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Tag: DIY solar

I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.

Posted on June 21, 2021January 8, 2024 By Andrew Thaler
I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.
Built to Last, Conservation

This is Part 1 of Built to Last: A Reflection on Environmentally Conscientious Woodworking.

  • Built to Last: A Reflection on Environmentally Conscientious Woodworking
  • Part 1: I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.
  • Part 2: Getting a handle on workworking chemicals, or sometimes we all need to vent.
  • Part 3: Furniture as Revolution.
  • Part 4: The best tool for the job is you
  • A good joint is built to last: archaeologists uncover evidence for the earliest structural use of wood.

Note: there is an update to this project, here: Woodworking off the grid: upgrades to my DIY solar workshop.


For almost a decade, I’ve dreamed of building an off-grid solar system to power my woodworking, provide reliable back-up power for my home, and reduce the number of 2-stroke engines in my life. This was finally the year where I had the time and resources to do it. 

My workshop isn’t big. The 12-foot by 16-foot shed houses not just my tools and workbenches, but also all our yard and gardening supplies, storage for assorted seasonal gear and decorations, and a pile of robot parts. So I needed a compact system that still delivered the amps. 

Building a small off-grid solar system is simpler than you might think. Building a small off-grid solar system that can run power tools is a bit more complicated. 

Read More “I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.” »

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