Off Grid For Life

Earth4Energy Review

shaun — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:24:15 +0000

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Get It Here!

Earth4Energy is one of the most demanded products for those interested in sustainable living. It is an ideal investment for anyone looking to go completely off the grid, supplement their home with extra power, or just have a fun hobby.

Earth4Energy will show you how to make the solar and wind energy generators for dirt cheap. If you thought you had to be a scientist to figure out how to do put this all together, think again!

The step-by-step guide and full color pictures, movie length DVD’s, and expert instruction will get you on your way to saving thousands of dollars every year in energy costs. For someone with the right attitude, you could go completely off grid with this guide alone acting as your energy resource manual.

Learn How To Live Off Grid

shaun — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:05:22 +0000

So you’ve toiled around with the notion of living off grid. Maybe you’ve seen a few documentaries or visited a self sustainable farm. You’re ready to live off grid, you’ve got a steady job or some money saved up and you’re ready to go homesteading and strike it independently

Hold on there, cowboy.

Do you know what you’re doing? Actually how to do the necessary skills required for living off the grid successfully. You need a guide book. A step by step system to show you literally how to accomplish the difficult task of moving completely off grid.

Are you ready?

Living Off Grid

The first steps to living off grid will hit you hardest but be very light on your wallet (or purse). Time, dedication, and work are all important factors in living off the grid for an extended period of time.

Get started with a complete instruction guide if you are clueless as to how to live off grid. Manuals like Earth4Energy show how to make renewable energy with solar and wind power generators with full color photos on how to build what you need. You can harness the power of the internet by using eBay to find dirt cheap materials for making these systems instead of the alternative in finding a supplier and paying full price for them.

Home

Your home for living off grid may be a full on regular house. It may be a tent, a cabin, pre-made sustainable house, or a modular home modded to fit the environment. Your snail shell doesn’t matter all that much provided you are using it to your advantage. Consider looking into off grid ready homes for purchase, or if you are a DIY’er, look at buying some cabin plans and do the work yourself.

Energy

Energy is the reason we are all moving off grid - to escape the power circuit everyone else is plugged into. We can save money by using what we have around us. Earth4Energy gives some useful free tips on how to make the best of objects around the house for harnessing free energy.

Food

Many off grid homesteaders have found it responsible to grow their own food or support the local farms around them. It is easy to do the same. If you are living off grid, chances are you are in an area with available farmer’s markets for produce. It is also an idea to start a chicken coop and make a supplementary income selling eggs and chicken meat at local markets. If chickens aren’t to your taste, try beekeeping.

Work Is The Answer To Off Grid Living

There is only one way to go about living off grid – it’s called hardwork. It isn’t an easy life, but compared to daily stresses in the city it can be a welcomed life for some.

Associated links:

Earth4Energy
Build a Chicken Coop
Start Beekeeping

Amazing Off Grid Ready Homes

shaun — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:27:35 +0000

A brilliant write up of 10 beautiful and useful off grid style homes has been written over at DesignCrave. You can read their article here.

It’s good that some modern architecture firms are getting into the portable off grid housing market – if there was one. If there wasn’t, I’m sure that it’s just been created. Now you can buy some land, a portable/mobile off grid home complete with sustainable features and throw away the cords connecting you to the power grid.

Pretty cool.

Here are some of my favorites.

The Port-a-bach

Pic via port-a-bach

The port-a-bach is and widely altered shipping container that can be folded up and moved to a new location if need be. What a wonderful use of these millions of containers that lay around the globe. This New Zealand based firm is making big ground. The Port-a-bach is made with global warming in mind – if the sea rises to where your home is, you just fold it up and move to higher ground. It’s an idea that most of us don’t really want to have to consider, but it meets the needs of reality nonetheless.

