By: Michelle Hurni
The allure of off grid living – no power lines, no phones, remote living with peace and quiet. Our allure had more to do with the sticker shock from the electric company, but, we have embraced it all the same.
When we purchased our 45 acre property “Camp Hurni,” the biggest obstacle was what to do for power. One phone call to the power company was enough to know we were not going to spend $70,000 to connect to the grid, so I immersed myself in books and off grid living articles. My google feed took an odd, yet helpful turn. Articles such as How to Clean Your Outhouse, Solar Companies Offer Huge Rebates, Preparing for Winter Without Water, provided information to things I didn’t even know I needed.
Solar companies advertise everywhere yet finding a company (Great Plains Power) that is stand alone, not connected to the power company, was a challenge. If your home is within the grid, you have to be tied to it. The only way to get completely off is to live in a location that has no services, so we scored on that front.
We started from scratch. First came building the garage that faced the prime sun collection direction (East/West), high enough to be above the trees, and with the right pitch (8:12) to harness the power of the sun during winter, when we most need the power.
Next, Great Plains Power did the hard work, determining how many panels (15), batteries (15), watts and kilowatts (above my head) we would need. The entire system came at a small fraction of the cost of power lines, and there are no monthly electric bills.
We renovated our old cabin (built in 1887) using modern energy technology to further limit our power draw. LED lights use barely any power, we purchased energy efficient appliances (not just rated as such by the government), and we ditched appliances that suck energy (the microwave was the first to go).
Our power panel looks like something out of George’s Airbus, but for me, it’s as simple as knowing how much battery power is remaining, or whether we are “floating” (full). For tech geeks, you can find out how many watts the system uses at any given moment, but we decided to save energy and not connect it into our cell phones with wifi. If it’s cloudy for a few days in a row, the backup generator takes care of us when the system tells it to.
Before the big solar array was up, we used a backup Be Prepared solar generator for a few months while living in the cabin. We started with two extension cords running through a window into the cabin, but found we only needed one plug in the house for our daily needs. We were hooked on solar and saving energy.
Of course, there were tribulations, moments to learn from. Like having our son’s wedding for 130 people just a week after the solar was hooked up. We knew to ban power sucking blow driers and curling irons but didn’t think about electric chafing dishes. As soon as they were plugged in, the entire system shut down. The “end of the world” alarm went off, but the bride never knew her mac and cheese was almost served cold.
Living off grid has become a ritualistic approach that takes us to a simpler time. We chose to give up some luxuries (such as a clothes drier and dishwasher) and use human energy instead. Even if you don’t live off grid, there are easy ways to live an off grid lifestyle.
• “Smart” appliances actually keep track of everything, monitoring and drawing power. We installed a switch to turn our washing machine off when it’s not being used so it’s not drawing power. Ditto with the water pump.
• Your cell phone and laptop charger uses power if it’s plugged in, even if it’s not charging your device. Unplug! Even if you aren’t on solar.
• Three dog nights are for real. Turn down the heat and pile on an extra dog (or blanket).
• Most household power is used after dark, when solar panels are not producing energy, so you end up on the grid more often than not. Charge your computer and phone during the day, when the power comes straight from the sun.
• Our drier is solar (and wind) powered, in the form of a clothes line.
• Coffee makers are a huge power draw, with timers, grinders, warming tanks, etc. Use less power, and trash, by heating water on the stove and using a French Press.
• A nut chopper, coffee grinder, and spice grinder are overrated. A molcajete can do it all. Crunching up cardamom and fennel for fresh chai keeps the kitchen fragrant, even after the tea is consumed.
• Trudging uphill (both ways!) to the outhouse, day and night gives you an appreciation for the sunrise and the stars.
• Make good choices! Do you want to dry your hair or do you want power for the heater? It’s an easy choice when you’ve showered in cold water.
• We ditched the TV and embraced silence and conversation. Listen to the ambient noise in your house. Do you hear your refrigerator? What about the washing machine? Is the TV on in one room, but no one is there?
• Remember those old school push “brooms”? They still exist (Smile.Amazon.com), and they work well, with no power.
• Solar lights outside mean there is no power draw, but we can still walk to the cabin in the dark. Do you really need lights on outside all night? Ours sucks up power, so when we go down for the night, the light is off. Appreciate the darkness and enjoy natural moon and starlight.
• There’s a warm feeling when you turn on a camping lantern to read a book, and the rest of the cabin is dark.
Even if you are just saving a few pennies by adopting new habits, “a penny saved is a penny earned.”
George may have fought the unknown solar lifestyle, but he now embraces our off grid independence. Sure, we have to sweep off the panels when there’s a dump of snow, but when the grid goes down and Estes Park is dark, the wine is still chilled.
Source: http://www.estesparknews.com/featured_articles/article_c54b19fc-d24e-11e8-aba4-438fd2514e1c.html
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