Off-grid solar systems

In a country as vast as Australia, the power grid can only reach so far. Being at the end of a very long and vulnerable power line has been the plight of countless Australian communities for many years. Entire communities can be reliant on a single power line that stretches over kilometres of bushland, making them extremely vulnerable to damage. In NSW alone, thousands of power poles were destroyed by the ferocious bushfires of 2020. The impact of a bushfire wiping out a power line is dramatic; the fuel pumps at service stations won’t start, the water pumps at home won’t start either, and we lose the ability to stay connected in such critical situations. This leads to situations as seen in Mallacoota, where thousands were left stranded on the beach, unable to leave town or defend their properties.

Facing billions of dollars in damages from the bushfires, the energy networks were faced with a dilemma: is it even worth rebuilding these power lines, only to be potentially facing the same problem again in a few years? Because the severity and frequency of extreme weather events are growing due to anthropogenic climate change, electricity networks' resilience is becoming a bigger issue. The big-wigs were scratching their heads.

While the cost of solar power equipment has been steadily decreasing, the cost of putting up new power poles and installing power lines has remained the same. So instead of rebuilding kilometres upon kilometres of power lines, they decided to do what Outback Marine has been doing for decades: to focus on stand-alone power supply as a way to serve the power needs of Australians, without having to connect to the increasingly vulnerable power grid.

Off-grid solar systems mean that less infrastructure is exposed to natural hazards and if designed appropriately, you will still have power when you so desperately need it. The off-grid lifestyle is now becoming more mainstream, and it is becoming more important than ever to have a reliable system designed by professionals. Outback Marine has stand-alone power specialists working hard to bring you the best solutions, using only the most reliable brands on the market. Stay tuned for the upcoming Outback Marine pre-wired kits, which will become available in the next few months.