One thing that is good about starting a home from scratch is the ability to pretty much do all kinds of different things before you start running into obstructions and small spaces.  If you are planning to use renewable energy sources, such a solar,  this is an ideal time to set everything up.  One of the first things to consider when trying to get off the grid is setting up the best energy collectors.

You have a few choices here.  You can buy solar power kits, that show you step-by-step-instructions on how you can use voltaic cells to create your own solar configuration.  These are a great way to learn about solar power, but are time consuming to build.  You can find many cheap solar panels, and just because they are cheap, doesn’t mean they are bad.  It just means that they were used before, maybe in some industrial complex, that requires regular upgrading.  Another way to go is with voltaic roof tiles, the shingles are actually made up of mini solar collectors.

Each has their pros and cons, but you have to decide which system is best for your own needs, and budget.  The next thing you should be looking into is major appliances, ones that are best suited to solar grids.  The place to start with is you central heating system.  There is a toss up over whether electric or natural gas is better, the truth is it depends on YOUR needs.  Both have benefits and disadvantages.  With a gas heating system, you furnace will become hot faster, and at a higher temperature.  It’s heat rise, how long it takes for a certain amount of water to heat, is much better than electricity.  However, you are still utilizing the power grid, and spending money on gas or propane.

While electricity takes longer to heat the same amount of water, if you are planning to live off the grid totally,  have enough power to run all of your appliances, then who cares if it takes a little longer.  You are not using any other power sources, and  living off the grid eliminates having to worry about spending money on gas or propane.

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