Many people dream of the independence and self-reliance that comes from living off the grid. They picture a relaxed lifestyle free of energy bills, power outages and water use restrictions. Indeed, supplying your own water, electricity and heat has its perks, but it also comes with a few challenges. Here’s how to navigate five of the most common hurdles associated with off-grid living.
1. Complying With Off-Grid Laws
One of the most confusing aspects of going off the grid is navigating red tape. Some things to consider include:
Regional Variations
If you live in the U.S., you may already be aware that individual states — and even the different jurisdictions within each state — have unique laws when it comes to off-grid living.
For example, Arkansas allows you to collect rainwater, but only for non-potable purposes. Some states penalize you for installing solar panels while others encourage their use. In most cities and towns, disconnecting from the power grid is illegal, so check whether your property is technically in a municipal zone before going off the grid.
Homeowner Associations
Another factor you may have to contend with is a homeowner association (HOA). If your property is within city limits, an HOA could decide whether you’re allowed to set up an off-grid energy system on your property. Many states have laws — such as solar access laws — that require HOAs to allow you to use off-grid electricity, but some do not. Look up the laws in your state to find out if an HOA can legally govern your energy use.
Zoning
How your land is zoned strongly affects how you can use it. In Texas, for example, land zoned for agriculture enjoys relatively lax laws regarding electricity, sewage and water hookups, but you still have to comply with certain restrictions. Unrestricted land has fewer regulations on it than a homeowner association would impose, but it still has to comply with zoning laws. Unzoned land in the same state has virtually unlimited uses.
If you live in a place where off-grid power is legal, you will still likely need to follow strict building codes and allow your property to be inspected. Zoning laws are in place to prevent fires that could impact the whole community, as well as to ensure emergency services can reach your house should you need them.
Zoning laws also allow the Census Bureau to get an accurate count of how many people live in the community. The Census Bureau uses this information to decide how much tax money to allocate to schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other essential services.
Residential Requirements
U.S. law requires you to live in a permanent dwelling on your off-grid property. Cars and tents, even if you supply them with electricity, do not meet this requirement. You must build or buy a structure to meet off-grid property laws. If you do want to live in a temporary structure, you must acquire temporary camping permits and renew them every month or year, depending on where you live.
2. Creating a Secondary Power Source
Let’s say you use solar panels to power your off-grid home energy system. If you don’t use battery storage — or if you live in a place with periods of extended darkness, like Alaska — you’ll need a secondary source of power as a backup. Otherwise, you might be in for some very chilly nights, and you could lose your phone or internet connection if you have one.
Generators
Many people use a generator as a backup. Generators typically run on natural gas, propane, gasoline, diesel or biofuel. To keep the lights on through a long winter, natural disaster or other period in which your solar panels are offline, buy your fuel in bulk and keep it in a storage tank.
Make sure the tank complies with state, federal and local standards. For example, if you want to store propane, you’ll need to follow the NFPA 58 and API 2510 guidelines to be in compliance with fuel handling and storage laws.
Only run your generator outdoors and keep it at least 20 feet away from your home. Never put it in a shed or garage. If it’s raining or snowing heavily outside, you can protect your generator with a generator tent or enclosure — most hardware stores sell these products.
Another important aspect of running a portable generator is to not plug it directly into your home’s wall sockets, a practice known as backfeeding. Backfeeding is illegal because it poses an extreme electrocution risk. Instead, you should plug appliances directly into the generator using an outdoor-rated extension cord. You can also plug the generator into a properly installed automatic or manual transfer switch to safely power your home.
[Editor’s note: Don’t be a jerk. Use a generator properly and everyone, even the guy or gal fixing your downed power lines in the middle of a storm, will thank you. Also, NEVER run a generator in any enclosed or partially enclosed space as they produce voluminous amounts of carbon monoxide, which can easily kill you.]
Wood-Burning Stoves
If you don’t have a generator, it’s wise to at least have a wood-burning stove or fireplace in your home. You can use it to cook food and stay warm in the winter during a power outage.
Chop plenty of firewood in advance so it has time to dry out before you need it. Air-dried firewood takes at least six months to get to less than 20% moisture, and certain hardwoods can take years to fully dry. Consider buying your initial stock of cordwood and then adding to it over the years with trees from your property.
[Editor’s note: I say it’s much more cost-effective to pay someone else to cut and chop firewood, but then I’m old and lazy. :)]
3. Purchasing Wind and Solar Systems
Together, wind and solar power make up 12% of global electricity. They’re both excellent choices for off-grid living because they rely on something your property already has — wind and sunlight. You won’t need to buy any fuel to power your daily operations, and in the event of a city-wide grid outage, you’ll be doing just fine. Your neighbors might even come over to stay warm!
There are a few factors to consider when deciding on a home wind or solar system:
- Optimal location: If you live north of the equator, you’ll need to angle your solar panels to face true south. If you’re south of the equator, they should face true north. For wind turbines, look for the highest, clearest spot on your property or choose a roof-mounted model.
- Style: For solar panels, choose between monocrystalline, polycrystalline or thin-film styles, then pick one that works best for your lifestyle. You can buy classic roof-mounted panels, ground-mounted panels or even solar tiles that mimic the appearance of roof tiles.
