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Off Grid Living: 30 Outstanding Lessons on How To Generate Your Own Energy and Water Supply and Successfully Live off the Grid
Off Grid Living: 30 Outstanding Lessons on How To Generate Your Own Energy and Water Supply and Successfully Live off the Grid
Off Grid Living: 30 Outstanding Lessons on How To Generate Your Own Energy and Water Supply and Successfully Live off the Grid
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Off Grid Living: 30 Outstanding Lessons on How To Generate Your Own Energy and Water Supply and Successfully Live off the Grid

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For many, living off the grid is a romantic idea rather than a serious one. For others, it’s the exact opposite. Living off the grid is a serious way of living that should not be taken for granted. People who live off the grid do so for different reasons. They may be concerned about an inevitable disaster that’s going to force everyone to live off the grid anyway. Or they may just enjoy the life of living simply without dependence on an exterior source. Regardless of what your reason is for wanting to live off the grid, this book will teach you thirty different techniques for generating your own water, your own energy, and other ways to live securely and comfortably without being dependent on anybody else. It’s an exciting way of living that many have dreamed about but that few have actually done. But in light of the ever shifting threats to our economy and our security, there’s an increasing list of good reasons for why living off the grid is a realistic lifestyle to turn to…and one that more and more Americans every year are. If you’ve ever wondered what living off the grid will entail and how you can do it, reading this book will be an excellent first start.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherJVzon Studio
Release dateFeb 22, 2017
ISBN9781386211242
Off Grid Living: 30 Outstanding Lessons on How To Generate Your Own Energy and Water Supply and Successfully Live off the Grid

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    Book preview

    Off Grid Living - Gilbert Wise

    Introduction

    Every month, we receive the envelopes in the mailboxes or the notifications in our e-mails requiring us pay the bills: car payments, house payments, power, gas, water, phone, and so on.  One of the primary reasons why we work is so that we can pay for these necessities and live comfortably.  But at the same time, we don’t want to think about having to pay for these things either, knowing full well that our hard earned monthly paychecks are about to be obliterated. 

    However, there is one way that you can get out of this system.  It involves producing your own utilities and energy, thus living without the dependence of other sources or another company.  This way of living is referred to as off the grid living.  It’s also becoming a very popular option for an increasing number of families.  Plus, there’s good evidence that living off the grid can actually be good for the environment, but reducing your dependence on fossil fuels and lowering your carbon footprints.

    Off the grid living is referred to as such because the ‘grid’ refers to the power grid.  This is the system that delivers electricity and power to the hundreds of millions of people across the country.  By living ‘off the grid’ you are rejecting dependence on this power grid and instead will create your own energy.  You can either be partially of the grid, meaning you supply some of your own power but not all of it, or you can live completely off the grid, meaning you literally have zero dependence on other sources. 

    To give you an idea of how you can live off the grid, you can supply your own electricity, dig a well to collect water, and install a septic tank to take care of your own sewage instead of relying on the city’s sewage system.  This alone will no longer require you to pay a water or an electric bill.  Does that mean that you’ll essentially be living for free?  No...most of the time, it’s often more expensive to live off the grid than on it.  Still, the people who are currently doing so figure that it is well worth the extra cost.  While other people in your neighborhood or association may be without power or water for a couple of days when the local grid fails, you can still be running things just as they were before. 

    How many people are living off the grid today?  The specific number is hard to estimate, but the best guess is that just over two hundred thousand homes in America today are completely operating on their own power, independent of other sources in the power grid. 

    These homes generate their own electrical power via renewable energy sources.  Examples include solar, geothermal, micro hydro, or wind power.  They can also operate using a generator if they have adequate reserves of fuel, which is referred to living using a standalone power system.  There are even a few people who live without any source of electric power at all, though in today’s advanced technological world, many would argue that living like so is nearly impossible unless your living in a certain community such as the Amish. 

    Water sources can be gained from natural water sources such as a river or lake, or manmade configurations such as a well or a dam.  While it’s not a steady source of water, many people who live off the grid will set up an intricate system of pipes to harvest rainwater for drinking purposes and to give to their gardens. 

    While some people who live off the grid do so individual, several choose to live in off the grid communities.  These communities are truly self-sustainable, and rather than rely on outside sources, they strive to meet the needs and living conditions of all who live in the community.  This means the community provides all of its own electricity, water, food, shelter, and renewable energy.  Cultivating animals and gardens as food sources are the most paramount examples of how these people are able to live without going to the grocery store each week.  Often times, these communities will share or trade resources so that everyone lives comfortably. Off the grid communities are typically very environmentally safe; their waste and carbon footprints are drastically reduced. 

    While living off the grid independently or in a community both have their own set of advantages, which one you choose to live in is a decision you’ll have to make on your own.  This book is about how you can live off the grid regardless of which option you choose. 

    That being said, here are thirty outstanding lessons on how to generate your own energy and water supply and successfully live off the grid. 

    Lesson 1 – The Necessities of Finding the Right Location

    The first series of lessons we’ll learn about is how you can prepare to live off the grid rather than actually doing so.  Without learning how to prepare to live off the grid and simply jumping right into it, you’ll likely encounter frustration and failure, in stark contrast to the off the grid families who live happily and comfortably.  A major factor behind the reasons all people who are currently living off the grid are doing so successfully is because they made the right preparations.  You can make those same preparations as well. 

    The first lesson is on how to find the right location.  No matter how much love you have for you current home or piece of property, it might not be the most suitable location for self-sustainable living. 

    When looking for a suitable place to live off the grid, you first need to ask yourself what you need.  You need to take note of the fact that several things you really want may in fact be things that you don’t need.  An excellent example would be an expensive appliance.  You may badly want an expensive appliance, and there’s no doubt that it’s convenient, but it may also not be entirely necessary.  There’s a fine line that you will have to set between what you need and what

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