Living Off The Grid - the Truth About Free Electricity and How You Can Have It
What does it mean to live off the grid? Living off the grid means unplugging your home from the electric grid. It means no power lines, no consumption usage indicator, no electric bills. It allows you to freely use electricity without the worry of consuming too much and therefore, paying a steep price for this convenience. Living off the grid is cost-efficient, environment-friendly, 100% sustainable and more important of all, a viable option that is available to anyone who wants to benefit from it.
Still, some thought that living off the grid is all about refraining to use electrical appliances and sacrificing the comforts that these appliances can give us in order to consume much less energy and be able to subsist on small-scale alternative energy solutions. But nothing can be farther from the truth. Such belief can only spring from lack of proper information about renewable energy sources. With ample research, people will easily realize that we can both enjoy our modern lifestyle and not be guilty of consuming too much energy or worrying about high utility bills at the end of the month.
Living off the grid is simply about how to properly utilize electricity in such a way that we'll minimize, if not eliminate, as much waste as possible. It's about being a smart energy user and making sure that all electricity created are spent usefully and purposely. Avoid careless use of electricity by turning off the lights, gadgets and appliances that are not in use; by making a habit to not just turn off, but unplug electronic devices that could be consuming phantom loads-which will eventually add up and can contribute as much as 10% of your total electric consumption; by purchasing new appliance wisely, preferring energy-efficient rating over nice features that would require more electricity.
The principles of living off the grid are totally applicable to any home anywhere in the world. With various options for alternative energy solutionsfrom solar panels, to wind turbines, to biofuel and magnetic power-one only needs to find which the most suitable system for them based on their environment and the accessibility of these resources in their area. Renewable energy technologies have improved and are still advancing in terms of efficiency and quality. The costs have decreased drastically, making them more and more affordable to anyone who wants to try them.
Even a group of do-it-yourselfers have made significant progress that they can live the life of free electricity with the help of their homemade projects and their ingenuity. If you want to go the DIY route, there are many kits, resources and instruction manuals that are available online and even offline. You can also find online discussion boards and forums where members share their ideas and help each other.