According to Pew Research, by 2026, unplugging will be close to impossible. Most of the products and services being adopted as the years proceed will all incorporate the Internet of Things (IoT). Even with this huddle, going off the grid has always been considered prudent because it allows you to live a sustainable life.
You can easily use natural resources like solar energy and the wind to generate electricity. Once you make up your mind about building a home off the grid, you have to decide where you would like to settle.
You need to understand that building an off the grid home takes so much more planning that ordinary homes. Ensure you conduct your research so that you don’t end up making an error that you cannot rectify.
You won’t be able to achieve your ideal home overnight. Not many people are building homes off the grid, which means you’ll have to search harder to find a qualified construction team to work on your project.
Here are tips that’ll help you pull off this project.
1. Explore Options Outside Solar
When the idea of an off the grid home is brought to the table, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is solar energy. Many do not realize that there are many other options outside solar.
Aside from installing solar panels on your roof for electricity generation, consider wind turbines as well. Using wind to generate electricity in rural areas is quite effective because there aren’t tall buildings to slow down the speed of the wind.
2. Invest in Storage
Another thing you should look into is your storage capacity. Since you’ll be moving off the grid, it’s very likely that you won’t be able to count on existing storage solutions. After all, most storage warehouses are within urban areas where many businesses reside.
Aside from produce and property storage, you also should find a way to store energy. Whether you’re using wind turbines or solar energy to generate electricity, you need to realize that natural sources of energy are intermittent.
For instance, even though the sun shines through the day, you don’t need lights on during the day. Storing energy, allows you to make use of it in the night.
3. Invest in Quality Construction Material
When you’re building a home off the grid, the last thing you want is needing to do repairs every few months. Investing in quality construction material allows you to have a sustainable home. After all, living off the grid is all about sustainability and independence.
When it comes to exterior applications like landscape timber, make sure you shop from the best in the market.
4. Work With a Team of Local Installers
Many think that building a home off the grid is a DIY project. The idea of taking up such a personal DIY project might seem appealing but it’s not attainable. If you have no experience in construction, you need to find a team of local installers to work with.
After all, you cannot achieve a sustainable home if you’re using trial and error. This project should not be taken lightly because this is going to be your home for a long while. In case you’re moving off the grid, make sure you inform your family about the transition. It would be very bad to drag your family from the city without preparing them for such a huge transition.
Conclusion
As you can see, building a home off the grid is not a project you can complete overnight. There is a lot of planning and execution that goes into achieving a sustainable home that’s completely off the grid.
