🧰 Free Tools Suite

Solar & Hydroponic Backup Hub

Everything you need to plan, size, and budget your off‑grid solar backup system — all in one place. Select a tool below to get started.

Enter your load parameters to size your battery and solar array.

💡 Continuous Load (W)

🌀 Inverter Standby (W)

⏱️ Backup Runtime (h)

☀️ Peak Sun Hours

🔋 Battery Chemistry

⚡ System Voltage

📊 System Specifications ✅ Optimal

⚡ Daily Energy 1,560 Wh

                        🔋 Usable Battery
                        1.56 kWh
                    

📦 Gross Battery 1,950 Wh

🔋 Battery Ah 81.3 Ah @ 24V

☀️ Solar Array 507 Watts

⚙️ Factors: 85% inverter efficiency, 95% charge controller, 3% wiring loss, 85% temp derating.

Size your solar array and MPPT controller with cold‑weather safety.

⚡ Daily Demand (Wh)

☀️ Peak Sun Hours

🔋 System Voltage

🌡️ Panel V_oc (V)

❄️ Min Temp (°C)

📐 Temp Coeff (%/°C)

📊 Sizing Results ✅ Optimal

                        ☀️ Solar Array
                        536 Watts
                    

⚡ MPPT Current 22.3 Amps

❄️ V_oc at -15°C 27.2 Volts

📐 String Config 1S × 1P

⚙️ Factors: 85% inverter efficiency, 95% charge controller, 3% wiring loss, 85% temp derating.

See how duty‑cycling extends your battery runtime.

🔋 Battery (Wh)

🌀 Pump Load (W)

🪫 Standby (W)

🔋 Chemistry

⏱️ Duty Cycle

📊 Baseline

📊 Runtime Analysis ✅ Extended

Continuous 11.1 hrs

Duty‑Cycled 100.0 hrs

Continuous Duty‑Cycled

                        ⚡ Runtime
                        100.0 Hours
                    

🔄 Continuous Limit 11.1 Hours

🚀 Extension 9.0 ×

📅 Days 4.2 Days

⚙️: Usable = Battery Wh × DoD. Draw = (Pump × Duty) + Standby.

🌱 Tier 1: The Micro‑Grow Lifeline Home Hobbyist

🔧 Core Equipment1x 15W Air Pump, 1x 20W Water Pump

⚡ Continuous Load35 W

📊 Daily Energy1,200 Wh/Day

🔋 Battery1,500 Wh (125Ah @ 12V)

⚡ Voltage & Wiring12V · 10 AWG

☀️ Solar Array400 W (2× 200W)

💡 Note: Ideal for single DWC buckets. PWM controllers acceptable.

$0.00

Solar energy flows from generation → regulation → storage → conversion.

☀️ Step 1 Solar Array Photovoltaic panels harvest solar energy, generating DC voltage. ⚡ DC Generation

⚙️ Step 2 MPPT Controller Maximum Power Point Tracking charger optimises battery charging current. 📈 98% Efficiency

🔋 Step 3 LiFePO4 Battery Stores DC energy with 80% discharge limits and 10‑year lifespan. 🔋 DC Storage

🌀 Step 4 Pure Sine Inverter Converts DC battery power into 120V AC for pumps, aerators, timers. ⚡ 120V AC Out

💡 System Principle: Power flows generation → regulation → storage → conversion, running your grow 24/7 with zero grid dependency.

🔋 Lithium (LiFePO4) 80–90% DoD

Lifespan3,000–5,000 cycles (10+ years)

Density✅ Extremely lightweight & compact

Temperature⚠️ Cannot charge below 0°C

✅ Best for continuous cycling

🔩 Lead‑Acid (AGM/Gel) 50% DoD Limit

Lifespan300–500 cycles (1–2 years)

Density❌ Extremely heavy & bulky

Temperature✅ Better in cold, but reduced capacity

❌ Best for budget builds only

💡 Recommendation: For daily cycling, choose LiFePO4 – its 3,000–5,000 cycle lifespan is far more cost‑effective than lead‑acid.