- Energy requirements: A typical home uses 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. To cover those needs, you will likely need a wind turbine rated for 5 to 15 kW, or between 15 and 19 solar panels.
- Upfront cost: A wind turbine system that can supply 10,000 kWh runs between $15,000 and $75,000 depending on local costs, not accounting for government incentives. Solar panels would likely cost anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 before accounting for the federal solar tax credit.
- Time to return on investment: Wind turbines and solar panels have a high upfront cost, but they usually pay for themselves in the long run. Determine how much energy you generally use and how much electricity your energy system will generate. Then, account for the initial cost of the system to calculate when you’ll see a return on your investment.
While you’re in the planning and building phase, consider switching to a clean energy provider in your area. You can even use a hybrid system where you generate some of your own energy while still supplementing it with power from the grid. This hybrid approach can make the transition to fully renewable, off-grid power easier and less expensive.
[Editor’s note: Be very, very wary of any solar salesman (or company) as some will tell you anything you want to hear, only to find out shortly after installation that the solar system you thought would lower your bills to near zero didn’t do much at all and, worst of all, you still have a huge, long-term loan to pay off. Please do your research before signing on the dotted line!]
4. Buying a Storage Battery
As long as the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, your off-grid energy system will generate power. But what about at night or during a storm? If you were connected to the grid, the utility company would step in to ensure you didn’t lose power at night — but you’re on your own now. To reliably keep your air conditioner running, you’ll need a battery to store excess energy for later.
The three main types of home storage batteries you can buy are:
Flow Batteries
Flow batteries are still an emerging technology. They’re the longest-lasting battery type — enjoying a potential life span of up to 30 years — and require very little maintenance or care. Flow batteries are expensive and have a low energy density, meaning they take up a lot of space for comparatively little storage. They appear to have few safety issues.
Lead Acid Batteries
These are the cheapest type of home storage batteries. As long as you install and maintain them correctly, they have a solid safety profile. However, lead acid batteries do require regular maintenance and ventilation and have a life span of just five to 10 years. Trojan and Deka are two of the main manufacturers of these types of batteries.
Lithium-Ion Batteries
The most popular of all home storage batteries, lithium-ion models hold a lot of energy in very little space. They don’t require any maintenance on your part and have a life span of up to 20 years. Lithium-ion batteries are the most expensive option. SolarEdge, Generac, Franklin, LG Chem, Tesla and Enphase are just some of the manufacturers who make these widely used batteries.
[Editor’s note: Many lithium batteries can’t be charged in freezing cold temperatures, so be sure you understand how to keep them heated so as not to damage them. That said, some batteries have thermal cutoffs and other protections, so do your research before investing thousands into a battery that may be useless if used improperly.]
5. Supplying Your Own Water
One of the perks of supplying your own water is not having to pay a monthly water bill. When living off the grid, you have a few options for procuring your own water:
A Well
A well is a human-made hole that bores deep into the ground to reach an aquifer. Many off-grid homesteaders rely on well water, with shallow wells being the most common source of water for off-grid living.
After digging a hole into a source less than 100 feet below the ground, you’ll need to install a pipe and well pump to bring water to the surface. The well will connect to your home’s plumbing — no need to fetch water in a bucket the old-fashioned way. One downside of a well is that it relies on electricity to keep the pump running, so you need to ensure you have a steady energy supply before deciding on a well.
Rainwater Catchment
Depending on how much rainfall you get, you can use a rainwater catchment system on its own or as a supplement to well water. Many people use rainwater harvesting systems as a backup since particularly dry years could leave you without water.
Rainwater catchment systems range from simple rain barrels that collect water from a downspout to purification systems that connect directly to your plumbing. All systems consist of at least three parts:
- Gutters that collect rain as it flows off your roof
- Pipes that direct the water into a container
- A storage container that holds the rainwater
Simple models allow you to collect rain to water your garden or flush an outdoor toilet. More advanced systems come equipped with a UV water purifier to kill bacteria and viruses. Depending on where you live, you may also be allowed to connect a rainwater catchment system to your home’s indoor plumbing to use the water for drinking, bathing and cooking.
Surface Water
A third potential water source is a nearby spring, river or lake. If you’re still shopping for an off-grid property, look for one with a water source you can use as a backup for your well or rain catchment system. The reason it’s best to use surface water as a backup is that water levels and flow rates can vary throughout the year.
You can use a pump to collect large volumes of water from lakes, streams and rivers. Or, you can divert the water where you need it to go by digging a culvert or gulley.
It’s important to ensure the water is on your property and that you have the right to collect it. There are often separate ordinances governing how much water you can remove from a stream and whether you can change the stream’s direction for homesteading purposes.
You should always filter and purify surface water before using it, as bacteria, viruses, pesticides, fertilizer and manure from surrounding farms can cause contamination.
Navigating the Off-Grid Lifestyle
Nobody said going off grid would be easy. Setting up your own energy system, water and heat can be a challenge. However, at the end of the day — when you avoid citywide blackouts, don’t have an energy bill and can enjoy a meal you made using your own solar panels — it will all be worth it.
So, power through the process now so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor later. That’s what the off-grid lifestyle is all about.
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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