This means treating or filtering the water to ensure it's free of any contaminants and choosing water tanks that are made from food grade materials. Whatever you choose, it's important to ensure the water collected is safe to drink. Rainwater collected from the roof surfaces on the property is an ideal option as it's fresh, works with gravity, and requires little power. Equally, groundwater can be harsh on skin and clothes and may be more suited to gardening. Why? Well, if the home is on higher ground than the water source (and it usually is for streams, dams, and groundwater) pumps will be required to draw up the water to the home. It's important to consider how the water is going to be used along with the energy required to draw it - particularly if you're going off-grid with power, too. Your options here include drawing water from a stream or dam on the property, from groundwater (also referred to as bore water), and collecting rainwater. When you disconnect your property from town water or mains water supplies you'll need to provide an alternative water source. Water is another essential service that needs to be considered when going off the grid. You may even want to consider a grid connected solar system that allows you to tap into the grid when stored energy is unavailable. When choosing a solar system and battery storage option for your off-grid home, it's important to determine how much power you'll be using - as this determines the size of the system and battery you'll need to delivery uninterrupted power to your home. Solar systems with battery components store energy that isn't used when production is high (lots of sunshine) so that you can access it later when production is low (not much sunshine or at night). In order to have sustained power – that is power whilst the sun isn't shining – you'll also need batteries to store power. When the time comes to disconnect from mains power supply (also referred to as the electrical power grid), you'll need to buy a specially designed off-grid solar system. So, what needs to be considered when bidding farewell to your connection to the grid? Off grid power However, homeowners based in more urbanised areas may choose to live off the grid (or partially off the grid) for economic and environmental reasons. Off-grid homes are often ideal for rural locations where access to mains electricity, gas, water and sewage is either unavailable or unreliable. Though some homeowners choose to live partially off the grid by supplying their own electricity and remaining connected to mains water and sewage. This means saying 'goodbye' to town water, sewage, electricity and gas and switching over to water tanks, septic tanks, and a renewable energy source to power the home. Living completely off-grid means disconnecting from all mains services. Whilst going off the grid is synonymous with disconnecting from the power grid and opting for alternative sources of energy - such as solar power – there's a lot more to off-grid living than simply unplugging. Plus we delve into how one couple is living in spectacular sustainable style in their off-grid Snowy Mountains modular home.Įcoliv Jindabyne project - the design settles into the contours of the land. In this blog, we explore what it means to live off the grid including pros and cons, upfront costs and on-going benefits. And what better way to find more space, and the serenity that comes with it, than going off the grid? Or maybe you're looking for a more sustainable way of living, or simply want to save on expensive utility bills.īut before you unplug and head for the bush, there are a few things to consider ahead of making your first foray into off-grid living. If you're one of the many office workers celebrating (or commiserating) a year of working from home in March, you might be thinking about ways to get out of the city and find more space.
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