Handy Explains the Steps Needed to Go Off the Grid

Introduction

In recent years, Handy has noticed that more and more people are wanting to go off the grid. They have many different reasons, but the reason that we hear the most is to be greener. To understand going off the grid, we first need to know what it means. While some people simply think that it means disconnecting from electricity, there is so much more too it. While you could start with the electricity, there are other aspects that you are going to have to rid your life of. Below we are going to explain to you just how you can go completely off the grid.

Cut the Cord

As we mentioned above, you are going to have to stop using electricity supplied by an electric company. If you do that, you are going to have to find a new way to get electricity to your house. After all, a lot of the things that we use in our everyday life require electricity to run. If you do a little bit of research, you will find out that you are going to need about 10,000-kilowatt hours of electricity per year. At least that is the average across the country. To get this power you are likely going to have to combine your efforts and get not only a solar panel but some way to harness the wind as well. Of course, you are going to have to live in an area that has a lot of sun and or wind. You could do one or the other if you live in a particularly sunny or windy area, but it is best to combine the two.

Water

The next thing you are going to need to do is to figure out a way to get water. There is no life without water. You will need it to grow your plants, give to your livestock, and of course drink yourself. There are thousands, if not millions, of people that get their drinking water from wells, so it is possible. You will have to contact a company to drill a well for you. That is going to cost you between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on how far down they need to dig. After that, though, you will have access to all the clean drinking water that you need.

Heating and Cooling

After that, you are going to need to figure out a way to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. For this, you are going to need to build your house in a specific way. Oh, right, we forgot to tell you that you are probably going to have to build a home as well. Anyhow, you will likely need to build it in such a way that you can heat it with the sun and use the Earth to cool it down. Additionally, you are going to want to have a fireplace to make sure you stay warm all night long.

Conclusion

Handy knows that taking the decision to go off grid is not one that you should take lightly. It is a big undertaking and you need to mentally prepare yourself. Perhaps you should give it a trial run at your current home before you just take the leap of faith.