Offgrid Northland

25/01/2026

Firstly, a rather belated happy new year to you all. We've been a little slow getting back into things but we're back on track now.

Firstly, anyone out there needing some solar panels, we have around a pallet of 450W Aiko Neostar O1 panels we need to clear to make space for new stock coming in. (Details below)

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/709586688795575/?mibextid=dXMIcH

We're also looking for expressions of interest in Sodium ion batteries. Our sample has been well put through the ring now and we've found the cells themselves to be of impeccable quality, aligned with the specs we've received from the supplier however the BMS is not up to the standards we would like so are still in the slow but progressing stage of creating a battery system that will compete directly with the best lithium batteries, with a similar price, slightly heavier and more bulky but similar to longer life span, considerably kinder on the environment, safer and more durable when it comes to accidental 100% discharge.

Our ongoing family project, slowly and sometimes painfully, building a fully electric/ solar powered 11m catamaran houseboat, is taking place. We're hoping to be powering this fully with Sodium ion batteries, around 60kwh to power the 30kw motors plus a fairly conventional applianced home on the water. I have a feeling this may become a bit of an off-grid Northland mascot😊

We're currently needing to review our pricing so unfortunately some of our listed prices will increase a little. we're getting real about costs and giving up on competing with some of the emerging, giant Chinese owned importers selling a lot of very cheap stuff. We will however, not be beaten on quality, expertise, on going support and a genuine interest in your off-grid vision.

Some other exciting news, we have been directly working with a local SEANZ approved installer to ensure all that we provide is to the highest standards and we're slowly building a NZ wide network of installers. If you are an installer or have an installer you'd like to recommend, please let us know.

Feel free to email or call me for any entities.
Warmly
Simon

www.offgridnorthland.co.nz
[email protected]
020 4210137

08/09/2025

We have a new shipment of premium grade, Tier 1 Aiko Neostar panels. Unfortunately we have limited space so need to shift some quick. Limited time CLEARANCE sale, only $190 each when you buy 10 or more. **Limited number available at this price**

31/08/2025

We've revised our kit prices and we're pretty confident we now offer the cheapest 'quality' off-grid kits in NZ 😊

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31/08/2025

Kia ora to you all
HAAA, this turned into quite an essay, if you want to jump straight to our latest, REDUCED prices, skip to the bottom of this page otherwise read on :o)

Whakarongotai Nikora and I have been in discussion recently around pricing of Off-grid equipment. We've come from a back ground of grass roots, DIY, keeping things real and to a tight budget, so hey, we can live and enjoy life, not just work our butts to the ground, just to keep spending big.

From an off-grid point it's been as cheap as possible, simple and often not overly reliable. We've learnt from many mistakes on the way and as the business of "off-grid Northland" starts to support our family to thrive and grow in a sustainable, sovereign and empowered way, we are committed to sharing that support to hopefully smoothen out the off-grid journey for others.

We're sticking to the grass roots philosophy although it may not be a comfortable business model. We've been really focusing on what's important and although they don't always go together, Quality, low cost and complete transparency .

We are really honing in on sourcing quality, time tested equipment, keeping our overheads down and avoiding the over inflated price tags that are rife in this growing solar industry. We're also committing to offering honest, transparent advice and ensuring our customers understand exactly what they're getting and how to use it.

On this note, we've started with revising our pricing and we are pretty confident that we have the cheapest, high quality off-grid kits in the country.

We have a new batch of high grade Aiko Neostar panels on their way so teeing them up with Victron equipment and Lead Carbon batteries (Or BSL LFP batteries) we have seriously robust kits that with proper use will last 10 - 20 years or onwards.

We've also started using Epever equipment on our cheapest kits. I choose Epever as they've been around for 18 years now, I've seen a couple of installs recently with Epever solar controllers and inverters working as new after more than 10 years, they really are cheap, Chinese AND quality.

Any way this has turned into quite an essay, well done if you got this far, I'll add some links to some kits that have revised prices that are seriously low.

Small house kits REDUCED from $6500
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1367468464987023/
Large house kit with all Victron equipment REDUCED to $19,800
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1110100603921947/
Large house kit with Epever equipment REDUCED to $15,900
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1153905336563428/
Medium house kit with Epever equipment REDUCED to $10,500
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1487467265934768/

19/08/2025

Ahh, there's going to be a bit of play catch up here, there's been a lot of exciting stuff going on. Firstly, after many months of research, dozens and dozens of emails and more months of waiting, we finally have one of the first Sodium ion batteries in the country. 12V 160Ah, any of you not familiar with Sodium ion technology, it's not new but has taken time and is still slowly emerging as a very real and in many ways superior battery technology to Lithium. Significantly safer, considerably kinder to the environment, Wider operating temperature range (-20 to 65 deg C) In many cases longer cycle times, up to 10,000 cycles, can be charged and discharged at higher rates.

The battery we have is next level, latest chemistry NFPP which have higher cycle life than standard and a narrower voltage range than other Na batteries so can be used to 90% capacity with most standard inverters.

We plan on running the battery through the mill and do some tests so when the time comes, we can sell with confidence. The big question cost??? Being a new technology, although Na ion batteries should be cheaper due to the chemical compounds used, the price is still up there though will be competing with mid ranged Lifepo4 batteries on the market. For example, it's looking like a 12V 160Ah battery will be in the realms of around $1500, a 48V 160Ah wall mount battery will be in the realms around $4500-$5000.

