When Eric, an avid snowmobiler and outdoorsman, happened upon his dream off-grid property and found out it was for sale, he jumped at the opportunity to purchase it. Starting from the ground up, Eric worked to upgrade the house on the property with the luxurious finishes he desired. He realized he needed a robust power system over 18 miles from the nearest power line. One that could keep all his electronics up and running, regardless of the weather conditions. With the help of friend and professional installer Steven Lewis, Eric now has 64 – GC3 Battle Born Batteries and 72 solar panels powering his off-grid home.
Situated at the base of the Sierra Crest Mountain Range in Northern California are quaint small towns, picturesque alpine lakes, and miles of wide-open spaces. Flanked by towering peaks, this outdoor oasis boasts jaw-dropping views and countless activities for adventure seekers. Year-round, people are drawn to this area to enjoy hiking and camping in the summer, snowmobiling, and ski touring in the winter.
Amid this pristine area, Jackson Meadow Reservoir is nestled into the mountains at 6,100ft elevation. A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail lines the side of this alpine lake, drawing hikers from late spring through early fall. The crystal-clear waters and surrounding forests beckon to campers and boaters in the summer months. When the snow falls, campers and hikers clear out, and thrill-seekers pour in from surrounding regions, with summits and terrain that could rival the nearby Palisades Tahoe Resort; snowmobilers and backcountry skiers love exploring this region.
A couple of winters ago, Eric, an avid snowmobiler, was exploring the Jackson Meadow’s region when he came across what appeared to be a house. Far off the beaten path, surrounded by pine trees, this home seemed the perfect winter escape. Upon further investigation, Eric found that this home was an old lodge for sale. It had been on the market for a while, and many would-be buyers backed out after being unable to take out a loan on the property. After falling in love with this perfect piece of off-grid paradise, Eric decided to make a cash offer and purchased the property outright.
After purchasing the property, Eric inspected the house and found it had good bones but would need extensive work. He would need to start from the ground up to create the luxury, off-grid oasis he dreamed of. He quickly updated the electrical, plumbing, windows, and insulation. Through each process step, Eric consulted professionals to ensure he built a home that could function and be self-sustained without worry.
Once he had installed a brand-new water pump, upgraded the insulation, and added new windows, Eric was ready to start filling the house. With plans to install heated floors, a jacuzzi, two saunas, a full kitchen, and the typical lights and electronics you would find in a home, he realized his power needs were far beyond the scope of his knowledge. After purchasing the jacuzzi alone, Eric knew he had to explore his power options. Through a mutual connection, Eric reached out to Steven Lewis, owner of Five Star Nomadic, and together, they began tackling the challenge of off-grid power.
At 18 and a half miles from the nearest power line, self-contained power would be the only option. Relying on generator power would be expensive and unsustainable. The best option would be solar power and battery storage. With the home at 7,000 feet elevation in the second-highest snow load zone of the Sierras, this system must be competent and robust. Throughout the winter, powerful snowstorms come into the region, and the sun won’t be seen for 3 to 5 days. Eric wanted to ensure he could power everything for up to 4 days without any solar power.
When considering their battery options for power storage, Eric and Steven wanted a “set it and forget it” system. This property is 10 miles away, and in the winter, it’s only accessible by Snow Cat or Eric’s custom SUV. Steven wanted to ensure he didn’t have to make frequent trips to work on the system, and Eric wanted to be able to use all his electronics without thinking about power. In this climate, lead acid batteries were out of the question for this type of system. They would require regular maintenance and could not withstand extreme temperatures and use. Luckily, Steven had the perfect solution.
Battle Born LiFePO4 Batteries offered the capabilities and robust power necessary to keep this off-grid home up and running, even in extreme temperatures. For Steven, the choice of power was always a simple one. “Ultimately, I pick the best in the industry so I don’t have to think about things going wrong. And my clients don’t have to worry about that…That’s why I work with [Battle Born].” He knew that he could put in the work while installing this system and then trust that it would continue providing power for his clients for years.
Since the project’s scope was beyond anything Steven had ever worked on, he contacted Bill Huss, Manager of Stationary Markets at Dragonfly Energy. His expertise includes industrial, off-grid, residential grid-tied, and battery backup applications. Bill worked with Steven to design this incredible system and select the perfect accompanying components. Together, Steven and Bill made Eric’s vision come to life.
Steven installed 64 – 12V 270Ah GC3 Battle Born Batteries to accommodate Eric’s power needs. With 16 banks of 4 batteries, this system runs on 48V, cranking out plenty of power to keep this off-grid home powered, even during a massive snowstorm. Installed in a well-insulated room, these batteries maintain proper operating temperature year-round. Even when outdoor temperatures drop below 0°F, the room stays around 40°F, allowing the batteries to continue charging and discharging efficiently.
In addition to the giant battery bank, this system contains 4 – Sol-Ark SA-15K Pre-wired Hybrid Inverter Systems, 3 – MPPT Solar Charge Controllers, and 72 – 405 watt solar panels mounted in 3 arrays of 24 panels on MT Solar Pole Mounts. Steven and Bill knew MT Solar would perfectly fit this project. Allowing them to meet their snow-load requirements, these solar panels were robust enough to handle up to 240 psf of snow. Additionally, the top-of-pole mounts allowed the panels to be mounted 12 feet off the ground (without snow) to ensure the panels were high enough to clear the snow and deliver power to the batteries throughout the winter.
With this incredible power system, Eric can power his “luxury off-grid living with no limitations and no questions about if he was going to have power, what he could run, or if he could run it.” Now, his 3,000 sqft luxury house with lights, electric appliances, tankless water heaters, steam shower, a jacuzzi, two saunas, electric radiant heated floors, a large water pump, Starlink-based wi-fi, and a guest house/yoga studio has plenty of power to run for days on end. For Eric, this means enjoying his slice of off-grid paradise without worrying about power. “We’ve never run out of batteries and never had to think about power.”
Now that this monstrous power system is up and running, the only thing left on Eric’s to-do list is to enjoy it. Although he travels throughout the summer months, as soon as the snow starts falling in Sierra County, Eric is back at his off-grid home, ready to enjoy the winter weather. He loves bringing friends out to the property during snowstorms to spend the day snowmobiling and the evenings enjoying the various luxuries inside the home.
Eric hopes to continue sharing his off-grid property with as many people as possible in the coming years. Since the property was originally a lodge, he’s hoping to keep that spirit alive. Eventually, he plans to rent out the property for events and weddings. This property offers the perfect space to host a significant event, where people can escape the chaos of the city and enjoy being in nature. Additionally, Eric hopes to continue pursuing sustainability and creating a fully self-sufficient property.
If you have an off-grid property and are ready to power with extremely capable and robust lithium-ion batteries, our team would love to help you. Our in-house technical specialists are available at (855) 292-2831 (M- F 8:00 am-4:30 pm (PST) to help customize the perfect system that suits your needs. Whether you need just a couple of batteries or a massive array, we would love to help you calculate your application’s ideal amount of power. Once you have your batteries, we have a network of certified dealers and installers to ensure your system is installed correctly. Each installer, like Steven Lewis, has been vetted to ensure they offer the same care and expertise that delivers a product that exceeds our customers’ expectations.
100Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery
100Ah 12V GC2 LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery
270Ah 12V LiFePO4 Deep Cycle GC3 Battery
MultiPlus-II 12/3000/120-50 2x120V
Victron Lynx Distributor
Rich Solar 200W 12V Panel
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