Living Off the Grid: 9 Surprises and Misconceptions
Thinking about going off the grid in New Zealand? We had a chat with some off-gridders to hear all about what surprised them most when they moved off grid, and...
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Effects of Shadow on Solar Panels
Occasionally customers will call us wondering why they can’t seem to fully charge their batteries despite having plenty of sunshine - more often than not, there’s a shadow being cast...
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Top Tips from Off-Gridders
Our Facebook group, GridFree NZ, is full of off-gridders with plenty of knowledge about all the different areas of off-gridding, so we pulled together some of their advice to help you...
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What are the best methods to heat water off-grid?
Electric hot water cylinders use a LOT of power, so it's best to heat water off grid with an instant gas hot water camping shower, a woodburner and wetback, or...
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How to run a washing machine/dishwasher on solar
You may have seen our larger kits listing a washing machine or dishwasher in the What Can This Kit Run? section - much like with running anything on solar, there's...
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Is off-grid solar right for me?
If you're asking whether an off grid solar system is the right choice for your lifestyle, the first thing to understand is the difference between off-grid and grid-tied solar.
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How to choose your off grid battery storage size
Start by asking what you plan to run, not how many batteries you need to go off the grid. The standard three bedroom household will likely require 8-12. The more...
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Q+A: What Does Grid Free Mean and How to Go off the Grid with Solar
Taking short breaks from the city on the weekends, escaping the city rent trap, or starting to build a life on family land—when it comes to answering the question "what does...
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Q+A: All about Batteries: What is the Best Deep Cycle Battery for Solar?
What is the best battery for off-grid solar? Wondering what is the best battery for off-grid solar? Our standard 200Ah Gel Deep Cycle Battery is a workhorse that is popular...
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Q+A: How Much Does an Off Grid Solar Setup with NZ Solar Panels Cost? Plus Saving Tips
From a holistic point of view, the costs of an off grid solar setup in NZ (solar panels, batteries, and everything else you need) really comes down to the type of life you...
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Going Off-Grid Q+A: Getting the Internet Off Grid
Going off-grid does not at all mean going without internet - as seen with our founder, Craig who frequently does Zoom calls from his off-grid cabin! There are a few options people use to...
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Q+A: What do the maintenance costs look like after the initial off grid solar setup?
When using a completely off grid solar system, you’ll find there’s not a huge amount of maintenance costs tied into NZ solar panels for your off grid solar setup. Six...
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Q+A: In a Complete Off Grid Solar System with Batteries, How Many Batteries Do I Need to Go Off the Grid?
How many batteries do I need to go off-grid in New Zealand? Start by asking what you plan to run, not how many batteries you need to go off the...
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Q+A: Is going off the grid legal?
Going off the grid? If you’re wondering if off grid living is legal, the answer is simple - yes. In New Zealand, where GridFree is based, you’re not required to be connected...
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Introducing Growatt Hybrid Inverters
GridFree now offers three new hybrid inverters from Growatt. Growatt ranks among the top 10 PV inverter suppliers globally, and are well known for bringing elegant, smart, and powerful features to their products. Having tested and...
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Introducing the Growatt ARK Modular Lithium Battery
New from Growatt, a global leader of solar energy solutions, comes the ARK modular Lithium battery – a cobalt-free LiFePO4 battery that continue to improve the newest generation of solar...
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Off-Grid Solar 101 - How Does an Off-Grid Solar Power System Work?
So how does off grid solar work? It’s a pretty simple process! The solar panels collect energy from the sun’s rays, which is stored in the batteries, so the energy...
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Off-Grid Solar Batteries: Lead Acid vs Lithium
When it comes to setting up your own off-grid solar system, there are typically two solutions to the question of how to store all that energy: Lithium Ion, and Sealed...
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What Not to Run on Solar (and What to Use Instead)
If it’s your first time off-grid and you’re used to city power, there are a few changes you’ll have to make to adapt to solar power. If you’re already off-grid...
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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing your Solar System
If you're not well versed in solar, it can become complex and confusing pretty quickly, so it's easy get started down the wrong path without realising it. To help prevent any...
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30 Common Solar Power Terms, and What They Mean
We know learning about solar power energy and how it all works can be confusing, so we’ve put together a breakdown of the most common solar power jargon. If you...
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What to Know BEFORE You Go Solar
Switching to solar power means clean, renewable energy, and ending your reliance on the grid. It also means going through some big lifestyle changes, but it doesn’t have to be a...
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READ THIS before installing solar in your Motorhome
Every day more and more motorhome owners are going solar. Solar is a clean and quiet option that allows you to travel off-grid for longer without sacrificing your power needs. A motorhome...
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Epever e-Box WiFi App now available on iOS!
Our Epever e-Box WiFi is a great tool for wirelessly monitoring and setting parameters on your charge controller and inverter, and until recently the app was only available for Android devices. But now you...
Read moreMore Off-Grid Resources
Join our GridFree NZ community on Facebook to connect with others looking to venture or live off-grid, just like you.
Check out GridFree customer installation stories to see how other people went solar. Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more how-to videos and installs behind-the-scenes. Have a question you didn’t see addressed above? Contact us.