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It can be overwhelming to get started with solar power. Before we went off-grid in 2017, we went down so many solar rabbit holes from YouTube and DIY solar forums to books and blogs.
To make things a little easier, this post is going to lay out our absolute favorite resources for solar power beginners. We include everything from solar power companies and books to YouTube channels, online courses, and forums. We also share a list of our own solar power posts so you can see what it’s actually looked like for us to live off the grid with solar power.
If you’re looking to add a backup power system, run a small workshop or “she shed”, power your RV, grid-tie your home, or do like us and go completely off the grid, here are some great places to start.
Be sure to Pin the image below on Pinterest to come back to this later!
Solar Power Suppliers and Kit Companies
Every company listed below is one with which we have personally worked as we built our solar power systems. If we worked with a company and didn’t list them, it’s because we didn’t trust them enough to recommend them to you. If they’re listed below, be assured they did right by us by going above and beyond with customer service from shopping to delivery.
Online Courses from Heatspring
We recommend learning as much about solar power as possible, especially if you’re going to DIY, before you ever even buy a single solar panel. There are lots of great books and videos out there, but we got a phenomenal and comprehensive education from Heatspring, which is where my husband Mark took his courses for obtaining his NABCEP certification back in 2020. You can really dig in with just their free course, but if you want to go deep or even sit the exam to get certified as a solar installer, paid is where it’s at.
Books
Books are great to have on hand from a practical standpoint. There were so many times, in the course of our various building projects, when accessing information via the internet was just not feasible. Also, there’s something about being able to sit and study diagrams and layouts in books that is often better than trying to catch it in a video. These are some of our favorites:
“Mobile Solar Power Made Easy” by Will Prowse
“Off-Grid Solar Power Simplified: For RVs, Vans, Cabins, Boats and Tiny Homes” by Nick Seghers
DIY Solar Forums
If I had a dollar for every time we combed through these forums for advice and reviews, I’d have enough money to take all of you out for a nice steak dinner. This is an absolute treasure trove of personal experience and expertise. The DIY Solar Power Forum is far and away our favorite one, but Permies and Reddit also offer interesting and insightful discussions.
YouTube Channels
Solar Posts on Our Blog
We’ve documented our journey with off-grid solar since 2017 and have loads of posts about it!
See all Solar Power posts HERE
Or choose your own adventure below:
- Off The Grid Solar Power: How Much Do You Need
- Beginners Guide to Buying a Quality Solar Power Kit
- Solar Power in the Winter on a Small 1.14 kW System
- What We Run (and don’t run) on Our Small 1.14 kW Off-Grid Solar System
- What Does It Actually Mean to be “Off The Grid”?
- Off The Grid Solar Power: How Much Do You Need?
- How We Run Air Conditioning With Off-Grid Solar Power
- How to Get Started With Solar Power for Your Home
- From Lead Acid to Lithium: Our Off-Grid Solar Expansion
Solar Power for Beginners Workbook
Last, but certainly not least, we have a FREE PDF workbook you can download and print out. This free guide will help you start figuring out where to start with your solar project. It even includes a script you can use to help start conversations with solar suppliers when you call or email them.
This guide is provided as a thanks to our email subscribers in our Resource Library along with many other free PDFs to help you build your dream homestead life! Grab your copy by subscribing below:
Learn more about our original cordwood homestead project here. And be sure to join us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more homesteading goodies that don’t necessarily make it to the blog. Thanks for reading!
