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Eco-Friendly

 

Off-Grid Home

Inspirations

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By Realty Sage

Image from Dezeen. Home design by LifeEdited

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What is an Off-Grid Home?

What Is An Off-Grid Home?

Off-grid homes are homes that do not rely on utilities for energy supply or water such as:

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  • municipal water - you aren't hooked into town water and are dependent on an off grid water system 

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  • sewer - instead, you have either a septic tank or field bed, outhouse, propane or composting off grid toilet

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  • Natural gas- no natural gas to heat your home or run kitchen/laundry  appliances

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Contrary to popular belief, off-grid homes can be found in both remote and non-remote places.

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Off gird living means producing your own solar electricity, collecting rainwater through capture and filter system, designing your home to naturally cool/heat, and strong excess energy in batteries for future use.  

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Image via Homedit

Off-Grid Living

Off-Grid Living 

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   Pulley Operated
Windows and Walls

Nestled between the border of Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece, the plywood-clad structure is sited in a small village near the Turkish city of Edirne and measures less than 200 square feet. To accommodate for the various weather conditions across all seasons, the architects have designed the windows and walls to be pulley-operated, allowing them to be raised and lowered depending on the climate. Because the tiny house can be used off-grid, the inside is heated with a wood-burning stove, and many elements are flexible and can be used in multiple ways (source).

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              Pulley Operated

           Windows and Walls

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Ariel McGlothin has lived off the grid in a tiny house in the Wyoming mountains for 6 years. She has first-hand experience on how to deal with heat, water, and electricity without a reliable connection to the grid or even consistent sunshine.

 

Click here to listen to a podcast to get an inside look at how she has set up the systems in her tiny house.

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     Western Home in Pioneertown, California

The Off-grid itHouse is an architecturally significant house, powered by solar panels for energy and hot water, and located in a pristine remote valley in the beautiful California high desert. The house observes key green principals of smaller footprint, minimal disturbance to the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape, use of renewable resources, and living simply and minimally (source).

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Photo: Airbnb

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          Western Home in                     Pioneertown, California

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The Porter cottage makes the most of its unwieldy site. The cottage was sited as close to the water as legally allowed to take advantage of the views and far enough away from the graywater leach field where the soil is deep enough to allow for proper run off. The screen porch was angled to capture direct southern exposure for the solar panels.

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Photo: Eirik Johnson

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  The Porter Cottage in Maine

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Bush House collects rainwater, produces energy from a 3kW ground mounted solar array, heats water with a roof mounted solar hot water heater and treats blackwater with a worm-farm treatment system that irrigates the garden with nutrient rich water.

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Source: LunchBoxArchitect

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This home in Santa Barbara, CA is designed to be completely self-sufficient. property features its independent sewage treatment, on-site water supply and a rooftop PV system. An earthy palette of leather, wood, brass, and handwoven textiles creates an overall inviting atmosphere.

 

Off grid homes are a great option if you are looking to build a guest home or getaway home to escape the city. Click here to read more about this beautiful home. 

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       Source: OneKinDesign

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Prefab Self Sufficient Home

The prefabricated home, which can be removed with minimal impact if needed, operates completely off the grid. The 700-square-meter home was constructed with a prefabricated steel-frame system and sheathed in low-maintenance sheet metal.

 

Factory construction took four months, and the project’s cost was approximately $250,000.  (source).

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  Prefab Self Sufficient Home

Mountainside Guest Home

The Porter Cottage in Maine

Worm Farm Treatment System

Mountainside Guest Home

English Lagoon Home

Degrees of Off-Grid Living

Degrees of Off-Grid Living
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There are different degrees of living off the grid. This may look like: 

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  • living without electricity (no electricity)

  • using a generator (partial electricity use, but not through utilities)

  • generating electricity through solar, wind or geothermal energy (mostly full electricity use, independent of grid system

 

Although homeowners may think making the switch to alternative energy means they are now off the grid, many opt to stay connected to their utilities as a backup or to sell surplus energy produced through net-metering. Since they remain connected to utilities, it can be said these homeowners are still on the grid despite consuming energy off the grid.                                                 

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You may still rely on electricity or sewage, yet use a well to pump water into your home. Being off-grid  has many different combinations of self-reliance with moderate reliance on the grid.

