Building a house off the grid

diyrocks · 03-09-2011, 08:40 PM

Soon I will be building a prefab bamboo house from bambooliving.com. I'd like to go completely off the grid. I'm thinking this means a solar system and rainwater catchment. Am I forgetting anything?

The building site has an electrical line and water line and I'd like to incorporate those just in case if possible. Basically, I'd like to put everything together in the best way I can from the beginning. Does anyone have advice on this?

hardwareman · 03-09-2011, 09:13 PM

kinda sounds like fun, good luck with your project. I just looked at that web site, that looks pretty damn cool.

gma2rjc · 03-09-2011, 09:40 PM

You might like this thread if you haven't seen it yet:

Gulf Island Building.

Willie T · 03-09-2011, 11:07 PM

Sewer?

jklingel · 03-10-2011, 01:50 AM

builditsolar.com may be helpful. do A LOT of research on back-up generators; photo-voltic; active solar; passive solar (excellent, and expensive, windows, with proper solar heat gain coefficients, U values, size, location, and air tightness. Look for tilt/turn windows where you need ones that open); interior mass to store solar heat gain (a day or two is about all you'll get out of it); composting, indoor toilets; gasification boilers (see hearth.com for that); insulate like hell; nuclear energy (kidding).... that's all i can think of right now.

TheBrewNinja · 03-10-2011, 03:17 PM

Im planning a similar project but i will be building the entire home myself from ground up and I too am going off the grid. My plan includes

20 Kw Solar system with battery storage and a Vertical Axsis Wind Turbine for night power and to keep the batteries topped our on overcast days.

The water supply will be by means on an onsite well utilizing a solar water heater system. With a back up tankless on demand electric hotwater heater.

Sewage will consist of a septic system with large leech field.

Internet & TV will be by means of Satalite system.

No phone lines as I only have a cell phone and havent used a landline in years, for faxing I use efax!

You will need to make sure that you utilize energy efficent appliances and lighting. A complete off grid solar system is going to run you about $20,000 or more!

If you go with a grid tie system; that is you excess power is sold back tot he power company is an option but each area is differant. Here in MI you will only recieve a credit of eleven cents per kilowatt you send to the grid.

BTW there is a link at the bottom of the page www.MyCarIsDrunk.com where you can get info on home energy production, I found the program very helpfull!

03-09-2011, 08:40 PM	#1
diyrocks Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 41	Building a house off the grid Soon I will be building a prefab bamboo house from bambooliving.com. I'd like to go completely off the grid. I'm thinking this means a solar system and rainwater catchment. Am I forgetting anything? The building site has an electrical line and water line and I'd like to incorporate those just in case if possible. Basically, I'd like to put everything together in the best way I can from the beginning. Does anyone have advice on this?

03-09-2011, 09:13 PM	#2
hardwareman #1 HAWKEYE FAN Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,452	Building a house off the grid kinda sounds like fun, good luck with your project. I just looked at that web site, that looks pretty damn cool. __________________ ................."I want a house that has gotten over all its troubles. I dont' want to spend the rest of life bringing up a young and inexperienced house"...........

03-09-2011, 09:40 PM	#3
gma2rjc Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: West Michigan Posts: 3,568	Building a house off the grid You might like this thread if you haven't seen it yet: Gulf Island Building.

03-09-2011, 11:07 PM	#4
Willie T Old School Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Minds of moderate caliber ordinarily condemn everything which is beyond them. Posts: 3,432	Building a house off the grid Sewer? __________________ "True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is." François Duc de La Rochefoucauld Willie T

03-10-2011, 01:50 AM	#5
jklingel Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1,747	Building a house off the grid builditsolar.com may be helpful. do A LOT of research on back-up generators; photo-voltic; active solar; passive solar (excellent, and expensive, windows, with proper solar heat gain coefficients, U values, size, location, and air tightness. Look for tilt/turn windows where you need ones that open); interior mass to store solar heat gain (a day or two is about all you'll get out of it); composting, indoor toilets; gasification boilers (see hearth.com for that); insulate like hell; nuclear energy (kidding).... that's all i can think of right now.

Building a house off the grid