How to Build Your Own Portable Solar Powered Back up Generator

I started looking into some of the biggest solar generator units on the market, because the idea of a completely silent generator that can still run large power loads while never needing gasoline is a really cool concept. Whether you want to run a portable table saw, or go tailgating  / camping where the noise of a standard generator would just be irritating, we will show you how to build a solar generator!

After seeing what was available, I found myself wanting to design my own for a number of reasons. For one it will be a lot cheaper, Two I can add several features I wanted to add that were not built in to the manufactured units, and three, because it will be a really fun project. By building your own, you will learn all about small off-grid solar setups, and also be able to fix the individual components if you ever have problems with it down the road.

For comparison, here is a popular manufactured unit. It is nice looking package, and if you don’t care about cost it might be a good option for you, especially if you are not really the maker type.

As of this writing, the unit is selling for $1999.95. It includes a 1250 Watt Ac inverter with a 1500 Watt peak surge capacity. It includes two 30W panels.
The solar generator I am going to show you how to build will cost half the price, include a 2,000 watt / 4,000 watt peak AC inverter, a 100W solar panel, a high quality true deep cycle AGM battery. I also will add extras, such as integrated LED flood lamps, a high current port for attaching jumper cables, and some others.

Main Components for our Solar Generator

I selected the components listed below based on the quality of reviews, as well as price and features suitable for this project.

Rugged Pelican Case 1620

I selected this case for our solar generator because it is waterproof / weatherproof, has rugged several sturdy handles as well as rolling wheels. I unit will be quite heavy once complete, so I needed something that can take a lot of abuse!

Kreiger 2000W / 4000W Peak AC Inverter
 
This unit should be able to run nearly anything that you could normally power off an standard 15 Amp wall outlet. It also comes with a mountable remote power switch that we will be mounting into the side of our case, as well as heavy 2 Guage battery cables and main fuse.

Renogy 100 Watt Solar Panel & Charger Kit

This kit includes a very high quality 100w monocrystalline solar panel as well as a 30A solar charger that is matched well for our needs.

Optima Blue Top 8016-103 Battery
 
This AGM battery is a deep cycle battery, which means we will be able to discharge the battery somewhat further during night time use or during short high power loads without shortening the normal life of the battery.  Another advantage of this battery is that it has both standard top posts as well as threaded posts for easier connections. One other important feature is that the battery can be mounted and used in any orientation, which is important considering our solar generator may get stood upright or laid in different directions during normal use.