P8
Solar Power Systems — Design & Sizing
Curated: learn to design and size a small off-grid solar system from a top free course, then prove it by speccing one in Forge.
Curated course · learn it herecurated 2026-08-06
Build Your First Solar Power System! Beginner Tutorial — Easily Explained, Budget Friendly
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse · video · ~1h · Free · English
Why we picked it: The single most-watched beginner off-grid solar walkthrough on YouTube (~2.9M+ views on the field's most-followed DIY-solar channel, ~900K+ subscribers). It builds a real working system end to end — panel, charge controller, battery, inverter, fusing — so the sizing and component choices land as practical decisions, not graduate math.
Covers
- how a basic off-grid system fits together (panel → controller → battery → load)
- solar panel ratings and what a panel really produces
- MPPT vs PWM charge controllers and when each fits
- battery bank basics and depth of discharge
- sizing the panel array to a daily energy load
- wiring panels in series vs parallel
- inverters for AC loads
- fusing, wire gauge, and safe interconnection
Go take the courseStudy the course, then use the study guide below and take the check to get certified.
Study guide
Open the study guide →1 study section · what to focus on + prove it in Forge, then take the check.
Forge practical
Build it in Forge Design · 4 checks · auto-verified from your design
Start the practical →