Would You Like To Live off the Grid?
Are you wanting to get away from the hectic life and live off the grid? Are you tired of your high electric bills? It used to be that only the rough rugged survivalist used to choose to live this way. But today many more people are deciding to get off the grid so that they can for one thing save money on their electric bills. The other main reason to choose to live off the grid though, is that they have found a piece of property, that is too far from the grid to be hooked up to.
If you’re building a new home on your property, then you should decide on what sort of power you want to use in your home before construction begins. Since you’re moving here to live off the grid, you should make your energy source part of your home from the ground up.
If you want to use solar energy, then the important thing is that your property will get enough direct sunlight to generate the power you need. You’ll get the best results from your solar power system by installing it to face south. Before you install this system, you’ll also want to know how much power you’ll need to generate to supply your home with electricity and provide hot water.
Supposing that your property is located in a region where steady winds are the norm, then you might want to consider using some wind turbines in conjunction with your solar power system. Between the two you should be able to generate enough electricity to supply your home.
Now you will also need to think how you are going to support yourself, if you are so far off the grid, that you have to quit your job to live there. This means often times developing new talents or ones that have been dormant for years.
For instance, if you grew up farming and have a knack for it, you could start an organic farm. This is a means of supporting yourself which fits well with living off the grid. Your home and your livelihood would both be environmentally friendly and sustainable.
You might be an artist that is planning to do their artwork and sell it. This is a great off the grid profession to do. Maybe you are a painter and can use the spaces around you for inspiration for your paintings. Being a writer can also be done off the grid and with today’s cell phones you can still easily stay in touch with the rest of the world without using too much power. Just be sure you have cell surface where you are going to live.
So does living off the grid appeal to you? Just remember that you will have to use conservation methods too along with the solar and/or wind energy to make it successfully. You cannot be an energy hog and live off the grid too.