Off-Grid Power in Alaska | eBoost + Envy 8K Home Energy Upgrade
From the homestead of Homestead Rescue’s Marty and Mollee Raney
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
Clients: Marty & Mollee Raney
Installer Partner: All Phase Electric | Patrick Schoonover
System Size: 16 kWh
System Components: eBoost Battery + Envy 8k Hybrid Inverter
The Need
For more than 13 seasons, Marty Raney has been the face of Homestead Rescue — the Discovery Channel series where he and his family travel across America helping struggling homesteaders build more resilient, self-sufficient lives. Whether it’s reinforcing a remote cabin against bear country, engineering water systems, or overhauling failing solar setups, Marty’s mission has always been the same: give people the tools and knowledge to truly live on their own terms.
At his own homestead in Hatcher’s Pass, a breathtaking but unforgiving stretch of backcountry outside Wasilla, Alaska, Marty and his wife Mollee know firsthand that off-grid solar in Alaska isn’t just a lifestyle choice, it’s a daily necessity. They raise animals, grow food, and embrace the hard work of sustainable living in one of the most demanding climates in North America.
But the energy system powering their home had become a liability. An aging inverter and outdated lead acid batteries were struggling to keep pace with the homestead’s growing energy demands. In Alaska’s brutal winters, cold weather performance is non-negotiable, and the old technology simply wasn’t delivering. Capacity was limited, reliability was in question, and it was time for an upgrade.
The Solution
Marty had worked alongside Fortress Power products while filming Homestead Rescue and seen firsthand what the systems could do for families in tough situations. When he decided it was time to fix his own energy problem, he reached out directly.
“I’ve worked with every single company you could imagine when it comes to solar. But my experience reaching out to Fortress Power and how they immediately responded to help people that were in need — it got my attention. I personally needed an upgrade on this homestead.”
Working with installer Patrick Schoonover of All Phase Electric — and with Fortress Power’s own Tim Coats on site to assist — the Raney homestead was upgraded with a fully off-grid system built around:
- Fortress Power eBoost 16 kWh energy storage system
- Fortress Power Envy 8K inverter
- Existing ground-mounted solar array
- Generator backup for extended low-sun periods
The eBoost was a natural fit for the Alaskan environment. Unlike older battery technologies that lose capacity and performance in extreme cold, the eBoost features a built-in heating element that keeps the system operating efficiently even in the harshest conditions — exactly what a remote homestead in Hatcher’s Pass demands.
Results
On installation day, Marty didn’t mince words about what the upgrade meant.
“This is a very big day — a life-changing day — which I normally say for other people on other homesteads. But I’m saying it today here. A life-changing day on this homestead because of Fortress Power.”
That’s high praise from someone who has helped hundreds of families transform their energy independence over more than a decade of television. For Marty and Mollee, the system delivers what their old setup never could: reliable, clean power that matches the demands of a working homestead through every season.
Tim Coats from Fortress Power, who was on site for the installation, put the technology in perspective: “The lithium iron phosphate batteries that we manufacture have been around for a while. They do have a strong reputation in the industry. They are safer. They have a much longer life cycle than previous technologies. They also have the ability to be used more efficiently than the older technology.”
Built for the Way They Live
The difference is tangible. Where the old lead acid batteries lost performance in cold snaps and couldn’t keep up with the homestead’s growing energy needs, the eBoost system, protected by its integrated heating element and backed by the Envy 8K inverter, handles the Alaskan climate on its own terms.
For Marty and Mollee Raney, this isn’t just an equipment upgrade. It’s a reflection of everything they stand for: doing things right, building to last, and never asking someone else to live a life you wouldn’t live yourself. On Homestead Rescue, Marty has given hundreds of families the tools to become truly self-sufficient. Now, on his own land in Hatcher’s Pass, Fortress Power has helped him do the same.
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