Here are some features directly from Port-a-Bach’s website:

fully enclosed exterior steel shell (when folded up).
appointed with large internal storage cupboards and
shelves / stainless steel kitchen and fittings / bathroom
with open shower, sink, composting toilet.
interior fabric screen system gives the versatility of
creating rooms within the large open living space :
includes bunk beds, double bed room,
dressing room, kitchen and bathroom
exterior canvas screen system allows to shelter the
deck area for comfortable indoor/outdoor flow and living.
6 concrete footings form a stable, non-invasive
‘foundation’, allowing you to situate the unit on a wide
range of ground conditions.

the Zigloo

The completed Zigloo exterior

What may seem cold from the outside

Is very warm and welcoming on the inside

Keith Dewey is the head honcho behind Zigloo.ca. The Canadian has designed over 100 projects and is designing with the self proclaimed “A New Way To Live” goal in mind. My hat’s off to you sir. You can view his concepts here. They range from the aforementioned shipping container style house to a large project that floats on water. Anyone say, “Waterworld?”

Whatever the need is, you can easily find many homes to use off grid. If you are so inclined to save a bit of dough and don’t mind small living spaces, check out TinyHouseBlog.com. There you can find ways to live in a tiny house suited for your lifestyle. Not sure what I mean by tiny house? pic via tinyhouseblog.com

This is what I mean by tiny house

Renewable Energy 101 – What is Renewable Energy?

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:33:21 +0000

Sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides and rain are natural resources that can help generate energy and it is called renewable energy. In 2006, 18% of energy consumed globally came from renewable energy and 13% came from traditional biomass, which includes wood-burning.

The next largest renewable energy source is Hydroelectricity which provides 3% (15% of electricity generated globally), followed by solar hot water/heating, which contributed up to 1.3%. 0.8% of the final energy consumption is provided by wind power, geothermal energy, ocean energy and solar power.Every year, wind power grows at the rate of 30 percent, with a capacity of over 100 GW installed all over the world and is widely used in the United States and in several European countries. In 2006, the photovoltaic power stations manufactured more than 2,000 MW and these photovoltaic (PV) energy stations are quite popular in Spain and Germany

Renewable energy such as solar thermal power can be found in the Spain and in the USA, the Mojave Desert’s 354 MW SEGS power plant is the largest. If you go to The Geysers in California, you can find the world’s biggest geothermal energy installation. The rated capacity of the geothermal power installation is 750 MW. One of the largest renewable energy programs in the world can be found in Brazil, involving using sugar cane to produce ethanol fuel, and ethanol contributes 18 percent of the Brazil’s automotive fuel. In USA, ethanol fuel is also widely available

Even though there are many large-scale renewable energy production and projects, renewable energy technologies are also recommended for remote and rural areas, where energy is very important for human development. Kenya’s household solar ownership is the highest in the world. About 30,000 small solar power systems (20-100 watt) are sold per year.

The market for the many forms of renewable energy is increasing even though some renewable energy technologies were criticized for being unsightly or intermittent. High oil prices coupled with the climate change concerns and increasing government support are driving increasing incentives, renewable energy legislation and commercialization.Renewable energy industries will be able to weather the 2009 economic crisis better than many other sectors with the new government regulation, spending and policies

By: Farazila Abu

About the Author:

Learn how to build an economical solar energy system in your own home and save TONS of money on your electrical utility bills.

Please visit: No More Electric Bills

Lets help save the earth and and preserve a cleaner planet for our children…..All the best!!

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Living Off Power Grid: Why Do It?

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:54:42 +0000

An increasing number of people have started to realize that they can enjoy today’s luxuries and the independence of off power grid living at the same time. Off power grid living basically means that you are disconnected from the grid. Not only is living off the power grid good for the environment and inexpensive, but it is an option open to almost anyone owning a home.

The idea of living off the power grid applies to anyone, regardless of where they are in the world, even those that are connected to the grid. With the advance of solar, wind and hydro power technologies and better economies of scale, there is an increasing interest in getting off the grid, and breaking free from the carbon emitting power plants.

And with the help of various DIY solar and wind power kits, it is possible for any motivated individual to get off the grid, without the help of over-priced expert installations. As energy demands increase worldwide, those living off the grid can rest easy, knowing their power bills are decreasing.

