One guy. 15+ years. Countless lessons.

My Solar Story

I built the site in 2010, then got distracted by actually learning solar.

LearningAboutSolar.com started as an idea for a solar education website and ebook. I planned to explain solar panels, charge controllers, inverters, and battery banks so people could avoid wasting money.

Then I got sidetracked. I became more interested in experimenting than writing. I played with self-sufficiency, gardening, keyhole gardens, solar ovens, water pumps, compost tea aeration, wind turbine ideas, and eventually portable power systems for camping and off-grid use.

My first “solar generator” was a rolling box full of old golf cart batteries, a Morningstar controller, and used solar panels. It worked, but it also taught me a big lesson: if a power system is too heavy to move when you need it, it may not be the right solution.

Years later, the journey evolved into LiFePO₄ batteries, portable panels, 12V fridges, a 12V freezer, Starlink Mini power experiments, battery monitoring, and worrying about state of charge and top balancing like a proper solar nerd.