Off the Grid: Ready to Pull the Plug on City Power?

Houzz.com ^ | 4/14/2014 | Jen Dalley

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

"Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have. … Shall we always study to obtain more, and not sometimes be content with less?” ― Henry David Thoreau

Living with less, as Thoreau described in Walden, is something many of us seek. We need a reprieve from our gadget-filled lives, so we travel deep into the wilderness, where utility services are sparse and renewable resources are necessary. But what if we want to extend our limited-technology sojourns into a full-blown lifestyle?

Approximately 200,000 Americans have taken the plunge into true off-grid living. They’ve said goodbye to municipal services and embraced the challenges that come with independence from utility connections.

Whether you want to cut your home off the grid completely or simply take a few strides toward living in a more sustainable and energy-efficient manner, we’re here to help. In the next few months, with the guidance of off-grid dwellers and energy-efficiency experts, we’ll tackle the topics inherent in off-grid living, including siting a home, the building envelope, generating energy from renewable sources, water collection and waste disposal.

Before we dive deeply into each topic, though, let’s do an overview of the five components you’ll need to make off-grid living feasible.

1. A Conservation Mind-set

The advantages of an unlimited supply of electricity and water are numerous. Charging our many gadgets, changing the temperature of a room with the push of a button and taking long, hot showers are luxuries that many of us have come to expect. We pay our monthly bills (sometimes with an audible grumble) and never give a second thought about where our resources originate or if they will run out....

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

This article is an overview of several different issues to consider when looking at going "off the grid." A little bit "foofy" (with lots of pretty photos) but I thought it brought up good things to think about.

[maddog55]

I’m sure the legislators of America are working on ways to tax “off the grid” like a tax on what you “would have used” if currently on the grid.

[Pollster1]

FYI

[raybbr]

No mention of having lots of money to spend on this home in the firs place....

[neefer]

hot showers are luxuries that many of us have come to expect Indeed! Hubby and I bought property out of state where we have to haul spring water up hill in buckets, pour it through a funnel into the camper and use propane to heat it. After being there for a week or more, it's strange coming home to the city and letting the tap flow.