System 1: 200W Safe Harbor

What you’ll build

A standalone 200W solar system with battery storage that powers lights, charges devices, and runs small appliances in your shed, garage, or shop. Completely legal in Oregon with zero permits and zero inspections.

This is the starter system — the one that gets you generating your own power this weekend. It’s also the proof of concept: once you see it working, you’ll understand the fundamentals well enough to scale up to System 2 (the permitted 3.2kW build) when you’re ready.

What you can power

With a 200W panel and a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery, you’ll get roughly 0.7–0.9 kWh of generation per day in Portland-area conditions (annual average). That’s enough for:

• LED shop lighting (8–10 hours)
• Phone and laptop charging
• Radio, small fan, or device chargers
• USB-powered tools and accessories
• A small 12V fridge (in summer with good sun)

This is not going to run your house. It’s going to run your outbuilding and give you resilient backup power for essentials when the grid goes down.

Shopping list

Detailed shopping list with specific products, specs, and approximate costs coming soon. Target budget: $400–$600 all-in.

Wiring diagram

Coming soon — a complete visual showing every connection from panel to battery to load.

Step-by-step build

Coming soon — the full build walkthrough, from unboxing to first watts.

Upgrade path

Once you’re comfortable with System 1, you have the fundamentals to build System 2: a permitted 3.2kW standalone system with 8 panels, a larger battery bank, and a proper inverter. That system can power a significant portion of a household’s critical loads during an outage.

The jump from System 1 to System 2 adds complexity — you’ll need a homeowner electrical permit and an inspection — but the core concepts are the same. Everything you learn building System 1 transfers directly.