Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
This is just for people that are completely off grid for electricity.
Do you ever regret going off grid?
Do you ever regret going off grid?
Do You Ever Regret Going Off Grid?
- Thread starter Solarcabin Channel
- Start date
yodamota
Solar Enthusiast
there are those who have the choice and those who do not have a grid to connect to!!!
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
I didn't have a choice unless I wanted to build a 2500 sqft code home which I couldn't afford and didn't want otherwise I would have connected to the grid.
Solar power was just barely in it's infancy and Harbor Freight solar panels and Trojan deep cycle batteries were pretty much all that was available and very expensive.
Those first 5 years were rough and yes I probably would have given up and went back to the grid and I thought about it more than once but I stuck it out.
Now you have much better and much more affordable equipment and my system today is big enough to take care of all my needs... but in winter on those really low sun days that last a week and I am watching my power use closely I still sometimes wish for a grid connection.
Then I see how much I saved every month on utility bills and how my power stays on in a blackout and that goes away quickly.
hugemoth
Solar Enthusiast
I've been off grid since 1987 and have never regretted it. The first few years were filled with experimentation since there weren't many people doing it at the time. Haven't really had to think about my PV power system for the last 20+ years except for replacing lead acid batteries periodically, it just works.
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
Are you still using those?
I finally replaced my Vmax tanks after 10 years with a 400Ah LFP and sure love that extra capacity.
hugemoth
Solar Enthusiast
Yes, still have some lead acid batteries but they are set aside and the LFP battery is in service running the washing machine as we speak. Should be better and cheaper in the long run. Won't miss watering and terminal cleaning.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 20,682
I guess it was early 90's I moved out into the sticks, but not really off grid because I unrolled a 250' UF cable as extension cord from a neighbor's outlet. Plugged in through a watt hour meter, but ants moved in and brought their sand with them, which jammed it.
It was a very pleasant time, 18' RV surrounded by tall fir trees, fed by spring, various animals.
diysolarforum.com
But then I met a girl, in town ...
Still got the place, but have houses in town now.
My only regrets are going back on grid.
It was a very pleasant time, 18' RV surrounded by tall fir trees, fed by spring, various animals.
Where I Live
https://elegantsaratoga.com/?utm_source=LeadHax&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=BayArea (not really, although my acreage is in the hills above there) I think even Will would have difficulty qualifying for this (at least until he can document a couple years at his current income.) $8000/month...
diysolarforum.com
But then I met a girl, in town ...
Still got the place, but have houses in town now.
My only regrets are going back on grid.
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
Yep, I can definitely relate to that!
Jwood
New Member
I've been off grid for 16 years. Used to hate maintaining lead acid batteries, but comes with the territory. Now with lithium batteries everything is sooooo easy. I think the key to happiness for me is having a system that exceeds my needs so I don't have to worry about conserving. We also live where there's sun 320+ days/year, and never freezes. I'm not sure if I'd like to be off grid where there's a lot of cloudy days and you have to worry about keeping the generator ready.
alcook62
Don't Be A Casualty - Cut the Cord
My wife and I have been off the grid for 5.5 years now and neither of us wants to go back. We bought 40 acres in Wyoming, with the nearest power pole about four miles away. Paying for the grid to come to us was definitely not an option.
We started with Trojan lead acid batteries and I killed those within the first three years. Hated them! I scheduled and did the maintenance on them monthly and still couldn't keep them going. After discovering DIY LiFePO4 everything changed. Started with 280ah and did another 230ah bank the following year. We have all the modern conveniences (XL washer/dryer, mini-split heat pump, 120v refrigerator, chest freezer, etc...). Of course we have a backup generator (9500-watt Champion).
The transition from on grid to off grid involved some mindset changes, but now they're ingrained and second nature. I wouldn't go back to the grid if Rocky Mountain Power offered to pick up the costs!
We started with Trojan lead acid batteries and I killed those within the first three years. Hated them! I scheduled and did the maintenance on them monthly and still couldn't keep them going. After discovering DIY LiFePO4 everything changed. Started with 280ah and did another 230ah bank the following year. We have all the modern conveniences (XL washer/dryer, mini-split heat pump, 120v refrigerator, chest freezer, etc...). Of course we have a backup generator (9500-watt Champion).
The transition from on grid to off grid involved some mindset changes, but now they're ingrained and second nature. I wouldn't go back to the grid if Rocky Mountain Power offered to pick up the costs!
