Moving to ak to live off grid lifestyle (Bethel: rental, place to live)

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

There are many places in the state where there you can just go put bucket under a natural flowing spring. There is one up Buffalo Mine Road where the locals who don't have running water get their water, there are many other places like that. So the water is free, care should be taken to make sure it's pure. Most people just pump water out of their wells assuming that it's pure, that water should be tested as well.

That may work great from April through October, but good luck getting water in that manner from November through March. A wind powered water well might work, but even that is iffy.

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by Glitch

The term "off grid" means using only the power you produce yourself. You can forget about solar power. For six months of the year, when you need power the most, it will be virtually useless. Additionally, if you plan on having a well, you will need a minimum of 5,000 watts of power in order to use it.

You are also grossly underestimating your water needs. The average American uses 176 gallons of water per day.

Sources:
Average Water Use Per Person Per Day
Water.org

There is that architect up in Fairbanks that made a house supposedly solar powered all year long, I think he has special batteries and is fairly wealthy so perhaps his technology is not affordable for the average greenie.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Builder uses solar power to heat Fairbanks home in the winter

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by Glitch

That may work great from April through October, but good luck getting water in that manner from November through March. A wind powered water well might work, but even that is iffy.

There is snow and ice free for the taking that time of year.

Coming from someone who has actually lived off the grid for extensive periods of time in Alaska I can tell you that it isn't possible to continue your current lifestyle off the grid. Of I should say it isn't possible without spending much more money to do it than if you lived on the grid.

The best way to make it work is to forgo electricity, or at least most electricity. Use lamps for light, and use them sparingly. If you expect to use even 1/2 the amount of electricity that you use now you are unrealistic or able to spend a lot of money.

Bath day is Saturday...forget about showers every morning. And if you have kids, that bath water can be used at least 2X. It's possible for a family of 5 to use about 50 gallons of water or less per day. No plumbing allowed, that shouldn't even need to be said.

Live in a MUCH smaller house. Make it a much smaller and much more efficient house. Heat with wood, (or with coal if you can get it free).

Work a seasonal job so that you don't have to work in the winter because that is when you will be working hardest to live off the grid.

I can keep going but the above reasons are the reasons why most of us who choose to participate in society also choose to live on the grid.

[Metlakatla]

I agree with what Marty has said, and I've spent a lot of my time living "off grid." At the risk of sounding like a "sourdough," it's tough to have it both ways, with the advantages of both and the disadvantages of neither. Actually, it's probably impossible. But the lifestyle that the OP really wants to have is entirely doable provided work opportunities are close to where they end up settling.

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by kay4ford

That is a great I really like it. Let me try to explain how we want to live here in this great place. We want to be what we consider off grid and I am learning there are diffrent meanings for OFF GRID we do not want to live in the bush we want to drive to our house I want my kids to go to public schools a small one if we can we want to keep using are solar panels and use well water or by water yet I havent found where you can buy 150 gallons of water at a time i will keep internet and cell phones also will have jobs All i can say is that Alaska is better than I ever dreamed and winter is something we are more prepared for than anything I cant wait to go snow maching for the very first time oh ya

There are places where you can buy water. I'll find out where they are and let you know. I know that people buy water and haul their own in 200 gallon tanks in the back of their pickup.

If you are willing to buy a lot that you can drive to but not have electricity you will be able to find a much better price.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by gobrien

There is that architect up in Fairbanks that made a house supposedly solar powered all year long, I think he has special batteries and is fairly wealthy so perhaps his technology is not affordable for the average greenie.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Builder uses solar power to heat Fairbanks home in the winter

I am seriously impressed. I certainly would have been one of those telling him it was impossible. The article title is somewhat misleading. It implies that solar power was the sole source of heat during the winter, which was not the case. Secondly, even though the article was written in March 2011, it references the article of the home in 2010. The article also states that during a two month period he used one cord of wood.

While I readily admit that one cord of wood over a two month period (December and January) is very efficient, I would have to say that its efficiency has more to do with his 22", R40, walls than his solar panels.

Since these are thermal solar panels and not photoelectric solar panels, the amount of electricity being used to run his pumps for the glycol becomes an issue. Something the article fails to mention.

For Alaska home construction, particularly in the Interior, I think double-wall 2x6 construction is one of the best methods. It makes the home very energy efficient, regardless of the heat source. It is also almost twice as expensive of as a home of similar size.

Even with double-wall 2x6 construction, plus the two inch gap between walls, we are talking about a 14" thick wall. The home in the article says it had 22" walls, that is another 8" thicker. You could probably heat that place with a candle.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

There is snow and ice free for the taking that time of year.

Coming from someone who has actually lived off the grid for extensive periods of time in Alaska I can tell you that it isn't possible to continue your current lifestyle off the grid. Of I should say it isn't possible without spending much more money to do it than if you lived on the grid.

The best way to make it work is to forgo electricity, or at least most electricity. Use lamps for light, and use them sparingly. If you expect to use even 1/2 the amount of electricity that you use now you are unrealistic or able to spend a lot of money.

Bath day is Saturday...forget about showers every morning. And if you have kids, that bath water can be used at least 2X. It's possible for a family of 5 to use about 50 gallons of water or less per day. No plumbing allowed, that shouldn't even need to be said.

Live in a MUCH smaller house. Make it a much smaller and much more efficient house. Heat with wood, (or with coal if you can get it free).

Work a seasonal job so that you don't have to work in the winter because that is when you will be working hardest to live off the grid.

I can keep going but the above reasons are the reasons why most of us who choose to participate in society also choose to live on the grid.

I am glad you mentioned how hard it is to live that life-style, especially during the winter. I never meant to imply that someone could not live off the grid.

If I could live off the grid, and still have the creature comforts I have come to enjoy (namely indoor plumbing and central heating) without all the work at the same cost that I am paying now, or less, I would do so in a heart-beat.

I am currently looking into the cost of going half-off the grid. Such as using LP/NG to produce my own electricity, and selling-off what I do not use back to the electric utility company. That will not happen, however, until the price of LP/NG drops considerably.

[Marty Van Diest]

OK...just found out you can buy water at the car wash in Palmer. You need to get your own hose with the correct fitting. I think it's a 1 inch or or 1 1/4 inch hose. It costs about $10 for 200 gallons and takes about 10 minutes to fill.

[kay4ford]

Originally Posted by Glitch

The term "off grid" means using only the power you produce yourself. You can forget about solar power. For six months of the year, when you need power the most, it will be virtually useless. Additionally, if you plan on having a well, you will need a minimum of 5,000 watts of power in order to use it.

You are also grossly underestimating your water needs. The average American uses 176 gallons of water per day.

Sources:
Average Water Use Per Person Per Day
Water.org

I strongly disagree with this Me and my family of 4 lived off of 300 gallons of water a week not day a week we just use less for showers and conserve and if more people lived with 12 volt lights power consuption is much less. And we probally found a place with everything already on the land. This is such a blessing.

[starlite9]

You'd be supprised how little water a person can use to get by in the "off grid" lifestyle. A standpoint well (if you have a shallow water table) and 12v pump can supply what you need as well. Winter you have snowmelt, put in a storage tank and pull rainwater off the roof.... Basically your limited by you imagination and thinking outside the box

Good luck.