welcome! we field this question 20 times a day, and if the phone stopped ringing, we would get around to doing a cool video to help.
FIRST do a loads list!
http://store.altenergystore.com/calculators/load_calculator/often renewable energy conversations are similar to this hypotheical story
a guy walks into a gas station and asks the clerk, I hear you sell fuel here. clerk says um, yeah. guy asks how much fuel do i need? clerk responds where are you going. guy says i dont know just tell me the average, roughly how much fuel do i need. clerk shakes his head and says i cant tell you, what if you are going two blocks or what if you are driving to LA. guy pleads for any answer because he does not know where he wants to go. clerk says without knowing how far you want to go, i cant figure how much fuel you need to get there.
the moral of this story is that there is no average, no magic size solar that will or wont work. so the clerk will need to know what you are trying to accomplish, namely the loads that will then drive what components are needed. any solar will help to charge a battery, but if the goal is to run things that you want with reliable power, we will need to know some details.
answer these questions and write back, and free advice will likely come quickly.
1. how many watt-hours per day
2. ac or dc loads or both
3. how is cabin used (weekends? everyday for a week? all summer?)
4. do you have a good south facing exposure without shading
5. is there another source of power
6. how many days do you want your stuff to work without sunshine
7. do you have a budget number in mind, what is the process if the project based on your homework exceeds the budget (scrap project, eliminate loads, add generator)
good luck with the homework,
james Alt-E staff
