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:''This page refers to ecological buildings and places and people. For the Stargate SG-1 episode of the same name, see Off the Grid (Stargate SG-1)''
The term 'off the grid' or off-grid refers to a way of living that relies on renewable energy and on-site water sources rather than traditional public utility sources provided by the utility "grid." Off-grid homes are autonomous—i.e. do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, gas, electrical or similar utility services. A true "off the grid" house is able to operate completely independently of traditional public utility services. The idea has proved to be of enduring interest to architects as well as environmentalists. One of the first books on the subject "The Autonomous House" was by British architecture professors Brenda and Robert Vale who have now moved to New Zealand.
On 12 April 2006, USA TOday reported that there were "some 180,000 families liv[ing] off-grid, a figure that has jumped 33% a year for a decade," and cited Richard Perez, publisher of Home Power magazine,as the source. Assuming the same rate of growth, there are now a quarter million off-grid households in the United States. Because many third world citizens have never had the chance to go on the grid, current estimates are of a total 2 billion living off-grid worldwide.-- 00:47, 6 September 2007 (UTC)
Going off-grid can be done for altruistic reasons or to lower the environmental impact of living, as the typically limited amount of on-site renewable energy available is an incentive to reduce its use. It is often done to residential buildings only occasionally occupied, such as vacation cabins, to avoid high initial costs of traditional utility connections. Other persons choose to live in houses where the cost of outside utilities is prohibitive, or such a distance away as to be completely impractical. In his book "How to live off-grid" Nick Rosen lists seven reasons for going off-grid. The top two are saving money, and reducing the carbon footprint. Others include survivalism, preparing for the era of peak oil and bringing life back to the countryside.
It can also mean only consuming home-grown food products. Typically the home will be situated near a natural source of water which can also be used for hydroelectric power, or electricity can be supplied by solar or wind power.
Primary infrastructure considerations for off the grid construction:

★ Fresh water source

★ Energy source

★ Waste disposal

Contents

Fresh water requirements

Fresh water sources

Alternative energy sources

Waste disposal

See also

External links

Fresh water requirements

A conservative estimate of the water needs of a family of four is 150 to 300 gallons per day. The water capacity required depends on the following factors:

★ 'Everyday Needs': drinking, cooking, bathing, toilets and appliances such as dishwashers and automatic washing machines

★ 'Seasonal Uses': watering of a lawn or garden, car washing, swimming pools and hot tubs

★ 'Specialized Uses': animal water, crop irrigation and water treatment devices that require backwashing

★ 'Fire Protection': putting out fires

★ 'Heating and Cooling': in mildly extreme conditions; for comfort

Fresh water sources

★ Well water is drawn from below the surface of the earth by means of a pump through a water well. Many well pumps are submersible pumps. Many different power sources are used for submersible pumps, including AC and DC electricity.

★ Rainwater harvesting is a method of collecting and storing rainwater primarily for non-potable uses but can also be used to collect and store potable water

★ Desalination refers to any of several processes that remove the excess salt and other minerals from water in order to obtain fresh water. This method is generally used only in coastal areas with access to an ocean or sea

★ Atmospheric water generator is a machine that produces pure drinking water from the humidity in the air

Alternative energy sources

Main articles: renewable energy


★ Solar power encapsulates a number of methods of harnessing energy from the light of the Sun (such as solar cells and solar cookers)

★ Wind power is the kinetic energy of wind, or the extraction of this energy by wind turbines

★ Geothermal power is electricity generated by utilizing naturally occurring geological heat sources

★ Biomass such as wood, plants, manure, peat or dead animals can be burned to generate heat

★ Propane/Diesel Generators to generate electricity. This requires refilling 1-2 times a year

Waste disposal

★ Septic system consists of a buried concrete septic tank, that holds the solid waste from a home's plumbing waste drains, and a septic drain field, that distributes the waste water to the ground where it disperses through the soil or evaporates.

★ A composting toilet uses biological processes to deal with the disposal and processing of human excrement into organic compost material.

★ Further treatment of wastewater by means of a Biofilter allows for a smaller septic drain field and can allow re-use of treated effluent. The Toronto Healthy House is a demonstration project that re-uses wastewater for a variety of tasks [1]

See also

★ Autonomous building

External links

★ People and techniques for off-grid living: http://www.off-grid.net

★ Alternative energy uses around the globe: [2]

★ Affordable small photovoltaic sets for Africa

★ Alternative ways of living, renewable energy and DIY projects

★ go-offgrid.com: Living off the grid with renewable energy sources