar plus storage system
The first step in going off-grid is understanding your electricity load, or how much electricity you use. Consumption is typically expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), and you can estimate yours using your electric bill or the wattage of your appliances.
Your electric bill: Before you ditch your utility, look at your monthly consumption listed on your electric bills. Divide that by the number of days in the month to figure your daily consumption. Since use can vary throughout the year, performing this calculation for multiple months is a good idea.
Electricity load of your appliances: You can calculate this by multiplying the wattage of each appliance in your home (look for the yellow Energy Guide sticker that estimates yearly energy use) by the number of hours you use it daily. Then, divide that number by 365 to get their estimated daily electricity load. If you don’t know the wattage, the Department of Energy's calculator is a great tool to estimate your consumption based on the average appliance. 
Energy management systems: If you're planning to install solar and storage to go off-grid, it may be worth purchasing a home energy monitor or an energy management system to get a more precise estimate of your electricity usage.
To determine the number of batteries you need to power your house for a single day, you need to know your daily electricity consumption (see above) and the battery’s usable capacity. 
Electricity consumption: The average American household uses about 30 kWh per day. Given the conversion losses associated with storing electricity, you'll need enough batteries to store slightly more than what you use per day.
Usable capacity: The amount of electricity a battery can store after accounting for electrical losses and any energy needed to power it. For example, the Tesla Powerwall 3 stores 13.5 kWh. 
In this example, the average American homeowner would need three batteries to meet a single day's electricity needs. In reality, you'll want enough backup storage capacity to power your home for many days to ensure you’ll still have power during a storm, a stretch of cloudy days, or if you need more than your average daily usage in a single day. 
*Based on average solar panel system size and production ratio quoted on EnergySage in each state.
**Estimates based on weather patterns in each state
Off-griders in Massachusetts need to plan for the cold, snowy winter days. Fewer sun hours on a winter day and extended periods of cloudy weather and snow mean you'll need to install a much larger storage system and solar array to harness enough electricity.
Conversely, Arizonans should plan their off-grid setups around the hot summer months. More sun hours per day means you won't need to install a much larger solar panel system than usual, but a high electricity load increases the need for storage.
First, you need to know the total size of your solar panel system. The easiest way to determine that is to divide the amount of electricity required by your area’s production ratio—this is the estimated energy your panels are expected to produce over time relative to the size of the panel.
*Based on average solar panel system size and production ratio quoted on EnergySage in each state.
The number of solar panels you'll need depends on their power output.
Given that a Tesla Powerwall battery costs $13,743 (before taxes and installation costs), batteries alone will likely cost between $116,000 and $165,000 or more. Depending on your cost of solar, going off-grid can easily come with a hefty six-figure bill.
*Assumes one Tesla Powerwall battery (13.5 kWh). Costs do not reflect any rebates, tax credits, or other incentives.
Even if you can shave some of that cost off with available solar incentives, you’re still looking at a price tag that’s more than double or triple that of the average grid-tied solar-plus-storage system. So, before signing up for an off-grid system, make sure you know exactly what you're getting into… and how much it will cost.
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