Converting on-grid to off-grid (electricity)

[kalakoa]

Why would they care how you power the box?

Oceanic is probably using "grid power" as an indicator of "permits" rather than bothering to actually inspect and measure for the things they're really concerned about (my bet would be "grounding").

[Carey]

Speculation here: Oceanic may also be looking at sine wave protection...although many off grid systems have protection, some do not.

One draw back for the secure power inverter is that the outlet is not (or at least was not) sine wave protected...easy enough to add this protection...but may be the reason??? If someone is really interested, perhaps asking Oceanic....

[kalakoa]

Oceanic may also be looking at sine wave protection...

Never heard of such a thing; maybe this is "GFCI"?

In any case, they should perform a site inspection and base the install on real requirements -- many a "permitted" grid connection is unsafe.

[tada]

Maybe Oceanic just don't trust rogue off gridders like me as well they should. All the solar guys I dealt with on the Big Island seem to be named Christian. Christian at Interisland Solar was warning me that it's not a legal tax deduction for stuff you buy without a permit even if it's offgrid. So that means gotta have permit even for offgrid.

[kalakoa]

warning me that it's not a legal tax deduction for stuff you buy without a permit

Funny, I didn't see the permit requirement explained anywhere in the instructions, there's no place to write it on the form, and my deduction was not questioned...

[tada]

I did that too. I hope I don't get audited.