Off-Grid Homes
Information about off-grid home, green building, sustainable architecture and anything you might need to know about having a house that resides off the power grid.
Warmth and Supply Chains: Considering the Source of Your Home’s Heat
Recently my home heating ‘backup’, a criminally inefficient old furnace, died. Pondering replacement options gave me an opportunity to consider the many ways one can power a furnace.
The Fort Knox Farm
You can’t put a price on peace of mind and the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Here’s what I’m doing to protect our place.
The Off Grid Water System Diagram by Fred Roensch
Guest expert author Fred Roensch, PhD. was kind enough to give us the graphic below, which shows a few different ways one might set up an off-grid water system, including drinking water intake and filtration from different sources and hot water heating, as well as black and grey wastewater use and disposal. Click on the [...]
Off Grid Water Part 2 – What is Black, White and Grey Water?
Domestic water is usually discussed in terms of three types of water: white water”or potable drinking water, grey water and black wastewater. Each type of domestic water will be discussed separately.
Off Grid Water Part 1 – Testing Your Water Supply
Water quality is critical for an off-grid home. Therefore before you purchase land for an off-grid home, have the water source or sources tested for inorganic, organics and bacteria. Contact your local health authorities for specific sampling requirements, local certified laboratories and advice and interpretation of results of the tests.
Composting Toilets for Off Grid Homes
Composting toilets provide a low-water, or even water-free, alternative that also allows you to close the poop loop by turning bodily wastes into organic material ready to go back into the soil. They are perfect for off grid homes, cabins, RVs and boats!
29 Features Off The Grid Homebuilders Should Consider
The following features are suggested for any off the grid home. Most of these features are well known and widely used in energy efficient homes – some are not!
Fireplace VS Wood Burning Stove
Can a fireplace be as good or perhaps better than a wood burning stove? That’s the question Fred Roensch asked himself not along ago, and his answers can be found below. I have also provided a few pictures of our own fireplace insert replacement.
Blue Ridge Mountains Call Me Home
The geography and Blue Ridge Mountain culture had a visceral effect on me that I can’t quite explain, except to say that it just felt like… home.
The Pros and Cons of Tiny Homes
When you’re ready to begin living off the grid, the smaller your home is, the easier it is to make it energy self-sufficient. Some people have taken this to an extreme, spawning the tiny home movement. And when they say tiny, they mean it – most tiny homes are somewhere between 65 and 800 square feet, with varying levels of comfort.
