This is not really solar or engine for most people. Reliable off-grid setups typically use both, each for different jobs.
Solar is your daily background recovery. Engine charging is your catch-up tool when demand is high or weather is poor.
Solar works best when
- You have good panel space and reasonable daylight.
- You want quiet, low-maintenance charging every day.
- You plan for reduced winter output.
Engine charging helps most when
- You need to recover quickly after heavy use.
- Winter, shade, or poor weather has reduced solar.
- You can run long enough for meaningful charge gain.
Best practice: plan around solar first, then schedule engine top-ups before SOC gets uncomfortably low.
Use the Off-Grid Planner to run this with your own setup.