Off Grid Solar in Redding, CA
Panels, batteries and a backup generator designed as one system — sized for the shortest days of winter, not the longest days of summer — for places the power lines never reached.
Everything A Property Off The Grid Needs
Full-time homes and weekend cabins need different systems. We design for how often you're there and what you run.
We Only Build Systems That Have To Work On Their Own
Tamberlin began with a single off-grid cabin in Trinity County that its owner had given up on — the batteries were dead every February. Sixteen years later we still work almost entirely beyond the power lines. That changes how you design: winter sun, not summer; a generator plan, not a hope; wiring you can fix at night with a flashlight. We build it, we monitor it remotely, and we drive out when something needs a hand.
- ✓Designed for December, not June
- ✓Lithium batteries with remote monitoring
- ✓Generator backup that starts itself
- ✓Permitted with Shasta, Tehama or Trinity County
A Day In December
Morning
The house wakes up on battery. The inverter runs the fridge, lights, well pump and coffee maker from what the panels stored yesterday.
Midday
Even low winter sun puts some charge back in. A system sized for December does it with more panels than summer would ever need.
The Third Cloudy Day
When the batteries fall to a set level, the generator starts on its own, charges the bank for a few hours and shuts off again.
Every Day
The system reports to our monitoring. If a battery or charge controller misbehaves, we usually know before you do.
What Different Systems Can Run
Rules of thumb only. We size yours from a load list we build with you, room by room.
Weekend Cabin
Lights, a propane fridge or small electric one, water pump, phone charging and Wi-Fi.
Full-Time Small Home
Everything above plus a full-size fridge, laundry, well pump and a home office.
Full-Time Family Home
A modern house with efficient appliances, a mini-split or two, and a generator for the darkest weeks.
From A Load List To Living On Your Own Power
Load List
Every appliance and when you use it.
Site Visit
Sun, shade, snow and where things go.
Design & Price
One written price, sized for winter.
Build
Permitted, inspected, usually 3–6 days.
Monitor
Remote monitoring and yearly checkups.
What You Get, Not Just Panels
An off-grid system is only as good as its weakest part. Every one we build includes all of this.
A Written Load List
Every appliance, sized for winter, kept on file for future upgrades.
Lithium Battery Bank
Sized for your nights and cloudy days, with room to add more.
Inverter-Charger
Clean power for modern appliances, and it charges from a generator too.
Automatic Generator Start
Wired so the generator runs only when the batteries need it.
Remote Monitoring
On your phone and on ours, so problems get spotted early.
Labeled, Documented Wiring
A binder and a diagram, so anyone can service it later.
Built For What Northern California Throws At It
Up here the risks are winter storms, snow on the panels and fire season. We mount arrays steep enough to shed snow, keep wiring in metal conduit, clear a defensible space around the equipment and put batteries in a ventilated, fire-rated enclosure or room. When power lines elsewhere are switched off for fire weather, an off-grid home carries on as normal.
- ✓Steep tilt to shed snow
- ✓Metal conduit and a cleared equipment area
- ✓Batteries in a ventilated, fire-rated space
What Our Off-Grid Customers Say
The utility quoted us eighty thousand dollars to run poles up our road. Tamberlin put in panels, a battery bank and a propane generator for a fraction of that, and we've been living up here full-time for four winters.
Our cabin used to mean a noisy generator all weekend. Now we arrive, the fridge is cold, the lights work and the generator hasn't started since spring.
When the lead-acid bank someone else installed died, they swapped it for lithium, reprogrammed the charge settings and showed us the new numbers on our phones. First winter we never ran out.
Compare It With Off-Grid First
Running new utility lines to a remote property can cost more than a complete off-grid system. Send us your utility's quote and we'll give you ours to put beside it.
Living Off The Grid
Do I really need a generator?
For a full-time home in Northern California, almost always. Designing a battery bank big enough to cover a week of winter storms without one is possible but rarely sensible. A generator that runs a few dozen hours a year is the cheaper, more reliable answer.
Lithium or lead-acid batteries?
Lithium, for nearly every new system. It lasts much longer, needs no watering or equalizing, and tolerates being partly charged for days — which is normal off the grid. We still service lead-acid banks and replace them when they're done.
Can I start small and add later?
Yes, if it's planned. We choose an inverter and battery system that can grow and leave room on the rack for more panels.
Is off-grid cheaper than bringing in power lines?
It depends on distance and terrain. For properties more than a few hundred yards from the nearest line, it often is. Get the utility's quote and ours and compare them side by side.
Is there still a federal tax credit?
Not for homeowners who buy their system — that credit ended for home systems installed after 2025. We'll check any state or local programs for your property when we quote, and tell you plainly if there aren't any.
What happens if something breaks in winter?
Most problems show up on our remote monitoring first. We can often fix settings remotely; when we can't, we drive out, and our service radius covers most of Shasta, Tehama and Trinity counties.
Plan Your Off-Grid System
Tell us about the property and how you'll use it. We'll send a simple load list to fill in and call to set up a site visit.
- Visit us2980 Churn Creek Rd, Redding, CA 96002
- Call us(530) 555-0174
- Email ushello@tamberlinsolar.com
- Opening hoursMon – Fri: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sat – Sun: Closed