12, 24, or 48 volt?

12 volt systems are the easiest and cheapest, but least efficient.

When converting 12 VDC to 120 VAC, it is a ten times jump. When converting 24 VDC to 120 VAC, it is only a five times jump. The most efficient system is when the DC and AC voltages are similar.

A 12 volt battery system can be charged with your car or truck, whereas if your batteries are a different voltage, you would need a battery charger of that voltage to charge your batteries on cloudy days.

You can supplement solar with wind, which charges at night when the solar panels do not, if wind is frequent in your area.

Inverters come in various voltages. If you change the battery bank voltage, you will also need to purchase an inverter for the bew voltage. Inverters cost about the same, given the same features, for 12, 24, or 48 volts.

Inverters are also available for 220 VAC or three phase.