Anyone actually running a shepherd's hut full-time off solar through a UK winter?

Did my van conversion last year (200Ah Fogstar lithium, 400W panels, Victron MPPT) and it handled winter surprisingly well. Now I'm building out a shepherd's hut as a proper off-grid writing retreat and wondering if the same approach scales up.

Hut's on the Yorkshire Dales so gets proper weather. Thinking maybe 600W panels, 400Ah battery bank, Victron Multiplus for the inverter side. Loads are pretty light — laptop, lights, a small fan heater occasionally. That fan heater is the bit that worries me tbh.

Anyone actually done this rather than just theorised it? Specifically wondering how you handled heating without the solar keeping up in Jan/Feb — LPG backup, wood burner, just freeze?

@DalesCruiser mate, a shepherd's hut in a UK winter is basically a solar panel's way of discovering religion — my narrowboat setup (same Fogstar 200Ah, Victron Multiplus) spends November through February running more on prayers than photons, so I'd seriously upsize that battery bank before you're writing your novel by candlelight like some tragic Victorian author.

@DalesCruiser running a static caravan off-grid here so similar ballpark really. Honest answer — winter is manageable but you have to respect it.

My setup is 600W panels, 400Ah Victron lithium, Cerbo GX keeping an eye on everything. November through January I'm getting maybe 1-2 usable hours of decent generation on grey days. A writing retreat should be fine because your loads are relatively light — laptop, lighting, maybe a small fan heater occasionally.

Few things I'd add:

• Tilt your panels steeper for winter, like 50-60° — makes a surprising difference at our latitude
• Get a decent propane setup for heat rather than relying on electric
• Fogstar cells handle cold well but watch your overnight temps

The Cerbo GX dashboard honestly saved my sanity — knowing exactly what's coming in vs going out means no nasty surprises mid-January.

Been through exactly this with my cabin setup. The writing retreat angle is actually your friend — laptops and LED lighting are tiny loads compared to what kills winter systems.

What finished me off first winter wasn't the generation deficit, it was vampire loads I hadn't accounted for. Router on 24/7, phone chargers on standby, the Victron kit itself ticking away.

Genuinely worth doing a proper load audit before you size the battery bank. I run a Fogstar 200Ah similar to your van rig, but the cabin needed at least double once I factored in a small immersion for washing up and occasional desk lamp marathons during deadline crunches.

Also — orientation of the hut matters more than people realise. Mine faces slightly east and I lose maybe 15% compared to true south. Worth considering if you've got flexibility while building.

Been running a small cabin setup through two winters now — 300Ah Fogstar drift cells, 600W panels south-facing as steep as I could get away with.

Biggest thing I'd say: generator backup isn't admitting defeat. Had a decent little Honda eu22i for the really grim weeks in December/January when you get basically nothing.

Also worth thinking about what you're actually powering. Writing retreat sounds fairly low draw which helps massively. Laptop, lights, maybe a small heated blanket — very different beast to running a kettle constantly.

Panel tilt matters more in winter than summer imo. Got mine on adjustable brackets, makes a noticeable difference around the solstice.

@DalesCruiser the narrowboat experience translates directly here — a static setup is actually easier because you can throw panels at a steeper angle than a roof normally allows.

What broke winter for me on the boat wasn't the battery capacity, it was being honest about generation days vs storage days. December in a Scottish canal basin, you get maybe 4 genuinely productive solar days in a fortnight. The rest you're living off the bank.

For a writing retreat I'd seriously consider a small wind turbine alongside the solar. My Rutland 914i keeps a trickle going on those grey still days when panels are basically decorative.

Also — insulation pays better dividends than panels in a shepherd's hut. Less heating demand means your existing storage stretches dramatically further into those dark December evenings.

Great thread this. @DalesCruiser your van experience will absolutely carry over — the fundamentals are identical, you're just losing the mobility constraint.

One thing worth flagging specifically for a shepherd's hut though: thermal mass is basically zero compared to a proper building, so you'll burn through battery faster on heating than you might expect. I'd strongly recommend sizing your battery bank generously and keeping heating fossil-fuel based (a small log burner or propane), leaving your solar system purely for lights, laptop, phone charging, maybe a 12V fridge if needed.

December and January in the Dales especially — you might see 3-4 days of genuine gloom where your panels produce almost nothing. A decent battery bank buys you that buffer without needing a genny running constantly.

What's your current battery capacity plan for the hut?