Off-Grid solar 101
Going Off-Grid for electricity can be one of the biggest challenges you can face and also one of the most expensive.
After doing a Geoff Lawton Permaculture design course in 2013 I learnt the secret to taking my family’s home off-grid in the city which I had been wanting to do for years and was constantly told I couldn’t.
You can see our Off-Grid house in Sydney in this video.
There is also the other element to going Off-Grid and doing it in a permaculture way.
For us doing it with low embodied energy products, using solar panels that would pay back their environmental footprint not just the bank account. Batteries that would last a very long time and also be choice that would make a difference for our children was very hard to get to the bottom of and talk to guys who could answer any of these questions.
Most sales guys just want to sell you a 6.6kw solar system because that’s the best payback period financially for most countries. I remember one guy giving us a quote and asking “ are you one of these greenie types?” You think maybe growing all your own food and the garden tour he got 1st would have quietly helped him answer that question in his own head.
Going Off-Grid for electricity and taking responsibility for your own power is one of the most rewarding things that you can do in my opinion. 3rd to growing your own food and harvesting your own water.
I created this Video to help people understand the basics of Off-Grid Solar and help you get your head around Off-Grid and how different it is to Grid tied systems.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
