To live off grid by it's very deffinition is to live unconnected to the city power or water.
but you will still need energy. We will be focusing on sustainable energy options given the purpose
of this website is to educate about sustainable living.
There are three main options for energy scources when living off grid, solar,
wind, and hydropower. Each have an ideal environment in which they would be
most efficient. Hydro would be most effective near a source of flowing water or
an area with high presipitation. Solar would be effective in an area with a lot of
sun exposure and low cloud cover. lastly wind would work best in an open area with alot of
wind. You may also use multiple energy sources incase one of them fails or malfunctions.
Solar Energy
Solar Energy is an exelent way to produce off grid energy. It can be either passive, using natural sunlight and archetechture to harness the heat of sunlight without the use of equipment, and active,
using solar pannel equipment to convert sunlight into electricity.
Solar pannels are a good choise, however they require some maintinence and can be expensive. The averagecost to have them installed in the
united states is between $15,000 and $22,500. They come with some disadvantages, including the fact that they only generate electricity
with sun exposure, leaving night and areas with high cloud cover questionable. This can however be fixed by connecting them to a battery
to save energy for these circumstances. The best place to have solar pannels installed is a south facing roof, to maximise space
and get full sun exposure.
Passive solar energy is a free way to make the most of the sun's energy. It involves designing a house in a way that
harnesses the sun's natural heating abilities in cold times and blocking the sun in warm times. It acts by
having south facing windows with an over hanging roof, the winter sun shines into the window and the warmth is absorbed
by the room, and in the summer the roof shades the window from sunlight to prevent heat from entering the house.
Passive solar heating| American solar energy society
Wind Energy
Instalation
Consider zoning requirements in your area
Find the best location
Find a professional installer
HAVE ALL PERMITS!!
Check that the installer has an electritians license
Properly installed, it should last up to 20 years or longer
Price
Can range from $15,000 to $75,000 for a small wind turbine project
Outcome
Overall wind turbines are a good choice if you live in a highly windy area
They have downfalls such as the fact that they are dangerous to birds and aren't always reliable
They can be expensive, but under the right circumstances, will pay for themselves over time.
Small wind turbine systems can generate 3-15kWh of energy per day.
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