Off the Grid Living Latest News and Info
If you want to learn more about renewable energy, green building and other sustainable living topics, the Solar Living Institute (SLI) in Hopland, Calif., is a great resource. The Institute offers hands-on workshops to help participants learn sustainable living skills such as brewing biodiesel, making natural plasters, building with straw bales and much more. Every summer, the Institute also holds an annual festival called SolFest, which features workshops, speakers, music and food.
As a result of a successful lawsuit against the Department of Energy, the DOE must now update energy efficiency standards on 22 different consumer products, such as air conditioners, stoves and lamps. The evaluation will continue through 2011.
The PowerCost monitor comes in two parts. The first, a sensor, is attached to your electricity meter. It works on all standard residential meters and is easily installed (no electrician required). The sensor sends a wireless signal to a small display unit. You can put this anywhere in the house.
The unit can be configured with [...]
Mounting a wind turbine on your roof instead of on a tower might seem like a good idea, but here are some issues you should consider.
Car alternators don’t typically make good battery chargers for off-grid homes. The deep cycle battery requires special charging to maintain a long life, as it gets discharged and recharged deeper, and more often than a car battery. There is hope, however, for the ubiquitous car alternator. By driving it with a small engine, and adding [...]