Whole-Home Solar Battery Backup
DIY whole-home or critical-load backup: size kWh and inverter watts before you hang batteries. Stack picks link to MSG pillars and compares. All items listed include affiliate links. Use of links or discount codes will pay a small commission to Mike’s Solar Garage LLC at completely no cost to you.
Who this is for
Homes that want critical circuits or whole-home backup without guessing on battery kWh or inverter class.
Recommended stack
- Battery: Start with capacity math, then pick WallMount vs rack. See size a battery bank and battery reviews.
- Inverter: Off-grid XP-class for autonomy-heavy builds, or hybrid when the grid stays primary. See inverters, size an inverter, and XP vs Solis.
- Array: Panels matched to charge window. See solar panels.
FAQ
How many kWh do I need?
List critical watts × hours, add inverter losses, then days of autonomy. The battery sizing guide walks the math with examples.
Hybrid or off-grid box?
If the meter stays central, hybrid. If the home must island hard, lean off-grid XP-class DIY.
Critical loads vs whole house
Most DIY whole-home backup starts as a critical-load panel: fridge, well or sump, internet, a few lights, and maybe HVAC on a soft start—not every branch circuit on day one. List those loads, hours of outage you want to ride through, then size kWh with the battery sizing guide. Inverter continuous and surge watts come next via the inverter sizing guide.
If the utility meter stays primary, hybrid designs can make sense. If autonomy matters more than bill offset, off-grid 12000XP-class gear is the usual garage path—see 12000XP vs Solis hybrid.
Growing capacity
WallMount packs keep installs tidy; server-rack modules grow in steps. Compare form factors on WallMount vs server rack. Multi-inverter whole-house style builds need parallel planning first—read parallel EG4 12000XP before buying a second unit.