Off-Grid Living Cost in Chania, Crete

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How much does it cost to install, operate and maintain an off-grid system in Crete, Greece? 

This guide* to its realities will help you decide if off-grid systems can be an economically viable and technically feasible solution for your new or existing property.

*This is a general guide and costs based on the energy consumption of an ‘energy efficient’ 3 bedroom detached residential property with an average energy use of 20kWh per day. Remember every property is unique and there are many parameters to consider when thinking about off-grid living.

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Off-Grid Living in Chania, Crete

Off-Grid FAQs

What Does It Mean to Go Off the Grid?

Fully off-grid covers places where there is no mains grid connection at all. This could either be down to the costs or purely as a personal choice. Installing solar panels is not enough to be considered off-grid, and most people who use solar energy still rely on electricity from an outside source.

To go completely off-grid, you also need a storage system to store the energy produced. Finally, you need a way to transfer energy into the batteries and convert it to electricity.

Being off the grid means not being hooked up to any utilities. Off-grid homes rely on alternative renewable energy sources such as the sun and the wind. When a building is off the grid, it means it has no connection with a utility and all the power it uses comes from a source that it generates on its own.

One way to achieve this is to install a solar power system made up of photovoltaic panels to absorb and generate energy from the sun, along with batteries to store that energy for use when the sun is not shining.

Moreover, hybrid off-grid systems are much more reliable. This is reliability can be achieved by combining a variety of sources, such as wind and PV systems as well as combined heat and power units together with a high-performance battery storage system.

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What components are typically used in an off-grid solar power system for a residential property?

For most residential off-grid systems it really comes down to four main components – solar panels, DC-AC grid-tied inverter to use the energy, charger controller to convert the energy, and a battery bank to store the power.

These are all essential components when it comes to a completely off-grid solar system.
Keep in mind each component that makes up an off-grid solar system varies in cost based on its size, characteristics and brand. However,  what matters the most is the manufacturing quality which is related to systems performance, reliability, service period, and warranty conditions.

For instance, if your property needs a lot of electricity to power several devices a larger-sized battery bank to offset your consumption on overcast days is needed. The larger the battery bank, the higher the costs.

Solar Panels

Starting with the most obvious part of a residential off-grid system are the solar panels. Currently, the most cost-effective solar panels are those made up of 60, 72, 120 or 144 cells.

Solar panel efficiency is a measure of the amount of sunlight (irradiation) that falls on the surface of a solar panel and is converted into electricity. The efficiency of a solar panel is determined by two main factors; the photovoltaic (PV) cell efficiency, based on the cell design and silicon type, and the total panel efficiency, based on the cell layout, configuration and panel size.

Off-Grid Living Residential Property in Chania, Crete

Charge Controller

The charge controller (MPPT) is the component that manages the flow of energy from the solar panels to the battery.

Moreover, an additionally critical responsibility of this device is to make certain that batteries are charged properly and are not overcharged. Thus, this is the most important component that can establish the longevity of the battery bank.

Inverter

In nearly all off-grid residential systems, the inverter is a battery-based inverter. The inverter’s purpose is to take DC power that is stored in the battery bank and convert it to usable AC electricity which you can use to power your appliances around the house.

Inverters come in different dimensions which can accommodate smaller loads or larger loads depending on your power needs - inverters are sized by their power capacity, measured in watts. Moreover, the inverter also establishes the system's redundancy which is critically important if there is not enough sunlight and the solar array cannot provide enough power to charge the battery bank.

In most off-grid residential systems we select inverter chargers. What does an inverter charger do? Basically, the inverter charger operates the same way as a regular inverter, but it also has an input. This is important because this allows the system to use an external power source such as a wind turbine or gas generator to power the system loads and stop drawing power from the battery bank.

Batteries

The battery bank is the most important component - and the most expensive - of an off-grid residential system. The batteries are the devices where the energy from the solar panels is stored.

Without batteries, you would only be able to use your off-grid system during the day, assuming it’s a sunny day. Having a reliable and adequately sized battery bank allows you to utilize your off-grid solar system day or night, rain or shine.

At ARENCOS we highly recommend Lithium batteries because they require no maintenance and can easily last ten years or more. The main drawback is that they’re much more expensive compared to lead-acid batteries (a lead-acid battery typically costs €150.00- €500.00 and a lithium battery typically costs €800.00-€1,700.00).

How much does an off-grid solar system cost (per size)?

The cost of an off-grid residential system will vary depending on the size (kw) of the system. A small setup can run you a few hundred euros, depending on if you use lithium or lead-acid batteries. However, this simple set will be enough to keep some small electronics and lights up and running.

If you’re looking to live completely off-grid in a residential home in Crete, you’re looking at a pretty significant investment. These systems typically have upwards of 10,000 watts of solar panels, multiple 5,000-watt inverters, and a 1,000 to 1,500 Ah battery bank. 

As a rule of thumb, the minimum for most homes is 5kW to 7kW, and if you have higher-than-average electricity demands, expect to need at least 10kW. At this size, the off-grid system can generate sufficient power for most residential properties. If you have excessive energy needs, it may still be too small.

A 5kW system costs around € 40,000 to € 48,000 for off-grid use.