Image via Homedit

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Smaller Environmental Footprint

 Living off the grid allows you to live in a smaller space, consume less energy (or have renewable energy), create less waste and reduce your environmental footprint. 

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Greater Personal Satisfaction.

Many people find living off the grid psychologically empowering and enjoy having a more simple lifestyle. Creating a renewable energy system or a rainwater filtration system with your own hands can be very rewarding. 

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Lower Stress and Anxiety

Work and finances are some of the highest sources of stress today. Living has also become more expensive, as demand for homes, water and power has increased. 

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Living simply requires less expenditures and allows you to reduce utility and transportation expenses, giving you more financial freedom and allowing you to be self-reliant and independent. 

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Many home design choices

While off grid homes are typically smaller, size and designs do not have strict limits, allowing you more flexibility and freedom to create (or buy) and design your own home. 

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Increased environmental awareness 

Living off gird lets you become aware of many details that go into making a home. Managing the alternative power systems, living in a simpler way and learning the most effective ways to live off grid provide a learning experience which you will never get wholly from the books. 

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Source: Dezeen

Benefits of Off Grid Living

Benefits of Off-Grid Living

How Much Does It Cost to Live Off-Grid?

How Much Does it Cost to Live Off-Grid?
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Source: Dwell

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The price for most off-grid homes and land is anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. Taking into account that off-grid upgrades can cost nearly $70,000, this is still below national home price averages and will spend even less without monthly bills.

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It is smart to plan what other unexpected expenses may come up when you move off grid. This will ensure you are prepared for additional expenses before making the switch to an off-grid home. Some of these include transportation costs and cost of wood, which varies depending on your location and remoteness. 

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This article provides insight into factors that are important to consider when choosing to live off-grid, such as land cost, as well as potential ways to offset expensive or unnecessary costs. 

What Else Should I Consider?

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It is better to prepare for unexpected challenges you may face when going off-grid by reading and preparing beforehand. Reading everything about off grid living before you make the switch will make the transition smoother. 

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It is important to ensure the materials that were used to build the house are resistant to harsh weather conditions if it is in a remote region. While they can be more expensive to construct, container homes can withstand the harsh conditions.

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Choosing a Location

 

Consider how certain factors will affect the cost of living off-grid. Choosing a remote location may mean paying higher costs to access hard to transport raw materials (i.e. wood to heat your home). It is also important to consider climate, land availability, tax rates, building requirements when choosing a location. 

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Source: OneKinDesign

Additional Resources

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It is important to research what options there are for gathering water and energy if you decide to go off-grid. If you decide to choose a remote location, it is worth considering alternative food options, such as harvesting your own food, if it is more difficult to access food market

Additional Resources
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Explore what options there are for water and sewage

Water Systems

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Learn about creative and safe waste disposal options

Compostable Toilet

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Consider using appliances made for off-grid living to make the switch easier

Essential Off-Grid Appliances

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Learn more on growing your own garden for an off-grid home. Find gardening products

Gardening

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Prepare for unexpected drops in electricity, or have them as a main source of energy

Batteries for Off-Grid Living

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Read More

Read more about what RealtySage and EnergySage offer for solar and geothermal options

Renewable Energy

Slource: Archiblox

Eco-Friendly Products

Realty Sage offers a list of eco-conscious products for off-grid and day to day living, making it easy to find eco-friendly products for yourself or to gift. 

From sustainable kitchen supplies to holiday gift ideas, eco-friendly products are a great addition to your off-grid home. 

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Image via Dezeen

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