What all can be powered by electricity off-grid at the cottage?
Induction hob, fridge, dishwasher, hot water and remote controlled heating are all possible. A properly designed off-grid system offers the same comfort of use as the mains.
It’s not just the power of the inverter that matters, but the design of the whole system: sleep consumption, load peak management and energy-efficient equipment. The right choice of equipment means that electricity works reliably and unobtrusively all year round.
This guide will go through what off-grid cottage electrical equipment means in practice and what equipment can be used normally.
Why equipment selection is important in an off-grid system
The off-grid system is designed so that appliances that start automatically, such as the fridge and water pump, also work reliably without interfering with other appliances.
Lighting and electronics
Lighting and electronics consume surprisingly little energy
Modern LED lights, TVs, computers and internet devices use very little electricity. They can be used continuously without putting a significant strain on the system.
Often, the basic continuous power consumption of the entire cottage is less than 50 watts, which is equivalent to about 1-1.2 kWh of energy consumption per day.
Recommended choices
- LED luminaires: 5-10 W
- LED or OLED TV : 40-100 W
- WiFi router: 5-10 W
- Remote control and monitoring: 5-15 W
- Laptop: 20-60 W
- Phone charging: less than 10 W
Avoid:
- old light bulbs
- old LCD televisions
Coffee maker and small appliances
The coffee machine and small appliances work normally
The coffee maker, kettle, toaster and microwave are high-powered but short-term loads. Therefore, the energy they require can be surprisingly small – for example, 6 cups of coffee on a Moccamaster consumes around 80-120 Wh of energy.
An off-grid system can easily cope with this, when sized correctly, because the use is short term and does not cause a continuous load.
In practice, the use is no different from a normal electricity network.
Good and safe choices:
- Moccamaster coffee maker: 1200-1520 W (100 W hotplate)
- Other models with separate heating resistor
- Kettle: 1000-2000 W, usually less than 3 minutes
- Microwave ovens: 700-1200 W, ideal for off-grid use
- Toaster: 700-1000 W, Max 2000 W
Avoid:
- appliances that keep warm for a long time at all times
- old inefficient models
Warm water
Hot water should be provided by a flow-through heater
Heating water requires a lot of energy, so it is not advisable to heat large quantities of water with electricity.
The most energy-efficient solution is a flow-through heater, which heats water only when needed. This means that energy is not wasted continuously.
The instantaneous water heater produces hot water continuously without a storage tank, so there is no shortage of hot water during normal use. It is ideal for showering, washing up and sauna use.
Recommended solution for off-grid cottages: gas-fired convection heater
- power typically 16-20 kW, good efficiency
- can be installed outside the wall or in a technical space, especially for summer use
- hot water straight from the tap, starts when the tap is opened
- no continuous electricity consumption
An alternative solution:
- for small needs, hot water can also be provided by a kettle
- Electric booster: 300-800 W for small needs
Fridge and freezer
The fridge can be on continuously all year round
Winter use is also possible when the unit is indoors or in a heated room.
A modern refrigerator consumes little energy and works well off-grid. It can be kept on all year round, so food and drinks are always ready.
The inverter compressor reduces both energy consumption and start-up load.
An old and worn-out fridge can consume many times more energy than a new one.
In most cases, the gas fridge is very quickly replaced by an electric one when the system is found to work well.
Recommended features and brands
- Annual consumption less than 150 kWh/year → typically around 300-450 Wh/day
- Annual consumption less than 200 kWh/year → typically around 400-600 Wh/day
- Inverter compressor significantly reduces starting current peaks
- Good manufacturers: Bosch, Siemens, Electrolux
Templates
- Yankee cabinet, proven good
- Full-height fridge/freezer, choose a model with low kWh/year
- Almost all new smaller fridges
Avoid
- equipment more than 15 years old
- Absorption refrigerators (gas / 230V / 12V), high energy consumption when used with electricity
Induction cooker and cooking
Induction stove is the best solution for your cottage
A gas stove also works well, but an induction stove is often an easier and more energy-efficient solution in an off-grid system.
The induction stove is energy efficient and works perfectly in an off-grid system. Usually one or two plates are used at a time, which is sufficient for normal cooking.
The electric oven also works normally.
Since these are high-power devices, a good principle is to avoid using several high-power devices at the same time.
Recommended features
- Induction cooker 1 or 2 plates: 1000-2000 W / plate
- Usually 1-2 plates are used at a time. This is equivalent to normal daily cooking.
- Not both discs with Boost power
- Good manufacturers: Bosch, Electrolux, Siemens, Samsung
Electric oven
- Typically used for 30-60 min at a time
- An electric oven typically consumes 2-3 kW during operation.
Running water
Running water works like in a private house
The automatic water pump starts when the tap is opened. Operation is fully automatic and requires no action from the user.
Pumps with inverter motors are good because they do not take large surges of current when they start.
Recommended solution
- Automatic submersible pump
- For example, Clen Divertron: 500-1000 W
- Starts automatically when the tap is opened
- Water dispensers: 600-1200 W
- Borehole pumps, inverter models 350 – 1200 W
Avoid:
- low-power 12V pumps in the main system
Dishwasher and washing machine
The dishwasher and washing machine also work normally
A well-designed system can cope with them without problems, because the main energy consumption occurs over a short period of time and not as a continuous load.
The energy consumption of a dishwasher can be significantly reduced by feeding preheated water from a gas flow heater into the machine.
Smaller table models are not necessarily more energy-efficient, as they too heat water with electricity. Often a full-size energy-efficient machine is a better choice.
Recommended features
- Dishwasher: 2.2 kW / 600 – 1000 Wh per wash
- With the Eco programme, consumption can be lower.
- Washing machine: 2,2 kW / 500 – 1500 Wh wash
- Good manufacturers: Bosch, Siemens, Electrolux
Tools and other large equipment
High-performance equipment also works
The hairdryer, vacuum cleaner, compressor and power tools will work normally when the system is correctly sized.
These devices use high power, but usually only for a short time, which is well suited to off-grid systems.
In practice, the use is no different from a normal electrical connection.
Examples of devices that work
- Hairdryer: 1000-2000 W
- Vacuum cleaner: 600-1600 W
Tools:
- drill: 500-1000 W
- Circular saw: 1000-2000 W
- compressor: 800-2000 W
Properly designed, the off-grid works like the electricity grid
The off-grid system enables virtually all the usual electrical appliances in the cottage – fridge, induction hob, dishwasher, hot water and lighting.
The key is:
- energy-efficient appliances
- a correctly sized system
- sufficient battery and inverter
- quality components
This means that electricity works reliably and unobtrusively all year round.
Example: what is used in one off-grid cottage on a daily basis
The following example is based on a real off-grid cottage in Finland that is used all year round.
The cottage will normally use the same equipment as a connected cottage:
Constantly on:
– full-height fridge-freezer
– internet access and remote monitoring
– lighting as required inside and outside
Daily use:
- Moccamaster coffee maker – 2…3 times
- tea maker – 1…3 times
- induction cooker for cooking – 1…2 times
- microwave – if necessary
- water pump and hot water – kitchen, laundry and sauna
- dishwasher – if needed, typically 3-7 times a week
Used when necessary:
- electric oven – occasionally
- vacuum cleaner – about once a week
- hairdryer – occasionally
- power tools and outdoor work – as required
Typical total consumption in this cottage is only about 2-5 kWh per day.
A well-designed off-grid system works automatically in the background, and the use of electricity is practically no different from a normal electricity connection.
Want to make sure which solution is right for your cottage?
Send us a short description of your cottage and your needs – we’ll give you a clear and honest assessment of the options.
