I think DIYSolarProject.com has meaningful income potential, but how much depends much more on the business model than on the domain itself.

From what I remember, your site is a WordPress/Divi site that's currently focused on DIY solar education. If you execute well, I would break the possibilities down like this:

The important part is where the money comes from.

1. Affiliate sales (Highest potential)

DIY solar products have high order values.

Examples include:

• Solar panels
• Batteries
• Inverters
• Charge controllers
• Mounting hardware
• Generators
• Wiring kits

A single sale can be worth anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars in affiliate commissions depending on the retailer or manufacturer.

Someone researching:

"How many batteries do I need for my cabin?"

is much closer to buying than someone casually reading about renewable energy.

2. Display advertising

Once you reach around 50,000+ monthly visitors, premium ad networks can become a meaningful revenue stream.

Typical DIY/home improvement sites often earn roughly:

• $15–40 RPM (revenue per 1,000 pageviews), though it varies by audience and season.

At 100,000 monthly pageviews that could translate into several thousand dollars per month from ads alone.

3. Digital products (My favorite)

This is where I think your biggest opportunity lies.

Examples:

• Solar sizing calculators
• Printable worksheets
• Off-grid planning spreadsheets
• Wiring diagrams
• Installation checklists
• Cabin solar planning guide
• RV solar guide
• Battery sizing guide

Even a $29 guide can outperform ad revenue if it's genuinely useful.

4. YouTube

Solar content performs very well because it's visual.

Videos like:

• Complete DIY Solar Installation
• 48V Battery Build
• EG4 Inverter Review
• How to Size Solar Panels
• Solar Mistakes I Made

can drive traffic back to your website while also earning ad revenue and affiliate income.

5. Lead generation

This can become surprisingly valuable.

For visitors who decide DIY isn't for them, you can connect them with installers and earn referral fees if you build relationships with reputable companies.

The biggest opportunity I see

I actually think your site should become known for solving problems rather than just publishing articles.

Imagine someone Googles:

"How many solar panels do I need?"

They land on your site and use an interactive calculator.

Then:

• they receive a downloadable PDF
• get a wiring diagram
• are shown recommended equipment
• click affiliate links
• subscribe to your email list

That one visitor could generate multiple revenue opportunities over time.

Competition

You're competing with sites like:

• EcoFlow
• Renogy
• Signature Solar
• Will Prowse

The good news is that many manufacturer sites are focused on selling products, while there's still room for an independent, educational resource that explains concepts clearly and recommends equipment based on real-world use.

What I would do if I owned DIYSolarProject.com

I'd aim to make it the go-to educational resource for DIY solar by publishing:

• 300–500 high-quality articles
• 20–30 interactive calculators
• downloadable PDFs and checklists
• comparison guides
• wiring diagrams
• complete project walkthroughs
• a YouTube channel that feeds traffic back to the site
• an email newsletter

That combination creates multiple revenue streams instead of relying on a single source.

My estimate

Assuming consistent publishing, good SEO, and strong affiliate partnerships:

• 1 year: $500–2,000/month is a realistic target.
• 2–3 years: $5,000–15,000/month is achievable if you build authority and rank for high-intent keywords.
• Long term: A well-established authority site in this niche could exceed $250,000/year, with exceptional sites earning substantially more through a mix of affiliates, ads, digital products, and sponsorships. Those results require sustained execution and aren't guaranteed.

From looking at the niche, I actually think the education and planning side of DIY solar is less saturated than the product review space. If you become the site people trust to answer questions before they buy, you'll be in a much stronger position than trying to compete solely on "best solar panel" review articles.

I actually think that's the biggest opportunity—not that the site is underperforming, but that it hasn't really chosen a business yet.

Spending 3–4 focused hours a day is enough to build a serious authority site over time, provided those hours go toward assets that compound (content, tools, SEO, and email), rather than constant redesigns or chasing new ideas.

Here's how I'd think about it.

Pick one mission

Instead of asking "What should I post today?", define what the site exists to do.

For example:

DIYSolarProject helps people confidently design, build, and troubleshoot their own solar power systems.

That mission naturally suggests content, tools, and products.

Build assets, not pages

Every day, ask yourself:

"Will this still be generating traffic or revenue three years from now?"

Things that compound:

• High-quality articles
• Interactive calculators
• Wiring diagrams
• Downloadable PDFs
• Email subscribers
• Evergreen YouTube videos
• SEO improvements

Things that usually don't:

• Changing themes
• Tweaking fonts
• Rearranging menus
• Installing another plugin
• Endless redesigns

A simple 3–4 hour daily workflow

If I were running this project, I'd structure it something like:

Hour 1: Research

• Find keywords
• Answer real questions from forums
• Study competitors
• Plan one article

Hours 2–3: Build

• Write one article
• Improve an existing article
• Create a calculator
• Make a wiring diagram

Hour 4: Grow

• Internal linking
• Technical SEO
• Email list
• Outreach
• Analytics review

The goal is to finish each day with one new or improved asset.

