Question by Joel: Cost of living off the grid?
Could I enjoy the same luxuries living off the grid as I would living ‘on’ the grid, if they have the most modern setup of solar arrays, wind power, batteries etc?
Could I still run my ps3, hdtv, computer, laptop, furnace, water heater, space heater, lights, electric mixer, toaster, oven, microwave, washer/dryer AND my cell phone battery charger?
Or would I have to limit my power consumption to run only on-demand appliances?
Best answer:
Answer by roderick_young
Anything is technically possible with enough land and money.
But off-grid power is generally very expensive, so people tend to go off-grid only if they have to, and then, minimize electric consumption. Heat would come from propane, or maybe wood burning, if you had acres of woods.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
4 comments
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carebear says:
March 15, 2014 at 5:05 pm (UTC 0)
I don’t think it would there is a community in New Mexico that is totally off the grid. Even the homes are made with recycled materials power is generated for the community with solar and wind along with water generators and they have all the comforts you have asked about
Rich says:
March 15, 2014 at 5:19 pm (UTC 0)
If you live off the grid you would probably try to not use items that would drain your batteries fast. Or at least use them sparingly.
J. says:
March 15, 2014 at 6:17 pm (UTC 0)
If you have a deep enough wallet, anything is doable.
If you are not going to adjust your usage patterns or adapt your electronics,( I have a stereo system that works off a 12 volt deep cycle battery with remote that works just fine if you are not planning to shake shingles off the roof whenever you listen to it). Some of your excess gadgets could run just fine on 12 volt power. It jsut costs money to charge up batteries which cost money, which would otherwise need power inverters which also cost money.
The bottom line of it is how much are you willing to spend on the installed system?
You can find 12 volt appliances on the web, even some 24 volt stuff. But if you are willing to spend far more than you need to just simply for the convenience, that is your choice. it is doable, but with some significant costs.
Amy says:
March 15, 2014 at 6:18 pm (UTC 0)
Many people live off-grid quite comfortably. The trick is limiting the items that make heat or cold; heaters, fridge/freezer, air conditioning. Those use a lot of power. Use solar water heating with an on-demand gas heater for hot water, buy an ultra-efficient fridge, build the house to have a very tight envelope so the heating/cooling loads are low, and use gas as backup heat. Use a solar clothes drier, also known as a clothes line. I don’t see A/C on your list, that’s good.
Here’s an example of an off-grid system. http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-Package-Deals/Off-Grid-Residential-Systems/Off-Grid-Residential-Package-205KW/p7515/ A complete loads list would be required to determine what size system is needed. http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/load_calculator/