“Tell me and I forget,
teach me and I may remember,
involve me and I learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin
For some people, it seems that what they see in their mind when they hear the term “living off grid” is a tiny one room shack with a single light. We were a little amused when someone asked us one day if we had running water and a sewage system. I suppose in times past those may have been legitimate questions but living a life “off grid” has come a long way.
I’ve also heard it said more than once - “it must be nice to have free power”. Here’s how I respond;
“There’s no such thing as free power”
Living off grid doesn't mean having free power and the installation of a good system is also not free. Plain and simple - someone has to design the system and someone has to install it. The designer and installer can be one and the same or separate entities. There are only two possible options here, you or someone else. That said, there may be a way to blend the two together so that you do some of the work and someone else does part of it also.
Doing a portion, or all of it yourself, is part of the enjoyment, reward, and education of it all. If you really want to live off grid and be a part of putting your own system together- be encouraged- you can do it! All of that rocket science stuff has already been taken care of by others.
At times it may feel overwhelming, just take it one day at a time, one learning experience at a time, and don't get overloaded with how much there is to know. Find the right people to help guide you; then you can really enjoy the journey. It truly is amazing to learn that YOU can put together your own electricity generating plant.
Think of it this way – when you got your first job you knew very little and you went to work each day and learned something you didn’t know the day before – right? This is no different. You decide to do it, and then you get up every day and learn something you didn’t know the day before and day by day, you will be educating yourself and gaining an understanding that will make the end result a success for you!
When purchasing the components of your system remember this: You get what you pay for. If you buy only the cheapest parts, you should probably set some money aside to replace them fairly soon. Good quality components sold by reputable companies are the best bet!
How do you figure it all out?
There is a process that will tell you what you need to know. The first step is to evaluate your life, make a list of what you use, what you really need and what you are willing to live without. In some cases you may not need to give up something that you feel is important, you may just need to change that thing to better suit off grid living – case in point - a clothes dryer. Laundry is a necessity not a luxury. Everyone needs clothes and eventually they need washing and drying, the question for the off grid home is how best to accomplish this. I will do my best to outline what needs to be considered for a home that will not frustrate and disappoint you.
Let’s address these things one at a time to see how they work for the off grid home. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.
Most of us don’t want to live like a hermit in a cave and living off grid doesn’t mean you have to. This site is not about living an extreme off grid experience, this is about what I call “normal living”. There are always some who want to go to an extreme and that’s fine if it’s what you want to do. For our family, we wanted to live as normally as possible but we did understand that we could certainly make some adjustments and, we were willing to make them.
Next; "Everyone needs water!"