Become known for something

A common mistake is trying to cover everything about solar.

Instead, become the best at a specific set of problems.

For example:

"The best site on the internet for designing off-grid solar systems."

Then create content around:

• Solar sizing
• Battery sizing
• Inverter sizing
• Wire sizing
• Charge controllers
• Voltage drop
• Wiring diagrams
• Common mistakes
• Troubleshooting

That creates topical authority, which search engines tend to reward.

A one-year roadmap

Rather than thinking in months, I'd think in completed assets.

For example:

• 100 in-depth articles
• 10 calculators
• 25 wiring diagrams
• 20 downloadable PDFs
• 50 YouTube videos
• 1 email course
• 1 flagship guide

Those pieces reinforce one another.

Measure the right things

Instead of checking revenue every week, track leading indicators:

• Articles published
• Organic clicks
• Search impressions
• Keywords ranking
• Email subscribers
• Returning visitors
• Backlinks earned

Revenue usually follows if those numbers trend upward.

Where I think AI can give you an edge

This is the part that excites me most.

Many websites use AI to churn out generic articles. You could use it to build genuinely useful tools:

• Solar array sizing calculator
• Battery bank planner
• Wire gauge calculator
• Voltage drop calculator
• Load estimator
• System cost estimator
• Printable project planner
• Interactive wiring diagrams
• Troubleshooting decision trees

These are the kinds of resources people bookmark, share, and link to.

If it were my project

I wouldn't think of DIYSolarProject.com as a blog. I'd think of it as a platform for DIY solar planning and education.

The articles bring visitors in, the tools solve problems, the email list keeps people engaged, and the product recommendations and digital resources generate revenue.

With 3–4 hours a day, done consistently for a year, I think you could create something that stands out in this niche. The biggest shift isn't working more—it's having a clear definition of what "done" looks like each day.

One idea I'd suggest is treating this like a software project rather than a content project. Maintain a visible roadmap (even a simple Kanban board), where every completed article, calculator, diagram, or feature is a permanent asset. That approach makes progress tangible and helps avoid the "whimsical" cycle of jumping between unrelated ideas.

You're welcome! And I think you've already identified the one thing that matters most: the lack of focus, not the lack of ability.

One thing stood out from what you said:

"It's been mostly whimsical."

I don't hear that as a criticism. I hear someone who enjoys building things. That's actually a strength—you've clearly kept the project alive because you like creating. The challenge is channeling that creativity into a system where each new thing makes the whole site more valuable.

A principle I'd suggest adopting is:

Every week, build something that someone can find, use, and benefit from a year from now.

That mindset changes decisions. A wire gauge calculator is better than another homepage tweak. A comprehensive battery-sizing guide is better than trying out a new page builder effect.

If I were your project manager...

I'd set one ambitious but achievable goal:

By July 2027, DIYSolarProject.com should be the website that DIY solar enthusiasts recommend first when someone asks, "Where do I learn how to design my own system?"

That goal naturally drives decisions.

Every new article, calculator, wiring diagram, and troubleshooting guide either moves you closer to that reputation or it doesn't.

The first milestone

Don't think about revenue first. Think about becoming indispensable to a specific audience.

For example, imagine reaching a point where your site has:

• 50 cornerstone articles
• 10 interactive calculators
• 20 wiring diagrams
• 100+ answers to common DIY questions
• A growing email list
• A library of project examples

At that stage, monetization becomes much easier because you're already helping people solve real problems.

I'd also encourage you to document the journey

Since you're building the site yourself, consider occasionally writing about how you built a calculator, tested a battery bank, or solved a wiring issue. Those behind-the-scenes insights can become valuable content in their own right and help establish trust.

I'd be happy to work alongside you

This kind of long-term project is something I can help with consistently. For example, I can assist with:

• Planning a content calendar around high-value search topics.
• Designing interactive calculators and tools.
• Improving technical SEO and site structure.
• Writing or editing articles while keeping a consistent voice.
• Developing custom WordPress/Divi features when needed.
• Reviewing analytics and helping prioritize what to build next.

Rather than treating each conversation as a one-off task, we can use them to steadily build an authority site.

I think the next logical step is to create a 12-month development roadmap with quarterly milestones, a weekly workflow, and a prioritized backlog of articles, tools, and features. That would give you a clear plan so that when you sit down for your 3–4 hours each day, you're building toward a larger vision instead of deciding what to work on. I think that kind of roadmap would make it much easier to stay focused and measure progress.