MaikaiLifeDIY
Solar Enthusiast
I’ve been off for about six months now in a community in Mexico. I have a solark 15k 17,500 W of production, and 60 kW of storage. so far, I’ve been living a normal life. I have all the same things I had in the states except that the power only goes out when I flip the switch or potentially when I have a problem down the road. For me it was really cool to be in complete control of my energy and be able to live wherever I wanted to and not have to sacrifice anything. Only recently with the deployment of Starl link have I felt completely connected and entirely informed about what’s going on everywhere.
I have a lot of automations and things put in place they give me additional confidence that everything’s working and it’s super cool to see all of the components humming along, working perfectly together and especially not having a power bill.
Anyways, just depends on what you’re looking for but the systems themselves are rock solid today and it gives me the freedom to do things I didn’t think were possible years prior. ?
I have a lot of automations and things put in place they give me additional confidence that everything’s working and it’s super cool to see all of the components humming along, working perfectly together and especially not having a power bill.
Anyways, just depends on what you’re looking for but the systems themselves are rock solid today and it gives me the freedom to do things I didn’t think were possible years prior. ?
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Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
Yes, having internet and phone service has definitely made off grid living much easier and more appealing to people.
We had pretty crappy service here when I first went off grid but I have been able to run a business online and a local business that required lots of phone use and if I couldn't have done that off grid would not have worked for me.
I have been off-grid for 6 years - only the last 3 full-time. I love solar power and really enjoy geeking out on it and putting together my diy system has been a real experience. But during the winter, I have to manage my usage daily, and that becomes a drag. And the more you use energy, the more you rely on it, and dependability becomes more and more important.
I have thought many times that I would be better off having had the grid put in right when I purchased the land. I still think about whether I should bring it in. There is a lot of value in "energy here, whenever you need it, as much as you want for $600/year connection fee....
If I didn't love solar power so much, I don't think it would be worth it. Who knows if/when I will bring in the grid.
I have thought many times that I would be better off having had the grid put in right when I purchased the land. I still think about whether I should bring it in. There is a lot of value in "energy here, whenever you need it, as much as you want for $600/year connection fee....
If I didn't love solar power so much, I don't think it would be worth it. Who knows if/when I will bring in the grid.
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
That increases when you have kids or get older!
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
We will find out in about 6 months time ?
ericfx1984
Solar Enthusiast
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2021
- Messages
- 741
Sometimes I do.. But then I don't get an electric bill... And then people in my little late community post things on Facebook about how their power is out... And I just laugh and say something about how mine is working just fine
Spartan
New Member
It's been 5 years now living completely off the power grid and my wife and I have no regrets whatsoever.
We had our home designed and built to be an off-grid home from the ground up so every energy using device is compatible with using alternative energy. Off-grid living need not be what it was in the past when the equipment was very expensive and not as reliable.
The most important recent changes have been the drastic drop in price of solar panels and significant increases in efficiency in things like refrigerators and lighting (LED) as well as improvements in cost, quality and options of inverters and new battery technologies. All of these things put together make living off-grid quite different experience than even just a decade ago.
In our situation, we set out to build a typical style home that would be nearly indistinguishable from an on-grid home. Our effort paid off for us as we now live as comfortably as we did when living grid-connected. In fact, we rely on our backup generator less living off-grid than we did when living on-grid!
For us, there're no regrets and for sure, no going back.
We had our home designed and built to be an off-grid home from the ground up so every energy using device is compatible with using alternative energy. Off-grid living need not be what it was in the past when the equipment was very expensive and not as reliable.
The most important recent changes have been the drastic drop in price of solar panels and significant increases in efficiency in things like refrigerators and lighting (LED) as well as improvements in cost, quality and options of inverters and new battery technologies. All of these things put together make living off-grid quite different experience than even just a decade ago.
In our situation, we set out to build a typical style home that would be nearly indistinguishable from an on-grid home. Our effort paid off for us as we now live as comfortably as we did when living grid-connected. In fact, we rely on our backup generator less living off-grid than we did when living on-grid!
For us, there're no regrets and for sure, no going back.
In thinking more about this question, the most difficult thing about being off-grid is during the winter season - you just can't leave and be sure you will have enough battery to heat your house and keep your freezer and fridge running. I guess if you had an automatic generator that problem would be solved, but everything needs to work correctly every time or you have a frozen house and thawed freezer...
Yes, absolutely right. This is why I massively over-invested in panel. I can eke out enough watts on even snowy days to usually put enough charge in a battery bank. Today it's snowing heavily, and my panels are covered and I'm generating 1500 watts..
