Off-grid: disconnected from utilities
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Flexible solar panel – extremely off-grid power source
My story about renewable energy sources begins in 2006 when I bought my Volkswagen RV/camper. At the end of summer that year I bought my first renewable energy source — the first solar panel. I wanted it to be a off-grid energy source for my first camping holidays, but only found out that such panels […]
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To build new autonomous building or to upgrade an old one? Which is better?
My original idea and goal was to build an autonomous house (or to be more precise — an autonomous homestead) on the property we bought in 2007. But for the last year my wife and I we visited several buildings for sale, and even once or twice wanted to buy the house we saw. Every […]
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Only a homestead may be fully autonomous, not a single house
In terms of energy independence, or energy autonomy, it is very difficult (and probably not possible at all) to make a single house fully autonomous. While it’s easy to produce your own electrical energy, it’s much more difficult to provide your house with enough energy to heat and cool it. Wikipedia says, that typical US […]
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No straw bale building this year
I tried, I really tried, but wasn”t able to finish my straw bale building. To be more specific, I even wasn’t able to really start the building process. I might say that it’s not my fault, as the people who promised to help me couldn’t find the time when I needed them the most. But […]
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Self-sufficient life on a boat? Not possible!
Last week I explained why I believe that using propane will not make you off-grid and self-sufficient. Today I will show you something similar. Many people think they can live off-grid and be self-sufficient on a boat. To some extent it’s true, but is very much dependent on where this houseboat is to be located. […]
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