Off-Grid Hybrid Systems: Estimated Costs Table

Solar Panels €4,000 – €35,000
Wind Turbine €2,800 – €20,000
Charge Controller €500 – €1,500
Hybrid Inverter €3,000 – €14,000
Battery Bank €10,000 – €40,000
Total €20,300 – €110,500

Off-Grid Solar Systems: Complete Costs Table

System SizeAverage Costs (Material Only)
1kW€12,000 – €17,000
2kW€20,000 – €26,000
3kW€30,000 – €37,000
4kW€35,000 – €44,000
5kW€40,000 – €48,000
10kW€70,000 – €90,000
20kW€100,000 – €130,000
30kW€125,000 – €160,000

What to consider before going off the grid?

1. Source of Energy

Off-grid or standalone systems can be defined as independent systems that are not connected to any electrical grid.

When going off the grid, make sure you find and use solar energy systems as they are the best due to their efficiency in producing power and ease of setup.

Solar power is one of the renewable energy sources that are 100% clean and reduces reliance on natural gas, coal, and oil. Fossil fuels have harmful emissions to the environment that affects the quality of soil, water, and air leading to global warming.

2. Energy Consumption

Think carefully about how you should use the power produced to meet your energy consumption and needs. Appliances such as pool pumps, air condition units, and freezers tend to consume more power to keep them running. Also, do you need the power to charge your hybrid electric vehicle? If you have an electric vehicle (EV) or are considering buying one, charging it creates a high electricity demand.

The average EV draws around 18kWh of charge to travel 100km*.

3. Backup Power Generator

All off-grid properties must have a power backup generator. The power generator protects you from experiencing further damage or loss when the off-grid system is out of service.

Backup generators are small units and require combustible fuel such as diesel, gas or petrol to generate power. You can integrate them to run manually or automatically depending on your power needs and level of security.

4. Roof Orientation

Solar panels facing south produce the most powerful overall, but they also produce most of it during midday. Apart from that, what needs to be additionally considered during the design is how the slope of the roof (or lack thereof) will affect any solar panel yield.

The ideal roof pitch angle is between 30-40°, but even if the angle of the roof falls outside of this range, it is still possible for a solar system to generate electricity effectively. Moreover, how much roof space you will need is significantly important for your off-grid energy objectives.

5. Location – Site Assessment

The southeast, south-west, and south-facing roofs generate more solar energy than the north-facing rooftops. The reason is, the more sunlight the panels receive, the more energy they produce.

In addition, sun hours are important to know how much radiance will be required to generate the needed output wattage. On average, July is the sunniest month in Crete with 372 hours of sunshine. January has on average the lowest amount of sunshine with 116 hours.

Moreover, tall trees, adjacent buildings and hills will prevent the solar panels from receiving direct sunlight and wind turbines to harness the wind. Thus, the amount of wind at your site (wind resource assessment),  shade analysis, and zoning requirements are also very important parameters to carefully consider.

6. System Maintenance

This is totally up to you. When thinking of going off-grid maintaining the solar panels, the wind turbine and the rest of the off-grid devices will be your responsibility.

With proper installation and maintenance, an off-grid system should last up to 20 years or longer. Annual maintenance for the wind turbine can include; checking and tightening bolts and electrical connections as necessary, checking for corrosion on the turbine blades, or replacing components such as turbine blades and/or bearings as needed.

You’ll have to plan for regular maintenance, to make sure the off-grid system is fully operational.

7. Space

Considering your daily electricity use, is there enough rooftop space in the sun for the number of solar panels you will need to generate electricity?

If you don’t have sufficient roof space for the installation of the panels, you may need to consider mounting or ground panels. An alternative option is mounting the panels using a tracker to direct the panels to follow the sun’s direction. However, this could come with further set-up costs.

Roof mounts are less expensive because they can be installed on the existing roof structure as a foundation. They also require less room on the property. Ground mounts take up more space, but they’re easier to access for installation, cleaning and repair.

What maintenance is needed for an off-grid system?

Once they are installed, off-grid solar systems are easy to maintain. Solar panels and wind turbines generally require very little maintenance in order to function properly. The only thing they need is a periodic light cleaning to make sure dirt, leaves, and other debris aren't obstructing the operation.

Solar panels and residential wind power turbines generally have 20 – 25 years of performance and operating warranties. Inverters and battery management systems may only have a 10-year warranty. This means you’ll probably need to replace inverters and batteries at least once, perhaps twice, during the life of your off-grid system.

Scheduling a checkup once every 3 years and replacing the parts as needed is necessary to keep the off-grid system running properly.

Are you interested in living off-the-grid in Crete? Building in a sustainable way is one thing, but creating a comfortable, off-grid and net-zero property in a remote location takes innovation and courage. 
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Will an off-grid system help or hurt your property value?

An off-grid property may attract some potential buyers and discourage others, so if going off-grid is appealing to you, consider the following:

  • The potential number of buyers could be smaller when you come to sell your property
  • Even if a buyer is prepared to pay more for an off-grid house, that amount may be less than the total amount of the payback you expected
  • There are some buyers looking to invest in off-grid properties in Crete but they demand for reliable systems and back-up generators

Lifestyle Changes

Going off-grid usually requires some lifestyle changes, depending on your electricity demands and the type of appliances you have.

Obviously, a sustainable way of living with energy-saving habits and energy-efficient appliances will help to prevent your off-grid system from cutting out or not having enough power. Likewise, you can consider the impacts of:

  1. Having guests or using the property as a short-term rental
  2. A particularly cold winter or hot summer
  3. Hosting a party or event
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So, our work also prioritises eco-friendly and locally produced materials, conservation of resources, renewable energy systems installation (wind, solar, hybrid, geothermic etc) and a plethora of innovative, yet practicable solutions.

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