Solar Journeys: Adam Norris
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Solar Journeys: Adam Norris
May 4th, 2025
We interviewed Adam Norris from near Little Smoky, AB, to learn about their solar journey in Alberta:
Adam began his solar journey in 2007 because his family had property that was originally meant to be seasonal. When they decided to make it a year-round home, getting grid power to the property turned out to be very expensive, so they looked at off-grid solar. In the beginning, they didn’t know anyone else who had solar, especially off-grid, so Adam had to learn a lot on his own. He also sought the expertise of a local solar store in Fairview and resources in Grande Prairie and Edmonton.
After some different design versions, they decided to go with a ground-mounted system (there are now plans to raise the entire installation onto a platform to combat shading from trees on the property).
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(as of January 25, 2026 19:20 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The initial install in 2007 was a 900W system with 12 batteries and a gasoline generator as a backup. He subsequently added 1,500W a few years later, and then added another 3,800W in 2021. In winter, the family uses the generator for auxiliary electricity and propane heating for auxiliary heat, but those are usually completely off from April to September. When they first installed the system, there were very few apps or tracking systems so they have learned to manage the system manually.
Adam said that the best thing about installing solar is that it is so modular. You can just keep adding panels, chargers and batteries as needed. Adam says that because he is doing the installation himself and he is not tied to the grid, the costs are minimal as panels just keep getting less expensive. The technical challenges that Adam has encountered have been to do with battery and generator maintenance, not the panels. He is also happy because he does not have an electricity bill and doesn’t have to ever deal with rising prices.
Despite being a less common way of going solar, Adam definitely recommends taking the route he has. He says the best thing you can do is start, and don’t be afraid that new technology is coming, because that will always happen.
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(as of January 25, 2026 19:20 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Adam likes that being off grid forces him to not consume, and the family is more aware of their consumption, doing things that take a lot of electricity when the sun is shining.
If you have questions about Adam’s off-grid solar installation, please contact [email protected].
Source: Original Article
