tron4theuser t1_ixw4o17 wrote on November 26, 2022 at 9:02 PM

Reply to comment by pencil_2b in I want to get off the grid. What are my options for heat and hot water? by pencil_2b

My background is in renewable energy. I do not advise going off-grid as this is a drastic lifestyle change and not the least practical. The transition can be done, but with any drastic swings, short term changes are never everlasting. The reason I asked you for priorities is so that you list what are the most important goals in the short term and what are long term goals.

The self defeating fact is that a colonial home is never built to be "off-grid". That's like saying that our cars are made to be retrofit for space travel. Can you benefit from some of the functions? Sure.

The biggest transition facing mankind right now is energy. We should focus on using less rather than how to generate more or from different source. It's pretty depressing for folks in our fields going to work everyday when it feel like we're barely making a dent with increasing energy demand. Rather than trying to go off-grid, for environmental purposes, try focusing on what can be reduced. This would be the best segway to a transition to your ultimate goal.

Just my suggestion. 😊

pencil_2b OP t1_ixwenaa wrote on November 26, 2022 at 10:18 PM

I appreciate your perspective. I'm not a professional but in the past I lived totally off the grid in a very rural area so I know what that lifestyle is like.

I live in a city now so we're not going to disconnect our sewer and water in favor of a well and composting system but if I had the space I'd consider it.

In any case, my partner and I have worked pretty hard to reduce our energy consumption and adjust our lifestyles accordingly. We walk to work. Don't have a clothes dryer. Spent a lot of money making our house as passively energy efficient as possible. Reduced waste and compost, and grow what food we can.

Now we're at a point where the only thing left to do is convert our energy sources.

Our colonial will never be as efficient as a well built straw bale house, but life is a series of compromises and we're doing the best we can with what we've got.