Harnessing the Elements: My Journey Off the Grid
At the beginning of the pandemic, my family and I decided to take the leap and move completely off the grid in the high desert Southwest. While many folks were hitting the road, filling up campgrounds near the mountains and deserts of New Mexico, we were busy embarking on a journey of our own – becoming responsible for our own water, energy, and heat using solar panels, wood, propane, and rain catchment.
Over the past three years, I’ve learned countless lessons, made plenty of mistakes, and emerged as a smarter, more self-sufficient human. The adventure has slashed our living costs and given me a profound appreciation and fascination for how natural and built systems work and interact.
It all started one day early in the COVID lockdown, when my wife finished wiping down our groceries with sanitizing wipes, turned to me, and said, “This is bullshit. The apocalypse is actually here, and we’re scared of our own snacks.” As we looked around at our typical three-bedroom house at the end of a cul-de-sac, trapped in a neighborhood behind the county jail, the desire to retreat to an isolated homestead and live out our days in a quiet, natural setting became undeniable.
From Craigslist to Off-Grid: Our Unconventional Journey
So, we did what anyone would do in that moment – we went online. My wife stumbled upon an intriguing listing on Craigslist: a small house made of straw bales and stucco, located in a quirky off-grid community just 20 minutes outside of town. The funky Southwestern-style structure, with its glass bottles built into the walls to allow extra light and serve as a form of recycling, appealed to our desire to downsize and minimize our lifestyle.
There was just one catch: while the basic structure was finished, there was no solar system, internal electrical wiring, or plumbing installed. Forget baking sourdough – this was going to be the ultimate pandemic project.
As my wife suggested calling in professionals, I argued that installing it ourselves would mean we could better understand how to fix it ourselves. In my past, I had accumulated some relevant DIY experience installing solar systems and plumbing on RVs, but this was going to be a whole new level.
Powering Our Off-Grid Oasis: A Crash Course in Solar and More
I dove into YouTube tutorials, talked to friends and relatives with experience, and studied building codes to figure out the right way to do things without burning our new house down or flooding it. There were still a few close calls, like the time I tried to run a vacuum cleaner off the car battery I was using as a backup power source during construction. Definitely no more car batteries in the house today – we’re all photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion now.
Slowly, much slower than I ever dreamed, it all came together. Our water now comes primarily from the sky via the roof and gutters, feeding two 1,600-gallon tanks behind the house. During dry spells, we can have water delivered by tanker trucks or haul 200 gallons at a time from a community well using our own truck for a fraction of the cost.
To conserve water, we’ve swapped out our flushing water toilet for a compost toilet, along with an outhouse for a second bathroom. The gray water from our sinks and bathtubs flows outside into three large trenches, where we grow healthy gardens, fruit trees, and berry patches that would otherwise be impossible in the harsh climate here.
Mastering the Art of Energy Conservation
Our electricity comes from a carefully curated solar setup, but we’re still obsessive about conserving electrons, especially in the winter months when our solar batteries are being drained more hours out of the day than they charge. A little device called a Kill-a-Watt has become one of my best friends, revealing precisely how much power any appliance is consuming.
For now, we’re forgoing some luxuries that we’ve discovered take up more power and space than they’re worth – goodbye, noble clothes dryer, Instant Pot, and Vitamix. Instead, we’re focused on maintaining a minimalist lifestyle, carefully balancing our energy needs with the limitations of our solar setup.
The Rewards of Responsibility: Respecting Nature’s Gifts
So why are we consuming less water and electricity when we’ve reduced our footprint to a fraction of what it was and we have a surplus of energy most days? I think it goes back to becoming more energy independent by taking responsibility for even the essentials. The flip side of responsibility is accountability, so maybe I obsess a bit over how we consume each drop of water or electron.
But I also believe that having a closer relationship with these resources simply leads to respecting and appreciating them more, and not taking them for granted. In fact, I think our solar energy system is one of the most magical pieces of modern technological sorcery.
As the NRDC notes, renewable energy sources like solar and wind are powering a clean energy revolution, breaking records and displacing dirty fossil fuels in the power sector. And while not all renewable sources are created equal, the sun’s rays have been harnessed for thousands of years to grow crops, stay warm, and dry foods. Today, we can use photovoltaic cells to transform sunlight directly into electricity, generating power locally for our homes and businesses.
Embracing the Future of Energy Independence
At Plug & Save Energy Products, we’re dedicated to helping homeowners and businesses unlock the power of renewable energy and craft their own sustainable systems. Whether it’s installing solar panels, implementing passive solar design, or exploring the latest advancements in geothermal and small-scale wind technology, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
The journey to energy independence may not be a quick or easy one, but the rewards – both financial and environmental – are well worth it. By taking responsibility for our own power and water, my family and I have found a deep sense of fulfillment and connection to the natural world around us.
So, are you ready to harness the elements and unlock the power of nature? Let’s get started on your own renewable energy adventure!