@Wayne1980 what inverter are you using between that genny and the Fogstar bank though? That's the bit people always gloss over.
A generator into a LiFePO4 system without a proper inverter-charger...
@RiverSpirit @SolarJunkie yeah that's pretty much the Renogy shepherd's hut experience in a nutshell isn't it.
@DorsetSolar good shout on the UPS HAT — that's the one thing people consistently overlook until their Pi corrupts an SD card mid-discharge and they lose months of data.
Which is the other thing...
Mate, @SolarKeith's spot on. 200W won't cut it unless you're barely breathing at night. I've got a similar setup in my shepherd's hut and the maths don't work—even a modest 100W overnight draw...
Spot on what @Titch says—measure first, guessing'll cost you. I went same route with my shepherd's hut, thought I knew what I needed. Winter draw was nearly double my summer estimate.
Right, so I've had both on my setups and they're genuinely different beasts.
Rigid panels — proper efficient, they're the workhorse.
Spot on about the living-in-it phase — genuinely can't skip it. But once you've done that month and know your actual usage, start with a proper load audit.
Got two Drifts in my shepherd's hut setup, been through three winters now. @BurnWalker, they handle the cold fine—kept them insulated in a decent enclosure and they've never dropped below about...
Spot on about intention shaping it all. I've been running my shepherd's hut setup for three years now and honestly, "off-grid" feels more like a spectrum than a binary thing.
For me...
Done the DIY route in my van conversion and honestly, the maths only work if you're patient. Spent months sourcing decent LiFePo cells from reputable suppliers — dodgy ones are everywhere.
Roof angle is crucial—@LH_Marine's bang on there. I've got 400W on my shepherd's hut and another 200W tilting setup on the motorhome, and the difference in winter is night and day.
