Living Off The Grid

[MasterBlaster]

This is a kinda unusual premise for a thread, but wut the hell. I'm following this thread from another forum. It's about Lisa and Mike, a couple building their place way out in the sticks. It's a long thread and I'm skimming it, mainly checking out the pics - reading here and there.

I like this thread a lot: I'm slowing working my way through it. Anywho, I thought I'd share the link. Living off the grid in a place I built myself has always intrigued me. It's fun watching them bring their place along.

 

[NeTree]

 

[woodworkingboy]

I could dig it too, only seeing folks when you go into town.

 

[MasterBlaster]

This is a pic from pg 47, where I am right now.

 

[Al Smith]

Earth sheltered .Very easy to heat and cool .

 

[PCTREE]

I haven't looked at the link yet but will. I am planning on doing an off the grid dwelling of some form. I have 2 building lots, stacks of posts and beams, a solar system along with a solar hot water heater, a gas range and lots of ideas. I think I will start on it this year. I want to do a subterranean 1 bedroom and a post and beam cabin in the woods.

I think I will probably start with the sub-1 bed as it will be quicker due to less wood working. Thinking about building the whole structure ontop of a huge water system filled mainly with rocks sunk in water. This will act as a heat sink to store heat in the winter and cool in the summer, what with being in the ground with a constant 57 degrees year round it should be pretty easy to heat/cool.

 

[Tree Reb]

I'd do it if I have to leave here.

I like this one, easy to start with then you could go bigger once you got settled in.


There's a few others as well.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Earthbag-Dome/

 

[stig]

Looks like a hobbit hole!

 

[sotc]

One of the young doctors my wife works with built a huge 2 story home off grid and had a house warming party when he go it finished. He has solar but also a huge bank of batteries and an old diesel engine he crank starts for his generator. The reason he chose that engine is because it will burn nearly any type of oil he can get his hands on. Wish I saved the link of his pictures

 

[Rborist1]

Most likely a Lister engine.

 

[PCTREE]

I have a huge battery bank, 4000aH. I looked into getting a generator to charge them if we went without sunlight for weeks on end but decided in the end since it is a 12v system to just get a 300amp alternator and spin it with the 27 hp wheel loader motor. Right now I am under utilizing the solar system what with only really running 2 12v freezers of of it but will use it for the next dwelling I build hopefully and have it here in case of emergency...

 

[No_Bivy]

Paul....are you panels roof mounted? how much?

 

[Treepreacher51]

Awesome link/thread. I would love to be off the grid. Living here in the peoples republic of California, codes and permits are prohibitive to work to such an end on the property we are at now.
We have a couple of acres and a generator for when the power goes out. I have a sub panel in the barn and can keep the freezer and well running when we loose power. We have never been without power for longer than 24 hrs, but it's nice to know we could get by if it were longer.

Solar IS in our future, but it will be a while.

 

[treesandsurf]

Cool thread, this always appealed to me especially when I was living in Northern California. Before I got into doing treework I wanted to learn how to do natural building and off the grid work. Hopefully one day (probably not on Oahu though )

jp

 

[treebogan]

I lived on an Island in the Queen Charlottes for four months.No Electricity or running water,was logging Old Growth with a Tug Boat.My first Job outside of New Zealand,lived in a Log Cabin with a Rifle over the Bed.

Brilliant.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I don't mind living without electricity, early to bed early to rise. There was a good article in 'Fine Woodorking' on how some Amish guys set up their wood shops with power tools. Large generators with various innovative shafts and pulleys was mostly the way.

 

[Al Smith]

The Amish are pretty crafty about that stuff .What they are permitted to use as far as any power is totaly up the elders in the community they live in .Some have electricity for use in a business but it's provided by a generator not from the power company .

I heard of an Amish machine in Indiana where all the power tools were ran from air motors .I'll just about bet everybody who worked there was hard of hearing .

 

[chris_girard]

Great thread Butch!

Living off the grid certainly has an appeal and I can see where people could go for something like that.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd need electricity and I'd do it just like they did - solar panels and windmills.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Maybe living off the grid wouldn't have to be so appealing, if folks could be a little wiser about how they use the juice. Man, I still see lots of people that keep their car engines running for the heater or air conditioning, when they go inside some place to do shopping, or at the post office. Thick as bricks.....

 

[Al Smith]

Take into consideration that it would be a lot of work and money not to mention the inconveniance .

There's options depending on the location .Solar,wind, hydro .Those clunker old Lister diesels would probaley run on raw crude oil if you had a well .They tip the scales at a couple ton and only produce about 9-12 HP .

 

[Porkbrick]

posted these a while ago. my friends off-grid house and winery up in napa. very low tech, two solar panels for the lights and computer, food is kept in coolers. i love visiting, and i wouldnt mind living there. lately ive been obsessing over building techniques for a cabin on my property, earthbag is up near the top of the list.

 

[PCTREE]

Im thinking cordwood or straw bale.........

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Straw bale is better than cordwood. SIPS is the best. I'm really into the off grid principle, my business partner Has been a consultant on sustainable off grid living for the last ten years.

 

[Al Smith]

There again is location .In the south west rammed earth construction with straw in the middle works pretty well .It wouldn't do so well here .After about the second 4 day ran it would just be a pile of mud .

Earth sheltered works okay but you'd about have to be in the side of a hill or else when it rained you'd be under water which would suck .