Watch this space for further details and keep up to date on our website too. www.offgridnorthland.co.nz

19/08/2025

Hey off-gridders and those who are on their way to living the dream. Apologies, I haven't put anything up here for a while. In response to so many enquiries that starts with, "I don't know anything about this solar thing"

Here's a simplified overview of what are the main components of an off-grid kit and what they actually do. This is based on an illustration of our small house kit using a Victron Multiplus II Inverter/ charger and a Victron Smart solar.

To offer a simple understanding of what exactly your offgrid kit does:

-Photons, aka sunlight hits your solar panels which convert the sun's energy into electricity.

-The MPPT solar controller regulates the solar panel voltage and current to efficiently and safely charge your batteries.

-The batteries are the storage containers for electricity for night time and rainy days.

-DC battery power travels through your Multiplus II, converting it into 240V ac for all of your household appliances.

-The Shunt accurately measures all incoming and outgoing current to and from the battery allowing you to see (Through the monitor or BT to your phone) exactly what's going on with your batteries state of charge (SOC), Solar harvest, power consumption, etc.

-When the sun stops shining for more than a couple of days, your batteries will slowly discharge, then out comes the generator which puts 240V ac into the Multiplus II which then converts it to DC to efficiently charge your batteries.

-The circuit breakers are an important protective mechanism to protect you, your property and the system in the case of fault, short out, energy spike, etc.

-The earthing system is there to allow a safe exit of any runaway, fault current back to the ground, this will also help protect your system in the event of a lightning strike.

Let me know if that does or doesn't make any sense and feel free to reach out for clarity.

I believe it's important for anyone keen on the idea of off-grid living to empower themselves to understand at least the basics of what your system does. Although anything 240Vac or PV arrays over 120V need a certified sparky, when you know the basics, you'll often be able to fault find and fix yourself, saving heaps of time and $)

24/06/2025

Just a quick post. Anybody thinking of setting up off-grid. Now is the time to find the best location for your solar panels. Really take the time to consider this. To often a system is set up in summer, works fine then come winter, panels are in shade most of the day.

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23/04/2025

At last, we did it, thankyou Whakarongotai Nikora, our website www.offgridnorthland.co.nz is now live, there are a few details to add and edit but the bulk is there, up and running, hope you enjoy and feel free to let us know if you find any discrepancies.

We've just received a new shipment of lead carbon batteries and adjustable tilt ground and roof mounting rails. Sodium ion batteries in the pipework, watch this space.

Although I'm personally not a great fan of Lithium batteries (Maybe more on that another time!), we are happy to have secured access to the full range of BSL BATT Lifepo4 batteries. These are high grade batteries with a great, time proven reputation, recommended usage with Victron equipment, they come with a 10 year performance warranty and look great.

Hope you're all keeping warm and powered up as winter starts to beckon. Long live the off-grid lifestyle😊

29/03/2025

While we're going through the process of sourcing and testing new sustainable battery technology that out performs most of what's on the market at the moment, we have another batch of age tested Lead Carbon batteries.

SunArc have been around for over 20 years, their Lead Carbon/ Graphene batteries are high quality, high cycle life and reasonably priced. They will get 5000+ cycles at 70% Depth of discharge which would be your designed DOD for any battery type to ensure you have a good day or two back up in full cloud cover days. 5000cycles, relates to around 14 years as opposed to around 2000 cycles for a good quality AGM battery such as the Sun Arc DC12-200 which equates to around 5 years.
Lead Carbon batteries are also very durable when left in partial states of charge and can be charged and discharged at higher currents than more standard AGM or flooded lead acid batteries.

They will be arriving in a few weeks and available at $849 each for 12v 200AH /10hr, complete with a 5 year warranty* and a 10+ year life expectancy.

Feel free to reach out for more details

27/03/2025

Hey wild and free off gridders, especially those in the deep south or elevated areas accustomed to sub zero temperatures. I have been doing extensive research into new and growing battery Chemistries with the intentions of Minimizing environmental impacts, affordability, safety, long life spans and wider operating temperatures.
After much research and company searching, I am looking at brining to New Zealand some Sodium ion and Lithium solid state batteries. Sodium ion data in particular is looking incredibly promising for long lived solar storage. I have a sample battery on it's way for testing that claims 10,000 + cycle life at 70% DOD and 6000 + cycles at 100% DOD with an operating range down to -20degC (This is the selling point for the colder climates as most lithium batteries will shut down at, or not much below 0 degC and most lead acid batteries will also dramaticaly reduce in performance and capacity much below 0).
Sodium (salt) being the main component also means, incredibly light effect on the environment, completely safe and although more expensive than the budget lifepo4, still in a similar price bracket to the higher grade lithium batteries.
Lithium solid state batteries share similar qualities and are considerably safer than standard lifepo4. Both battery types are not readily available or are extremely expensive in New Zealand. I would like to change this.
We are looking at bringing in some 12v 200ah standard box type batteries and some 48v, 100ah and 200ah wall mount batteries.
I'm curious to whom would be interested to hear more on these batteries so we can gauge interest before we make any big orders. I love Aotearoa but it can sometimes be a land of resistance to new things initially! Please reach out privately or leave a comment bellow if you'd like to be kept in the loop. Warm regards Simon Offgrid Northland

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