50kW Off-Grid Solar. No Grid Connection. No Power Bills.
- Solar
- 50 kW
- Inverter
- 30 kW
- Battery
- 67 kWh
Summary
Three separate ground-mounted Jinko 470W panel arrays power this 50kW off-grid system in Ballarat, with all cabling run underground through steel conduit. Two Victron inverters and a Pylontech battery system handle storage and power distribution from a central shed. There's no grid connection — the property runs entirely on solar.
This is a 50kW off-grid solar system going in, one of the larger residential installs we’ve done.
Three ground-mounted Jinko 470W panel arrays feed into three MPPT charge controllers. Power runs underground through steel conduit to the shed, where two Victron inverters (30kW total) and a Pylontech battery system take over from there.
No grid connection. No power bills. Just a system built to run.
50kW Off Grid System Performance data
We have some intriguing data from this Off Grid solar installation in Ballarat. We completed this one in 2022.
The system specifications are as follows: solar panels with a capacity of 50 kW, a battery bank composed of lithium batteries totalling 67 kWh, and an inverter rated at 30 kW
While reviewing the performance data, I examined the 24-hour period from June 29, 2023, to June 30, 2023.
During this timeframe,
- the solar panels produced a minimum of 49.8 kWh,
- the generator output reached a maximum of 57 kWh.
- household consumption was 87 kWh, and
The battery’s state of charge cycled from 0% at the beginning of the day to 100%, and then back to 0% by the end. Notably, this 24-hour period recorded the lowest solar generation for the entire 2023 year.
This data practically answers the question: Can an off-grid solar system in Ballarat function without a generator? The simple answer is yes.
What would it take to drop the generator?
On its worst day, this system made 49.8kWh of solar. The house used 87kWh. The generator filled the gap.
So what if the panels doubled?
That same grey day would make about 100kWh. More than the house used. On paper, the generator stays off. Even on the worst day of 2023. But it’s tight. Some energy is lost charging and running the battery, so you’d still keep the generator as a backup. It just wouldn’t need to run much.
And panels are the cheap part. More panels don’t always mean a bigger battery or inverter.
