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An off-grid solar system for a yurt or dome is panels, a battery, an inverter and a charge controller, sized to what you'll run on the shortest winter days. Work out your daily power use first, plan for less sun in winter, and have a licensed electrician design and install it.
What does an off-grid solar system include?
Four main parts: panels, a battery, a charge controller and an inverter.
- Panels make power in daylight.
- The charge controller manages charging the battery.
- The battery stores power for night and cloudy days.
- The inverter turns battery power into the 230V your appliances use.
Many systems also add a generator input as a backup for long cloudy spells.
How do you size a system for a yurt?
Start with your daily use, not the panels.
- List everything you'll run: lights, phone and laptop charging, fridge, pump, fan, TV.
- For each, multiply its watts by the hours a day you'll use it. Add them up for watt-hours per day.
- Size the battery to cover at least that, plus a buffer for cloudy days.
- Size the panels to refill the battery on a short winter day at your location.
A licensed electrician or solar designer can check your numbers against local sun data. We've left typical system prices out because they change quickly. Get current quotes.
What about winter?
Design for it. Winter days are shorter, the sun is lower, and cloud can sit for days.
Lower-latitude North Island sites generally get more winter sun than the deep south, but local shade from hills and trees matters as much as latitude. Watch where the winter shadows fall on your site before you place anything. That's also why most off-grid yurts heat with wood, not electricity: see heating and insulating a yurt for NZ winters.
Where should the panels go?
On a ground frame or a nearby roof, facing north, clear of shade. Not on the yurt or dome cover.
A ground frame lets you set a steeper angle for low winter sun and keeps the panels easy to clean. Keep the battery and inverter in a dry, ventilated spot.
What works well with a yurt or dome?
Low-power, high-value loads.
LED lighting, device charging, an efficient fridge, a water pump and a ceiling fan are all easy wins. Our Geo Domes come with a solar ventilation fan that needs no separate power.
Is there a client build to watch?
Yes. Here's the Glover family's 7m ORON in Tamworth.
More real builds to watch
More client builds:
- 8m yurt in Taumarunui NZ
- ORON Yurt: built for Australia and New Zealand
- The Munoz family's 8m ORON build
- Our full client build playlist on YouTube
Budgeting for the whole build? See our NZ yurt price guide, and our NZ consents guide for what to ask your council about the system.
Want the detail before you decide? Our free buyer's guide covers sizes, decking and the build, step by step. Get the buyer's guide
Frequently asked questions
How big a solar system does a yurt need?
It depends on what you run. Add up your daily use in watt-hours, then size panels and batteries for winter, when there's least sun.
Can solar run a heater in a yurt?
Electric heating uses a lot of power, so most off-grid yurts heat with wood and keep solar for lights, devices and the fridge.
Where do you mount solar panels for a yurt?
Usually on a ground frame or a nearby shed roof, not on the yurt cover. Face them north and away from shade.
Who should install an off-grid system?
A licensed electrician. They'll size it properly and make sure it meets the rules.
5-star Google reviews and 150+ client builds across Australia and New Zealand.
Prices are NZD excluding GST, as shown on our NZ product pages at 26 October 2026, and include shipping to the port in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.
