Why would I want to do this?

We've experienced an increase in power outages in our area.
Want to be able to power a refrigerator, freezer, and additional small electronics/lighting during a power outage.
I've looked at buying a commercial solar generator, but the pricing was nuts for the capacity and capabilities.
Buying a gasoline or diesel powered generator wasn't an option due to noise and fixed capacity. Solar is silent and capacity can be easily added.

Where to start?

Knowledge is power

I started searching for blog posts and YouTube videos when I quickly realized that I needed to get up to date on my electrical terminology and solar basics. Two books I highly recommend:

Solar Electricity Handbook - 2013 Edition

Build Your Own Solar Powered Generator

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to educate yourself on this topic. It will save you from a lot of heartache, expense, and most importantly, your safety!

In my next post, I'll share some of the components I've selected and the idea of how the setup should work (in theory).