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I'm wondering if it's actually feasible to live off the grid and not spend an as& load of money doing it??
I figure you'd have to collect rain water/have a well
you'd probably need solar panels or some other means for energy
you'd need somewhere for your waste to go
and I'm sure I'm forgetting some other essentials. SO...... is it pretty expensive to live off the grid (or at least SET UP to live off the grid??)
These guys are going off-grid and it seems they're doing it rather affordably. They do have propane and a backup generator, however its pretty tough to have traditional appliances on an all-electric off-grid setup.
As for your specific issues listed above, here are my thoughts: I figure you'd have to collect rain water/have a well: Absolutely. Depending on your climate and geography, one or both would make sense. It could be possible to collect rainwater and have it in a gravity-fed setup requiring no power, or with a hand pump attached. However, a small pump powered by solar/wind w/ battery backup would probably be most ideal. you'd probably need solar panels or some other means for energy: Again, depending on your climate and homesite, solar and/or wind are great sources for power generation. If you're off-grid, you'll also need a battery bank for storing power to use during low/no sunlight hours. This will almost certainly be your largest cost when going off-grid unless you are someone who can get by w/ next to no amenities. you'd need somewhere for your waste to go: This might be one of your easier hurdles to clear. A dry composting toilet will work great and provide you w/ outstanding compost for your garden. You could also set up a water garden or other means of filtering greywater after it exits your home. A more expensive alternative would be a greywater recycling system that would convert greywater to non-potable water suitable for bathing, toilet flushing, etc...
IMO, the other major factor in going off-grid is taking inventory of all your power-consuming gadgets/appliances/etc... and minimizing them. This is something that Lisa & Mike have done a tremendous job with in their project linked above. Bringing down consumption will obviuosly bring down your power generation requirements, and thus the cost to purchase solar/wind/battery equipment.
We just grid-tied our small ranch after being completely off-grid for almost 7 years. Just because you're off-grid doesn't mean you can't have a well or septic system. We have both and our solar and wind power systems run the well pump with no outages ever.
It does take money to start with, depending on how big you start. We started small and added components over a couple of years. We have most of the conveniences that everyone else has: fridge, washer/dryer, coffeemaker, microwave, etc.; you just have to match your demands with your power system.
some areas of the country such as colorado it is illegal to do rain water collection.
Never heard that one before. I am sure no one enforces that law though. These laws are put in place just so the establishment (water companies, government etc.) can make an extra dollar off your labor. No thanks.
None the less though you should definitely do your homework before going off grid. AVOID places that have ridiculous laws like that or areas that have restrictions like no tomorrow (ie. suburban areas). I'll take my money elsewhere.
As far as going off grid goes though you'll need to make your own wind mills etc. Making your own wind mill is pretty easy just look it up on the internet. All these pre-built wind mills are basically a rip off. Also do some research on producing your own alcohol fuel. You can use nearly any plant material to produce it and it can be burned in internal combustion engines. You can even run your car off the stuff. So much for having no choice other than gasoline huh?
I'd say the first thing you want to do though is start your own garden and plant fruit trees. You'll save thousands in food bills. Your food will also be of better quality as well.
Last edited by killer2021; 12-17-2008 at 01:54 AM..
Never heard that one before. I am sure no one enforces that law though. These laws are put in place just so the establishment (water companies, government etc.) can make an extra dollar off your labor. No thanks.
None the less though you should definitely do your homework before going off grid. AVOID places that have ridiculous laws like that or areas that have restrictions like no tomorrow (ie. suburban areas). I'll take my money elsewhere.
As far as going off grid goes though you'll need to make your own wind mills etc. Making your own wind mill is pretty easy just look it up on the internet. All these pre-built wind mills are basically a rip off. Also do some research on producing your own alcohol fuel. You can use nearly any plant material to produce it and it can be burned in internal combustion engines. You can even run your car off the stuff. So much for having no choice other than gasoline huh?
I'd say the first thing you want to do though is start your own garden and plant fruit trees. You'll save thousands in food bills. Your food will also be of better quality as well.
It's my understanding that in CO they do take that law seriously and try enforcing it.
I'm wondering if it's actually feasible to live off the grid and not spend an as& load of money doing it??
I live totally off the "grid". My home is totally solar powered (including cooling, pool, lighting, heating and cooling etc). I am on a well. We use cell phones for our telephone. We do use propane for our outdoor kitchen.
The cost of the system was some $75,000 to install (solar) but with the tax credits and rebates we qualified for, the net cost was around $25,000.
We have a battery backup system which we have yet to engage (except to test).
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