Off power grid living can be scary for a few, who think they have sacrifice their way of life – their favorite electric gadgets, television, computers, and other energy consuming appliances – to enjoy such independence and freedom. But this could not be farther from the truth! Off power grid living is essentially learning to be aware and control your energy usage.

It can be as simple as turning off a light switch when you leave the room, buying energy saving appliances – such as washing machines and refrigerators. Other ways you could save power is by turning off your computer or TV properly. This does not mean putting them on standby, but physically unplugging them from the wall. Starting to live off the grid does not mean giving up all your electronic devices, but merely using them more wisely to save power.

Off the grid living has become big, that even portable high-efficiency homes, are being built to be independent of the utilities. Similar to mobile homes, the one to two person homes have solar panels, solar water heating and some natural gas, making them portable off grid homes.

If living off the power grid is something you have wanted to learn more about, then a good place to start is on the Internet. There a many helpful resources and stories of everyday people successfully going off the grid. Just think about it – no more power outages, no more electricity bills, complete independence from the utilities. Off power grid living is there for anyone to try, and you can start today, regardless of who and where you are.

By: Tim Mcdonald

About the Author:

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. If you want to learn to make your own diy renewable energy and save thousands on your electricity bills, then Try Earth4Energy For FREE, before you go out and start any renewable energy project.

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How to Rent a Solar Energy System for Your Home

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:07:17 +0000

A new company is emerging; one that allows American homeowners to produce their own clean, green, renewable energy from the sun and keep the savings created by locking in a monthly rental rate. Homeowners can save thousands of dollars powering their home with solar generated electricity.

It is not just the American Dream any longer. It is possible for U.S. homeowners to save money on their energy bills by renting a residential solar energy system. A homeowner can help to lower their carbon emissions by utilizing renewable energy. A solar equipment manufacturer is planning to offer an affordable, hassle free way for U.S. homes to install solar. Saving money by utilizing solar generated electricity is a bonus.

In their pilot installation phase, this company is working to remove the barriers to wide-scale solar adoption in the United States. Its business model is to rent all of the equipment needed to power a residential home with solar electricity.

There is an energy auditing process and required feasibility study to better determine suitable locations. Homeowners hoping to have a solar electric system installed may not qualify in some cases due to environmental or sunlight hour restrictions.

reThinking a Solar Energy Rental Service — The U.S. people do not have to buy a high-dollar solar energy system. It is provided on a leasing or rental basis. The installation is free, with it being part of the rental service, and any permitting or rebate challenges related to the system installation are handled by the company – not the homeowner. The rental company provides the solar equipment, installs the solar electric system, and maintains the unit over time. This solar rental service allows the average citizen to self-produce their own renewable energy.

The homeowner pays a rental fee and produces solar generated electricity from the solar system installed on their home. The homeowner doesn’t have to worry about maintaining the equipment or any of the other concerns that come with making a solar system purchase.

This solar energy rental program removes many obstacles and headaches related to the installation of home solar power systems. The solar solution avoids further carbon emissions, helps reduce dependencies on foreign energy, and creates momentum for renewable energy projects in many part of the U.S.

The Residential Solar Energy System — This service provides enhanced efficiency and better control of your energy usage. The system will monitor the energy production on a daily basis. The homeowner can also track household energy consumption via online reporting. The provided inverter empowers a homeowner to self-produce their own electricity.

Solar Generated Electricity Saves Money — Switching to solar energy can also save on long term electricity costs. The homeowner locks in a monthly rental cost for the use of the solar electric system. They generate renewable energy from the rented system and this electricity offsets the energy that must be purchased from a utility company. This will result in a decrease in an average energy paid over time.

The solar unit rental cost justifies itself over the rental term for the system. The homeowner avoids utility rate increases over time because the solar system rental fee stays lock-in while the cost for electricity continues to go up.

