Our History

We started out as sailors who loved the freedom of the water but didn’t love the noise and hassle of a generator. Back in 2012, we built our own lithium-powered house DC power system incorporating solar and high output alternators to keep things quiet and simple. When other boaters showed interest, we began sharing our setups in Facebook groups like Lithium on a Boat and Solar on a Boat.
By 2017, we teamed up with Al and Rick from Wakespeed and built a Windows tool to configure their WS500 regulator. That led to launching Off Grid Software Solutions in 2018, selling the tool to fellow off-grid enthusiasts.
In 2019, we re-branded as “Off Grid and Marine Energy Systems” and became one of the first distributors of the WS500. A year later, we expanded into North American distribution for REC BMS and built a wholesale network to support it.
2022 brought a tough loss—our co-founder Helen Bell, known in sailing circles as the “Queen of Lithium,” passed away. Her spirit still guides what we do.
In 2023, we added Victron Energy product line to our store, continuing our mission to help boaters and off-grid folks to harness their DC power!

Smart Charging and Monitoring Systems

The Marine and off grid electrical industries have seen a remarkable evolution in the past decade and it has left many people who want to jump in wondering where to turn. There are now Systems Integrators coming to the market place that can help but many of us are Do it Yourselvers and just need a bit of assistance to get pointed in the right direction. This store has been developed with you in mind.

The Lithium battery evolution

This battery chemistry has changed our lives in profound ways. The days of having to use our generators every time we wanted a cup of coffee are long gone. By safely harnessing the energy stored and using inexpensive solar energy off grid homes, boaters and RV’ers can now enjoy peace and quiet while enjoying that coffee and a lot more!

Battery Technologies

With great power comes great responsibility and in this case it means we need to appreciate and respect the energy harnessed in a modern day battery bank. The objective of this site is to help you realize the maximum potential of your energy system while using smart technologies to help you minimize the dangers of that power.

Are all Lithium batteries the same?

A common mistake of people new to the technology is that all lithium based batteries react the same. Just like cars there are many types of lithium battery technologies. For marine applications the only chemistry we would considering using are Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4, or LFP) due to their low chance of thermal runaway, although they tend to be a bit heavier.

This a fast evolving industry and several new technologies are evolving. It will be interesting to see where we are in another 10 years!