SPECBUILDR
Off-grid power · solar system design

Size a build-ready off-grid solar spec — without guessing.

You know the loads you want to run. SpecBuildr asks a short set of plain-English questions and turns them into a complete off-grid power specification — array, battery, inverter, and days of autonomy — sized for your site.

Start your system spec → Free · no account · ~5 minutes

The problem with sizing an off-grid system

Off-grid sizing is where DIY builds go wrong: buy a mismatched pile of panels, batteries, and an inverter, and it browns out in winter or can't start the well pump.

The math ties loads, sun hours, autonomy, and voltage together — miss one and the whole system is under- or over-built. SpecBuildr asks about your loads and site in plain language and turns the answers into a balanced system spec you can hand to a distributor or installer.

How to size an off-grid solar system: what the spec needs

A balanced system spec comes down to six things. Here's what each means in plain terms.

01 The site

Location, sun hours, and mounting (roof or ground).

In plain terms: how much sun you actually get, and where panels go.

02 The loads

Everything you'll run, and roughly the daily energy.

In plain terms: what you're powering, in watt-hours a day.

03 The array

Panel wattage and count to make that energy.

In plain terms: how much solar you need to generate.

04 The battery

Storage size and chemistry for your usage.

In plain terms: how much energy you bank for night and clouds.

05 Autonomy & balance

Days without sun, and AC / DC coupling and inverter.

In plain terms: how long it rides through bad weather, and how it's wired.

06 Voltage & backup

System voltage and any generator or grid backup.

In plain terms: the backbone voltage, and your winter fallback.

How it works

1
Answer a short interview
Describe your application in your own words. The tool asks follow-ups only where they matter and skips what it can safely infer.
2
It fills the gaps
Where you're unsure, it proposes a sensible default and explains the trade-off, so you're never blocked on a number you don't know.
3
Leave with a real spec
Download a clean, build-ready specification — reviewed for major physics violations — ready to send to installers and distributors for a quote.

Built for the builder, not the solar installer

  • Van, RV, cabin, and tiny-home builders sizing their own power.
  • Engineers and homeowners scoping an off-grid or backup system.
  • Anyone getting a solar quote who wants to check the numbers themselves.

Questions

How do I size an off-grid solar system?

You list the loads you want to run and describe your site; the tool works through the chain — daily energy, array wattage, battery storage, days of autonomy, system voltage, and inverter or coupling — and gives you a balanced spec instead of a guessed parts list.

What do I actually get at the end?

A complete, downloadable system specification: site, loads, array, battery, autonomy and balance, and voltage and backup — sized together and formatted so an installer or distributor can quote it.

Is the spec trustworthy?

It's generated from your answers and reviewed for major physics violations — it won't hand you an array that can't charge the battery or an inverter that can't start your loads. Treat it as a strong starting point, not a substitute for an installer's site review and local code.

How much does it cost?

The tool is free to use and needs no account. You keep the spec.

Ready to size your system?

Five minutes of plain questions. A build-ready system spec at the end.

Start your system spec →