The U.S. homeowner can produce renewable energy, save money on their energy costs, and feel good about lowering their carbon emissions. This solar rental service is truly solar made simple.

By: Daniel Stouffer

About the Author:

At Solargies, our goal is to spread the adoption of renewable energy. Daniel Stouffer is a freelance writer and solar energy consultant. Solar electric system rentals allow homeowners to upgrade to solar power without the upfront system purchase. Learn more at http://www.reThinkingSolar.com.

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There’s No Magic Solution: 6 Cons of Renewable Energy

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:02:55 +0000

Let’s face the fact that there are many environmentalist groups out there that are actively advocating the people to revert and minimize the usage of non-renewable energy. But is it really worth the time and effort for the people to go green?

Going green is not an overnight make over session with your favorite stylist. It takes money, sweat, and patience to have a fully converted eco friendly home. There are seven points to remember before joining mother earth’s campaign.

1. Eco Friendly is not Consumer Friendly

Sure the trend has been set and many companies have joined in the fad but those true blue advocates have money to burn in their pockets. Solar panels or wind mills are not easy on the wallet. A solar panel costs a hefty sum; consider buying four or five of them to cut down your electricity bill by a half. Not to mention that these technology is not widely available elsewhere.

They have to be specially ordered and professionally installed to be fully functional. It may be beneficial in two or three year’s time but at the start it’s just all bills and no gain.

2. High maintenance gadgetry may hurt the wallet’s feelings

It may sound rough but truth hurts. Unlike automobiles which can be maintained by good old dad, these gadgets must be maintained by a professional to be able too meet maximum potential and satisfactory performance.

3. With renewable energy, Mother Nature is in control

Complete dependency to renewable energy may seem bleak at the moment especially with the extreme climate change that the world is experiencing. On the contrary, severe climate changes were caused by pollution and global warming. The people are just reaping what they sow.

4. Sources of Renewable energy depend on geographic location

As the old saying goes, "we can’t win ‘em all" panels and mills need to be situated in a location wherein there is abundance of the resource. It’s a no- brainer to say that hydroelectric mills shouldn’t be installed in the desert.

5. Renewable sometimes means more pollution

Some sources stinks, literally! Biomass is one of the most abundant renewable resources on the planet and it would be a waste not to use it to produce millions of wattage of power. However, large scale harvesting of biomass need a facility far away from towns and villages for security reasons. Another is that biomass contributes to pollution and global warming with the emission of greenhouse gases released by the waste products.

6. More renewable energy needs more time

The fore fathers of modern technology depended on oil and coal thinking that it would be available forever for future consumption not knowing that a huge energy crisis would hit the people straight in the eye. To be able to see dramatic changes in the community it would take at least a century to fully dispose of everything that is non-eco friendly or at least half of it.

Renewable energy cannot emmidiately fully sustain the growing world’s needs. Sure there is nuclear energy but the use of it is still debatable. Unlike wind, solar, hydroelectric, or geothermal, nuclear has more cons to human life as to it being useful. It does cut down electricity and energy consumption. It takes a lot of trouble, and the main question, will renewable energy really save the world?

By: Shirlyn Dee

About the Author:

Shirlyn Dee is a co-owner of Keen Partnerships, a pioneer renewable energy marketing company. Keen Partnerships acknowledge the fact that the renewable energy company startups need due exposure, and has the resources and manpower to give quality Internet marketing services for renewable energy players.

She has successfully deployed sites, and has been in the "Internet Marketing" industry for 4 years now. Now her expertise is mostly focused in deploying sites for Keen Partnerships clients, whose businesses are often in the renewability and sustainability field.

renewable energy

How Do You Go “Off-Grid”?

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:46:20 +0000

With rising energy costs and an increasing awareness of the global impact of the use of fossil fuels, many homeowners are looking into the concept of going off-grid. Going off-grid means detaching oneself from public electric supplies through the use of renewable sources of energy. There are many sources of energy that can be implemented to facilitate this transaction, and many homes implement more than one method when deciding to go off-grid.

