Off grid??

[fuelfarmer]

Being new to the forum, how many are completely off grid? Are you off grid by choice, or did location make the choice for you? 

[Jedon]

I'm completely off grid, the location forced my hand but I like the idea.

[rcavictim]

I'm working on it, like it's my only job and my religion.

[JohnF]

I was off-grid for 5 years, only went back on due to installation of a solar tracker that sells all the power back to the grid.  I still run on engines during the day but use the grid as my battery source at night.

[mobile_bob]

my goal for the last dozen years or so was to be completely offgrid even though power was available in the beginning about 600 ft away, and later closer than 200 ft, however physical limitations gave me a reality check and i bought an existing grid connected home in town.

having said that i am still committed to cutting the umbilical cord once i get moved, settled in and get some remodeling done to make the place
what we want and need it to be.

the place even though connected to all the normal city utilities, has two wells, one of which is within the house with ample water only 20 ft down so getting away from city water should be easy enough.

getting rid of the electric bill will also be no problem as i have enough solar panel wattage to accomplish that goal.

cutting ties with the natural gas company doesn't make economic sense however, so i will likely keep it connected, and cutting ties
with city sewer and garbage pickup doesn't make sense because its just more convenient to use those services than work out an alternative.

i am keeping the 10 acres outside of town and will hopefully build a small cabin at some point in the future, then i can have at least one place that is totally offgrid.

getting back to the city place, i just received my second electric bill for an unoccupied house, the refrigerator and central air furnace maintained consumed 200 kw/hrs for the month, and the bill was for 56 dollars,  that works out to a true cost of 26 cents per kwatt hour
at that consumption level.  i can beat the power company with cogen at those rates very easily, and 200 kwatt hours is about what i would be able to get the bill down too if i used a PV system.

while there is not a huge amount of money to be saved at that level, its enough to pay for a modest diy'er system, at least enough so to make the hobby more or less self supporting.  at least that is what i will be telling myself.



bob g

[mike90045]

Am moving to new home off grid:

[luv2weld]

Location did it for me.
27 miles to the nearest phone lines, power lines, hard-topped roads, etc.
Nearest neighbor (human type) is 4 miles. Critters are everywhere.
The silence is deafening.

Ralph

[fuelfarmer]

The reason I asked the question is that most, if not all, the people I know who were off grid for " group religious beliefs" got on the grid as fast as they could when the group was allowed to do so. It seems it is much cheaper to buy electricity than make it at this time. I would like the option to go off grid at some point when or if the do do hits the fan. I do have back up power, but I can't see feeding a 30 HP gas engine to keep the lights on for an extended time. The first step for me would be to find a listeroid that could burn home grown fuel, and treat it like a hobby. Later add things like ground source cooling and a long list of other possibilities.     

[rcavictim]

Location did it for me.
27 miles to the nearest phone lines, power lines, hard-topped roads, etc.
Nearest neighbor (human type) is 4 miles. Critters are everywhere.
The silence is deafening.

Ralph

Way to go Ralph!  What's the nearest major town or city and how far?  Just wondering approximately where you are without revealing your hiding place.

[Tom Reed]

Off grid here for 3 years now. Power is 1 mile away. Cheaper to buy solar. Wouldn't go back. 

[Jedon]

I can't see feeding a 30 HP gas engine to keep the lights on for an extended time

Are those grow lights?! Oh and gas engines are terrible consumers of fuel and break down more often, get a 6HP diesel and some batteries.
I have 780W of PV, Hydro producing 100-200W and a 12HP generator I run for a few hours at night to run the well and watch TV.
I have 3 computers, a 62" HDTV, Satellite DVR, routers, 3G internet, 36cf normal fridge, full size freezer I keep out on the porch etc, basically a normal house although we don't have or need AC and heat with a woodstove.
When I clean the rats nest out of my ST5 I'll run in the evenings with the 6/1, 3KW is plenty.

[mbryner]

Off grid now for 2 whole months!   Not for religious reasons or anything like that.  Power is 2000 ft away.   Pacific Power wanted $40-50K to bring up power, and I always thought it would be cool to make my own.   Spent $40+k for 3200watts of solar panels, 7.2 kw of inverters, 16 L-16 batts, etc.   Got $20k back in tax credits.   I'm still $20-30k ahead and no power bills.   Of course I've burned about 40 gallons in diesel for our Listeroid this winter for backup power when it's been raining.   See the story at:   www.docbryner.com/mossy_hollow/

BTW, hats off to you, Ralph!  That's pretty remote!

Marcus

[BioHazard]

Unfortunately I'm a bit too much of a city boy to move away from the grid, but, I am very interested in getting some recreation property in timbuktu. (yes, really, the town of Timbuktu) I can't give up my suburban lifestyle but there's a lot of times I want to say to hell with the neighbors!  

I would go off grid just for the hell of it, but really, the grid here is high quality and a great value. My power has only gone out once in 10 years, for about an hour, and I got a notice on my door a week before it happened. Only 4cents/kwh at night. How can I pass that up?

But for some reason I still have a strong urge to have generators. The more the better. Testing them with heat loads is about all they ever get to do...*sigh*

I'm designing and building a new light industrial shop for me and my business, I plan on building and installing a natural gas cogen system with diesel and propane backup simply to use that as my "heater". Basically the engine will be my boiler and produce electricity as a "waste product". I don't really have a good explanation why...I just want an "engine room".

I am definately interested in installing a solar system in the near future as prices fall and tax incentives go up...

[KeithO]

I unplugged the grid for about 5 years after having hassles with my power supply company during a rather tough time.

I would rather pay more to make my own power than be dictated to.

[injin man]

Currently working on my off grid plans for my proposed new house
on my property. Currently getting power for the container/shop from
solar/batteries. You definitely have to plan better to use alternative
power sources, but as I get closed to 'retirement' it's ok by me.