[eXe]

Here is how I did it.

4 Walmart Deep Cycle Batteries (I added a battery since this pic was taken)

2 75 watt Kyocera Panels

A Xantrax C40 charge control

And a Xantrex 1500 watt inverter

Runs most anything I need in an emergency, and is really handy for my garage door as well when the power is out.

I also have a second smaller system that has 2 50 watt panels and 2 deep cycles with a 1000 watt inverter, that would probably do exactly what you want and you could scale it up when you nee more later.

here is a pic of my backup power setup (which has been tested many a time and used for ham radio emergencies as well) in my garage

[JRandomFreeper]

Surplus telecom batteries are cool to have, if you can move them. I have 3 GBC batteries that weigh about 400 lbs each. You can hook them up however you like to get 6/12/24/36VDC. I get 1200AH at 12V to feed the Trace inverter from that bank.

I paid less than $100/battery, and they have been in service for > 5 years.

I use an engine hoist to move them.

/johnny