6 November 2020

2000W DIY solar battery kit for $1317 that will run an Air Conditioner

This is the our Amazon Parts recommendation for a 2000W kit – in our opinion 2000W is the gold standard of system sizing and where a solar system really starts to compete with a traditional generator. It is still a little pricey (mainly due to the large batteries) BUT can already be worth it if you’re paying for gasoline to replace a generator (or don’t like the noise). We don’t offer anything this large pre-built yet, but intend to soon. In the meantime – a parts list for your own DIY 2000W system! Also note that the 2000W don’t refer to the solar wattage (“in”) but to the inverter wattage (“out”) – we only put in 400W of solar.

This 1000W inverter size is great for running pretty much anything, and in our eyes is the current performance sweet spot in 2020. You can run small hot-plates with this, hair-dryers, as well as fridges which you could not run with the 1000W system. The big difference is that this one will run an A/C unit, which is the second killer backup use-case for many preppers with families. Beyond that, you can of course run the usual CPAP machines, TVs, laptops and phone chargers (same as the 500W kits).

Total parts cost: $1,282 - we don’t sell anything this large pre-built yet, but will soon :).

$138 - 2000W inverter (4600W peak)
$813 - 2048Wh LiFePo battery (12V 160Ah)
$316 - 3 x 100W Solar Panels HQST
$20 - 20 ft extension MC4
$29 - Solar controller (Max 300W in)
$10 - Cable 2

This system will create around 1,380Wh per day (300W * 4.6h annual average solar hours at max capacity in example of San Francisco), which will be the usable amount per day. Anything beyond that will go into the roughly 700Wh of “savings” the battery will store.

The Kit

Parts Cost on Amazon: $1,282

3 x 100W Solar Panel




Check latest price on Amazon

Cable




Check latest price on Amazon

Solar Controller (Renogy Wanderer)




Check latest price on Amazon

Cable 2




Check latest price on Amazon

2048Wh Lithium Iron Phosphate Deep Cycle Battery




Check latest price on Amazon

2000W Inverter (4600W peak)




Check latest price on Amazon

Setup Diagram

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to hello at sunboxlabs.com and we will gladly help.