One method of going off-grid that comes to mind for many people is solar power. Solar power is a viable option for providing at least a portion of a home’s electricity, but is rather expensive, taking a while before a return is made on the investment. In regards to energy conservation, however, it is an excellent and clean way to generate electricity, harnessing only the power of the sun. Solar panels require little to no maintenance for decades, making them a desirable option, but location of the home and the amount of sunlight throughout the year should be considered when deciding whether to use the panels as a primary or secondary source of electricity.

Wind electricity is another common means of going off grid. In areas with high average wind speeds year round, residential wind turbines can be an excellent option. It is important to select the right size turbine for your home, depending on whether it will be a primary or secondary source of power.

These days a number of home builders are utilizing biomass as a means of powering their homes off the grid. These systems use simple wood burners to create heat that is turned to steam to run turbines that create electricity. Smaller models are now available for home use and provide an excellent means of staying off grid. The machines must be fed a constant supply of biomass, such as firewood, yard trimmings, or compost, but provides clean and entirely renewable energy to power the home as well as an excellent source of clean heat.

The last means of going off-grid is through hydroelectric power. This source requires a constant and somewhat powerful source of flowing water, such as a creek or stream, but can create significant amounts of power. Because the water flows constantly, the system is always producing the same amount of power, eliminating the ebbs and flows that come with using wind or solar power.

When making the decision to go off-grid, it is important to take your location and climate into consideration. If it is cloudy and overcast a significant portion of the year, you will not want to choose solar power as a main source of electricity, while those in areas without significant wind would be best utilizing a source other than wind turbines. There is certainly a feasible option for every homeowner that would allow them to go off-grid, and a combination of multiple methods might be the best way to go, it simply takes a bit of research to find the best and most effective method for your region and climate.

By: Jamie Green

About the Author:

Renewable Energy Today is devoted to providing individuals with up-to-date information and resources on renewable energy and sustainability. Through articles, videos and other content, you can learn how to implement renewable energy in your home as well as what the government is doing to help the environment.

off grid

Pros & Cons Of Solar Energy

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:36:37 +0000

Every day, households around the world are using up the planet’s resources for energy. If this continues, these energy sources will be depleted quickly -unless alternative renewable energy sources are utilized.

One of the energy sources that modern technology has recently put to good use is solar energy. Solar energy isn’t anything new, but new technology advancements have placed solar power more into the mainstream, and it may one day be one of our primary sources of power. -

Advantages of Solar Energy

Since solar energy comes directly from the sun, it is not only renewable, but also accessible in any part of the world. As long as the proper equipment is utilized, unlimited amounts of solar power can be collected and put to good use.

Solar power is also one of the cleanest forms of energy, since it creates no pollution, and produces no greenhouse gases or waste products. For residential uses, the use of solar power minimizes negative impacts on the surrounding environment, making it a safer alternative to wind or hydro power.

Not only is solar energy non-pollutant, in terms of gases, but it also causes zero noise pollution – since there are no moving parts in any of the devices which are used to capture the sunlight. Due to the fact that no moving parts are used, maintenance costs are low as well – only occasional cleaning and periodic battery replacements are needed. Most manufacturers of solar panels provide twenty-year warranties for their equipment, guaranteeing long-life operation.

Solar panels placed on rooftops also double as a heat absorbers, slightly cooling the top area of the house which is directly below the roof.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

The most obvious drawback of solar energy is its sole dependence on the sun. Once the weather becomes cloudy, or night strikes, energy collection comes to a halt. However, recent advancements of technology now allow the generated power to be stored in special batteries which provide roughly enough electricity to last a night.

This is why solar-powered devices, including flashlights, are gaining in popularity and are proving to be efficient energy savers. Solar panels can also be expensive, because of the materials that are used to create them. And even when these materials are taken out of the equation, the entire process, considering the other devices involved, can be a bit costly. This includes portable devices that utilize solar energy. But most of the cost involved is in the initial purchase and installation of a solar power system – not running costs.

