Off-grid homes: Our favourite top four

The term ‘off-grid’ gets used in many different ways but it’s origin lies in being able to get off the electrical grid and having a home which can supply its own power. Typically this means that an off-grid home will have a solar array and storage system which can supply all of its electricity needs to run the home.

However being ‘off-grid’ means different things to many people and the idea of being disconnected to the electricity grid is simply the starting point.

To some people it also means not being connected to town water, so they’ll aim to collect enough rain water to provide for all their needs, recycle as much water as possible, as well as treating their waste water onsite.

At the other end of the spectrum, some people like the idea of getting away from the rest of society, so to them ‘off-grid’ means getting away from everything, living remotely and being truly self-sufficient. These people will provide for their own electricity needs through solar, collect their water from rainwater storage tanks, treat their own waste water plus they’ll keep livestock and grow their own produce.

So as you can see – there are many interpretations of going ‘off-grid’. What do off-grid homes mean to you?

There is a growing movement of homeowners who are keen to get off the electricity grid as well as disconnecting from gas. These people are creating all-electric homes which are powered by solar panels and battery storage.

In this blog I’ve featured many off-grid homes and below are a few of my favourites!

Plus – follow along with The Impossible House, featured in our Sustainable Stories section. This is the home of Dr Laura Ryan who is converting her small, inner city workers cottage into a fully off-grid sustainable home.

Is going off-grid something you’d like to do? Let me know in the comments below.