To totally go off the grid the cost was just prohibitive. So, like I mentioned somewhere, we decided to just concentrate on our three freezer and 2 fridge's needs. I will have a little left over for our great room fan and the radios.
We currently have a chinesium 4,000 KHW generator which will be wired into the solar system if needed in the winter to top off the batteries altE suggested this. And of course with the inverter/charger we can use normal grid power if needed to top off the batteries too. Believe it or not, those five appliances account for 1/3 of our daily KHW use. The new solar system will give us 40% of what we use daily. In no way shape or form, will we recoup our outlay in dollars. Butttt....
We first looked at adding a nice sized Generac generator which would have cost ~$6K when all was said and done. Then add in the cost of the fuel along with the amount of fuel you can physically store. Our friends used their Generac generator for several days this past winter when the local electric took a dump. They used ~145-gal of propane. At that rate, you would need over 500-gal of propane for a week. OUCH! Then add the cost. 500-gal x $3.00 a gal = $1,500-.
Well, after the initial cost of the solar system, no fuel is needed. Minimal maintenance is needed either.
Our 1,500 sf cabin was built in 2010. From 2010 till when we went on the grid in 2014, we survived easily with a small 12volt battery system. We we are still using it today. In 2012, we ran a 10-gauge extension cord from our neighbors to power the refrigerator, and some minor accessories. For light we used Aladdin lamps, which served a dual purpose - Light and, heat in the winter.
What does this all mean, you may ask? When the grid goes down...And it will thanks to hackers, we will be better off with 40% of our normal electric use, than we were in 2012 even with the extension cord addition.
As a side note, as incandescent light bulbs burn out in the cabin, we are replacing them with 60w equivalent dimmable A19 LED bulbs. They last longer and use less energy to boot. Heck, we might even be able to run a few electric lamps when the juice stops flowing.
Just some thoughts from the redoubt.