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Off-grid: illegal in Florida?

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zzrider

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Looking for any input from anyone in Florida who is running completely off-grid with power from solar & battery. And by off-grid I mean no connection to the grid at all, no utility power on the lot, period.

We own rural AG acreage in FL with no utility power on it and intend to put up a small house run completely off-grid, but properly permitted and built to code. Private septic and well.

I'm asking this here because I have seen other people on other forum stating that off-grid is explicitly illegal in Florida, but when challenged nobody can produce the state law or county law codifying this, nor can I find one either.
 
An occupancy permit requires many permits such as an electric permit sign-off first, and Florida is under NEC2017, soon to be NEC2020 so your energy generation / storage system must use UL listed components, no DYI batteries unless they are lead acid. So you will likely have to use UL9540A listed components. So Yes you can do it, but it must be code compliant and unless you can do ALL the work yourself, a licensed electrical contractor for everything.

I've designed an built in Florida a net zero energy home with lots of subs for the various trades I couldn't do myself, it is quite the under taking!
 
I am building a new home that will be 100% off grid from day 1. ATM I am playing around at our present home and hope to disconnect from FPL soon and see what they say when I tell them no more service please !!!
BTW Florida is already on NEC2020.
 
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Rules and regulations !!!!
For a new build, you need to pull permits for everything and before it becomes a livable property, you need a Certificate of Occupation (CO)
Department of health are the ones that get you, you must have sanitary living conditions or they will chuck you out.
And if the service is available at your property, you must use it (water, sewer)
Now electricity, that is a grey area that I am about to explore.
 
Quattrohead said:
Rules and regulations !!!!
For a new build, you need to pull permits for everything and before it becomes a livable property, you need a Certificate of Occupation (CO)
Department of health are the ones that get you, you must have sanitary living conditions or they will chuck you out.
And if the service is available at your property, you must use it (water, sewer)
Now electricity, that is a grey area that I am about to explore.
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Grey area indeed.

We're all set on water & sewer; have private well & septic.

Regarding power, there is utility power available as there's a line running down one of the roads we have frontage on, but power has not actually been brought off it onto our parcel. Power company doesn't even have an easement on our frontage because the lines are on the other side of street. Bringing it in would be about 1300' and I have no intention of doing that. Can they force me to take it? I can't find a legal basis for it.
 
Many rules to get certificate of occupancy. This can include having trash pickup services! For example, when we vacated our home in San Jose, CA to sell it - we tried to discontinue trash and it was not allowed even though no one lived there.

In my case - my focus is off-grid w/grid-assist via ATSs. I use grid when the solar is not enough. In spring/summer I don't need grid at all. However, I maintain a footprint with the electric company (e.g. the hot-tub). However, winter (Dec/Jan = clouds, clouds, clouds) I use grid. But in the 100% off-grid spirit, I been building out winter disaster prep such as 40 extra panels under the house to deploy temporarily to the back yard in Dec/Jan.

We also rainharvest and use it 10months / year with no conservation - and city water the other 2 months + water the grass. Can easily conserve to make 10months stretch to 12months for a comfortable, functioning home.

My point - one can design to achieve a functional off-grid system wile keeping a footprint with services to avoid occupancy hassles. Kind of 'roll with things and avoid trouble but yet be prepared for 100% off-grid. My goal is to be able to live 100% off-grid 'in the city' but I'm not out to fight city hall.
 
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In FL, does having an Agricultural Exemption make a difference?

We have a farm We are about to power off grid. Grid power is a mile away, so no grid power at the farm. The plan is to build an office and equipment storage on the property , but the office will eventually have "living quarters".
 
MrM1 said:
In FL, does having an Agricultural Exemption make a difference?

We have a farm We are about to power off grid. Grid power is a mile away, so no grid power at the farm. The plan is to build an office and equipment storage on the property , but the office will eventually have "living quarters".
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Good question. I haven't seen anything in either state or county regs specifically regarding power on AG land. Ours is AG zoned also and we definitely intend to have a residence on it. From what I've seen so far, we have to follow FBC and NEC regardless.
 
OffGridInTheCity said:
My point - one can design to achieve a functional off-grid system wile keeping a footprint with services to avoid occupancy hassles. Kind of 'roll with things and avoid trouble but yet be prepared for 100% off-grid. My goal is to be able to live 100% off-grid 'in the city' but I'm not out to fight city hall.
Click to expand...

I get your point, but the "can't fight city hall" complacency is what lead us to where we are now, with it getting increasingly difficult to do *anything*.

Pretty soon we won't be able to do ANYTHING at all without "permission" of this increasingly powerful government nanny, and the inevitably higher costs of compliance to obtain this permission.

Perhaps it's time we should start fighting city hall?
 
My 1671465617359.png is that you want an inspection and you want to follow to follow the rules in almost all instances. The rules aren't arbitrary, they're generally good practices born out of tragedies, and as long as a permit/inspection isn't a simple money grab with no value, having them double-check the calculations and inspect the installation is a real value.

The problem is when there's something wrong in the rules (e.g., the multiple ground issue) or if what you're doing supersedes the expectations but the inspector can't pass it because they don't understand it (or more likely don't want to assume any responsibility for it). Theoretically, you can get an engineer's report and get that accepted, but it's a lot a hassle for some things that should just be common sense.
 
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zzrider said:
Pretty soon we won't be able to do ANYTHING at all without "permission" of this increasingly powerful government nanny, and the inevitably higher costs of compliance to obtain this permission.
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Unfortunately, we're past this point. Those in power are ramming things thru with no regard to logic, science, or individual rights. I Loved @Will's simple observation that there are 0% chargers for trucks with a trailer!!! but yet they want everyone to buy an electric truck. I'm old and I don't recognize America any more.

zzrider said:
Perhaps it's time we should start fighting city hall?
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If things weren't so corrupt and I was much younger - maybe :)
 
svetz said:
My View attachment 125331 is that you want an inspection and you want to follow to follow the rules in almost all instances. The rules aren't arbitrary, they're generally good practices born out of tragedies, and as long as a permit/inspection isn't a simple money grab with no value, having them double-check the calculations and inspect the installation is a real value.

The problem is when there's something wrong in the rules (e.g., the multiple ground issue) or if what you're doing supersedes the expectations but the inspector can't pass it because they don't understand it. Theoretically, you can get an engineer's report and get that accepted, but it's a lot a hassle for some things that should just be common sense.
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Yep I appreciate that. I particularly appreciate the very demanding Florida building codes, having come through hurricane Ian. I'm not criticizing building and electrical codes in general because as you said, they're generally sensible best practices.
 
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