Fortunately, there are some people who sell damaged solar cells, which are much cheaper. These damaged solar cells can be used to build fully functional solar panels, using the application of simple do-it-yourself techniques. Although in every part of the world, there is at least some point in time when the sun shines, it is also true that direct sunlight is needed in order to make the most of the sun’s energy – and to generate the highest amounts of power. This significantly restricts the placement of solar panels. And some areas in the world may receive little benefit, due to lesser sunlight.

What’s the Bottom Line?

More research and development continues to be invested into this growing technology, and that’s a good sign for the future of our households – as solar power may one day be used more frequently than other energy sources. Of course, solar energy isn’t perfect, but it makes a great complimentary addition to other energy forms.

By: Anna

About the Author:

To learn more about how solar energy can be used as part of modern clean energy solutions, for the home and on the road, please visit the author’s website on Solar Power, as well as her Solar Power Blog.

solar energy

2008 is the Year of Solar Energy, According to New Changewave Survey

shaun — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:12:07 +0000

“Keep your face to the sunshine…” — Helen Keller

No matter where you look, alternative energy is the topic du jour. Driven by the economics of record-high crude oil, the spotlight is shifting to non-traditional renewable energy sources, particularly solar power.

But while solar stocks were some of the biggest gainers for much of last year, recently the solar power industry has taken big hits – with several key leaders such as First Solar (FLSR) SunPower (SPWR) and Evergreen Solar (ESLR) down as much as 50% off their 52 week highs.

To find out what’s going on with solar energy and the other renewable energy sources, we recently surveyed 182 respondents working directly in the alternative energy industry.

Solar Leads – Solar energy continues to show the most momentum of all alternative energy segments, according to industry respondents. Not only has it shown strong gains since our previous survey in February 2007, but it also leads in each of the following areas:

* Most Rapid Economic Growth – Past 12 Months: When asked which alternative energy sector has experienced the fastest growth over the past year, solar energy (49%) topped the list – up a whopping 14-pts since our previous survey in February. In comparison, Biomass – including biofuels and bio-products – came in at 41%.

* Most Rapid Economic Growth – Next 12-24 Months: Going forward, respondents see solar energy (58%; up 20-pts) as experiencing the most rapid growth in the industry for the next one-to-two years.

* Most Momentum – Next 5 Years: Over the long term, solar energy also retains its strength, as 31% of respondents (up 5-pts) say it will be the top sector for the next half decade.

In sum, solar energy leads all of the other major alternative energy categories in terms of rapid economic growth. Solar energy is also seen as experiencing the biggest technology breakthroughs (27%; up 2-pts). But perhaps most importantly, solar cells are expected to be affordable enough to achieve a competitive return on investment within seven years (by 2015).

“Demand for solar cells is unquestionably robust, the price of oil is trending higher, and solar tax credits will likely be extended,” according to ChangeWave Analyst Josh Levine. The forces are all lining up exceptionally well for the solar industry. It’s the right time for investors to be exposed to the sun and invest in solar stocks.”

According to solar industry experts, the sector’s growth is being propelled forward by global photovoltaics manufacturers like First Solar (FSLR), SunPower Corp. (SPWR) and SunTech Power Holdings (STP) – companies that have developed superior business models and excelled in project management.

Levine adds that the next big challenge for the solar industry is the scaling of production facilities for mass production at the gigawatt level. “The next generation of leaders will be those companies that are best equipped to leverage the latest innovations in materials research through manufacturing know-how,” he said.

Clearly, solar energy has the momentum in our latest ChangeWave survey. We’ll continue tracking solar energy and other non-traditional energy sources in the alternative energy industry for new opportunities in 2008.

By: Jim Woods and Paul Carton

About the Author:

The ChangeWave expert research network is composed of 15,000 highly qualified professionals. Members are surveyed weekly on a range of topics, and ChangeWave converts the findings into proprietary reports. Visit our website for additional ChangeWave Solar Findings and ChangeWave Technology alerts.