One important phase of building your off-grid life is to develop your power system. The ability to produce electricity off the grid is a major advantage of alternative energy sources for people who are building in remote locations. The first step in getting started with off-grid power is to know what your power requirements are. You can easily check this by looking at your monthly electric bill to see how much you use. Whether you set it all up yourself or hire someone to set it up for you, it’s important to take the time to research what options will be best for you and your lifestyle needs. Some like to live simply with very little power needs while others want lots of power and to have all the conveniences. Here is a brief overview of options you can use for off-grid power as you decide what’s best for you.

Wind Power

Wind energy is one of the best sources of alternative energy and one of the fastest growing methods of alternative energy in the world. Wind refers to the movement of air from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. Obviously some areas get more wind than others, but wind will always exist as long as solar energy exists and people will be able to harness the energy from it endlessly.

- Eco-Friendly: It’s a clean fuel source. Wind energy doesn’t pollute the air.

- Wind is readily available: The United State’s wind supply is abundant: over the past 10 years, cumulative wind power capacity in the United States increased an average of 30% per year.

- Low set up cost: Wind power systems are cost effective. It is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available today.
- Space saving: Wind turbines use only a fraction of the land.

- Low Operational Cost: Wind doesn’t cost anything and therefore operational costs are close to zero once a turbine or mill starts running.

-Great to Pair with Other Power Options: Since wind turbines and mills only take up a small amount of land space and wind power is readily available, this power option pairs well as an additional power option with another power source. Many homesteaders prefer to pair wind power with solar power.

Solar power

Solar is great because it generates power pretty much daily, and is completely silent. Northern regions may not do as well because the sun is not out long enough during the day, but you can tie this in with other types of alternative energy for a more complete system in that case (like adding a wind turbine). Solar power is the most popular choice for the energy-conscious homesteader.

- Storing Power: On the days that the sun is out you will have full power, but the great thing about solar is you will also be able to store up power for days when it is cloudy or rainy.

- No monthly bills: Solar power requires more money on the front end, but after your one-time investment you’ll have no payments to a power company ever! Once you have it all set up, you will save a ton of money in the long run because sunlight is always free so this option ends up being much cheaper than the traditional power grid in the long run.

- Low Maintenance: Solar cells generally don’t require much maintenance and run for a long time. Many of the cells last about 30 years. Once you have the solar panels installed, you will have to do little to no maintenance for years.

- Can power a home: You can generate enough electricity to power a typical home’s worth of appliances so you don’t have to give up your fridge or washing machine. Panels can be mounted on the roof if your house is situated just right and not shaded by trees, otherwise you can use a ground-mounted rack for them instead.

Other Off-Grid Options for Power, Heating & Energy

Wood Fuel:

This is typically used for heating your home and has a wonderful smell. It’s one of the most cost-effective types of alternative energy to heat your home when compared to other fuels such as gas or oil. Although it will take many years for a tree to grow to proper size for cutting, wood is fully renewable and sustainable. 

Methane

This is a newer option that is gaining traction in homesteading circles, namely because there is usually no shortage of manure to work with. It’s also known as bio-gas and it generally means that the natural gases given off by rotting organic matter are captured and used as a fuel. 

 It can be a great option to make better use of the ever-growing piles of manure but you can also take advantage of bio gas by just composting plant material. This is probably one of the least used types of alternative energy sources, but it can also be one of the easiest to set up by yourself.

Geothermal:

Geothermal energy is energy that is gained by the heat exchange between the temperature underground, and the ambient temperature of the air around you. Geothermal energy is best suited to heat and cooling applications, and is typically used with a geothermal heat pump.

 In this application, a series of pipes are installed a few feet underground, and then connected with the geothermal heat pump to form one giant continuous “loop.” Either water or a coolant type solution is poured into the pipes. In the summertime, the fluid underground will be cooler than the ambient air temperatures above ground, so the heat pump uses this to cool the air that is then pumped through your house.

 Harnessing the heat from below the earth’s surface is an efficient way to extract renewable natural energy. Geothermal energy is quiet and clean. A downside is the current high-cost of a professional installation.

Passive Living:

A significant way to generate off-grid energy is through passive living. Designing your new home for energy efficiency or giving your existing home an energy upgrade can boost your energy levels by lowering your consumption.

With the right building materials, you can use your walls, floors, roof, windows, building exterior elements and landscaping to both heat and cool your home.

Simple aspects of passive design include protecting south-facing windows from the summer sun and then harnessing those same rays in the winter to heat your living space. Passive design also can include something as simple as changing the color of your roof to help cool or warm your home, depending on where you live.

Click the button below to learn more about what you can expect for county specific climate (number of days of sunshine, wind speeds, etc.), county regulations, and resources.

These are some of our favorite resources for Off-Grid Power: