Earthship: a cutting-edge, sustainable green home made from recycled materials

. Australia falling for Earthship marketers "...Boasting an outer shell made of stacked car tyres packed with earth, an Earthship claims to be a cutting-edge, sustainable green home made from recycled materials. ..." Reference: www.off-grid.net

Off-the-Grid Solar Living

. The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Off-the-Grid Solar "...In our part of Maine, quiet and remote means off the electrical grid. Our summer rental cabin had..." Reference: nytimes.com

Could you live off the grid?

. Could you live off the grid? "...We have been living off grid now for 17 years now. Our first photovoltaic panel was a small 15-watt unit that was very expensive. ..." Reference: timestranscript.canadaeast.com

A Glow in the Desert

. A Glow in the Desert
"...Known locally as the Moonscape, this raggedly lovely landscape of mesas and buttes, mesquite and desert juniper is rough and cheap, which makes it a tempting site for off-the-gridders like Mr. Wells. ..." Reference: www.nytimes.com

Group Survival Forum

. Group Survival Forum A good off the grid forum Reference: mutuallyassuredsurvival.com

The Field Lab, off the grid living

. T h e F i e l d L a b "...I feel that the technology today has advanced enough and the costs have dropped to the point where just about anyone can make the move to off the grid living. This just happened to coincide with discovering accounts of pioneer life of some of my relatives from over 100 years ago. Their lives were difficult back then, but I sensed a feeling of great joy and accomplishment in overcoming hardship - where hard work payed off and living life was a fulfilling experience. ..." Reference: www.thefieldlab.org

. Greener Pastures "...“Beauty, food, sustainability and fun,” said Meucci, who lives on the grounds of Gardens Oy Vey and utilizes nature for all of life's creature comforts. “I've been off the grid for 25 years. People pay me to make their lawns beautiful...." Reference: www.memphisdailynews.com

Staying Connected: The technology of off-grid living

. Staying Connected - The technology of off-grid living
"...There is a strong online presence for those living off-grid, which proves that the internet and computers are not an obstacle for off-gridders. Sites and forums such as Off-Grid.net, The Renewable Planet, and Off The Grid all have strong communities of folks willing to share their experiences with the world...."
Reference: www.tecca.com

go off the grid

. go off the grid "...A group of University of Minnesota students from the Energy Efficiency Student Alliance held a campout in front of Coffman at the temperature of below-zero wind chill to kick off the Conservation Madness, a competition between dorms to see who can conserve the most energy. ..." Reference: www.mndaily.com

Off the Grid in Alaska

. Our Alaska: Living off the grid "...Today they've got two solar panels in addition to the diesel generator, which is connected to a 300-gallon tank that needs filling about twice a year...." Reference: www.alaskadispatch.com

Off-Grid Communications

. How to Get Started In Off-Grid Communications "...People often ask what the best option is for off-grid communication. There is only one answer to this question that makes sense to me and that is the wonderful world of amateur radio or ham radio...." Reference: www.offthegridnews.com

Geothermal Heating

. Energy underground "...the earth stays a constant 69 to 70 degrees. Geothermal systems capture this heat to warm buildings during the winter, and draw the heat..." Reference: www.connectsavannah.com

Off the Grid by Nick Rosen

Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America

Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America

Reference: Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America

Wildcrafting

. Wildcrafting "...Wildcrafting is a term for the age-old practice of collecting plant materials in their natural habitat for food, medicine, and craft. Originally such activity was the only grocery store, medicine chest, and hardware store, available to man...." Reference: www.wildcrafting.com

Wildcrafting: ground cherries are ripe now

. Wildcrafting: ground cherries are ripe now "...I enjoyed Japanese lanterns as a kid, and found them in our yard and in the nearby field where I played. Just in the last couple of years I learned they have an edible fruit , and are really very tasty...." Reference: www.annarbor.com

Meet the man who lived in a one-room cabin off the grid

. Meet the man who lived in a one-room cabin off the grid "...Wildcrafters are a subculture that's really getting stronger. I was surprised to find so many people living off the grid, and not just off the electricity grid, but also off the grid culturally...." Reference: www.miamiherald.com

Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government

Teesside joins in with the off-grid revolution

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Teesside joins in with the off-grid revolution
"...Going off-grid doesn’t come cheap, however. So what to do if you haven’t got a few thousand pounds lying around? A little Government incentive - just in - has suddenly made the case for switching to micro renewables far more compelling...."
Reference: www.gazettelive.co.uk

Bloom's power plant in a box? (FAQ)

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Bloom's power plant in a box? (FAQ)
"... the goal is to get businesses, and eventually consumers, off the transmission line grid and deliver power at a much lower cost with zero emissions.
What is the Bloom box? It's a fuel cell. While that's nothing new--as Greentech Media editor Michael Kanellos says, fuel cells have been around since the 1800s--it's Bloom Energy's secret sauce that makes it special...."
Reference: cnet.com

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What to do if ... you want to live off-grid
"...Michael Rea, 64, and his wife Dot retired to the Shetland island of Unst in 2001 and now live in a zero-carbon house. In the past year, the couple have lived near off-grid, with heating costs of just 50p a day for their 180sq m home in the most northerly part of the British Isles ..."
Reference: www.independent.co.uk

Solar Composting Advanced Toilet

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Solar Composting Advanced Toilet
"...The Solar Composting Advanced Toilet is designed to recycle human excrement and urine into a relatively dry and deodorized compost which can be safely and easily applied to the immediately surrounding landscape.
The S.C.A.T. is a self-contained freestanding structure using inexpensive convenient organic materials such as peat moss or sawdust to promote effective composting. ..."
Reference: www.solartoilet.com

Thermal Mass Refrigerator

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Thermal Mass Refrigerator,
"...Some Earthships feature ‘Thermal Mass Refrigerators’ that do exactly that. They are lined inside with a layer of alcohol which holds the temperature better than if it were just lined with insulation. The plans are featured in “Earthship Volume III: Evolution Beyond Economics” by Michael Reynolds...."
Reference: thegreenv.com

Living off the grid, in style

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Living off the grid, in style
"...'This home can be on this planet for a family of four and they can survive no matter what happens to the economy, or the resources, or anything,' says architect Mike Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, a company that specialises in designing and building the 'off the grid homes'.

'That's carbon zero,' he adds...."
Reference: bigpondnews.com

Solar buying group now offers online estimate tool

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Solar buying group now offers online estimate tool
"...One Block Off the Grid, the solar group purchasing company, has developed an online estimate tool that you can use to see whether your roof is appropriate for a solar project as well as how much it might cost you...."
Reference: zdnet.com

U.S. Army Wilderness Survival (FM 21-76)

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U.S. Army Wilderness Survival (FM 21-76)
"...As a soldier, you can be sent to any area of the world. It may be in a temperate, tropical, arctic, or subarctic region. You expect to have all your personal equipment and your unit members with you wherever you go. However, there is no guarantee it will be so. You could find yourself alone in a remote area—possibly enemy territory—with little or no personal gear. This manual provides information and describes basic techniques that will enable you to survive and return alive should you find yourself in such a situation...."
Reference: www.scribd.com

Surviving An Ice Storm OFF the GRID

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Surviving An Ice Storm OFF the GRID
"...For you city slickers that might not know what to do; should you be suddenly kicked off the grid for a week or two this is where to start. First, to save all the frozen and cold items in your freezer and fridge during an ice storm, if you aren’t rich enough to have a generator; ..."
Reference: www.gather.com

Seven ways to drop off the grid

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Seven ways to drop off the grid
"...Live off-grid, unplugged from the system with solar panels and rainwater harvesting. There are thousands of people living without mains power, water or sewerage, all over the UK and the US, in isolated cottages, behind hedgerows..."
Reference: www.off-grid.net

where can i buy a smart meter

Tendril Shows Off Smart Meter Solution at Google-GE Panel Discussion
where can i buy a smart meter
"...As other bloggers had pointed out last week, smart metering is still not perfect. Tendril's devices still don't have the ability to tell you how much power your individual appliances are consuming. For now, you can figure out how much your fridge, TV, dryer and other devices are costing you..."
Reference: www.usnews.com

What is a smart meter?

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What is a smart meter?
"...A smart meter is an advanced meter (usually an electrical meter) that identifies consumption in more detail than a conventional meter; and optionally, but generally, communicates that information via some network back to the local utility for monitoring and billing purposes (telemetering)...."
Reference: en.wikipedia.org

solar-powered ham radio

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Surfin': Getting Off The Grid
"...I would like to generate enough electricity (one way or another) to run the ham shack and everything else in the house and sever our umbilical cord to Connecticut Light & Power...."
Reference: www.arrl.org

Poll: Could you live off the grid?

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Poll: Could you live off the grid?
"...pay about $30 a month for electricity, getting the rest from solar. They spend about $50 on groceries, growing much of their food. Could you live this way?..."
Reference: www.baltimoresun.com

BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home

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BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home
"...Designed to be completely self-sufficient, the BeauSoleil Home will generate more energy than it consumes, collect its own water using a cistern, and capture natural breezes and sunshine to reduce the amount of energy it consumes. Operable shutters serve dual functions by providing shade and hurricane protection for windows. In addition to sustainability, the project will also include reflections of the schools’ native culture - a rich heritage that TEAM BeauSoleil is proud to share with the world...."
Reference: www.beausoleilhome.org

Do It Yourself Solar Energy

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Do It Yourself Solar Energy
"...you can build your own Solar Panels, saving $10,000’s off of retail price.

...almost anyone can do this, even if they have no solar experience.

...there is a step-by-step guide that will show you exactly how to build your own solar panel system. ..."
Reference: www.greendiyenergy.com

Phone and data off the grid

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Phone and data off the grid
"...This is where the Explorer 500 and Inmarsat's BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) data service comes in. ..."
Reference: www.computerworld.com

Solar-hydrogen house combines new, old

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Solar-hydrogen house combines new, old
"...It may look like an out-of-place throwback, but the $575,000 Off-Grid, Zero Emissions Building — OGZEB — has a futuristic purpose...."
Reference: www.msnbc.msn.com

A poet who has lived "off the grid" continues a line-up in line with nature at Sunken Garden Poetry and Music Festival

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A poet who has lived "off the grid" continues a line-up in line with nature at Sunken Garden Poetry and Music Festival
"...Baron Wormser served as Poet Laureate of Maine from 2000?2005. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he moved to Maine with his wife Janet in 1970. For 25 years he worked as a librarian, and for nearly as long, he lived with his family in an off-the-grid house on 48 acres. His memoir, The Road Washes Out in Spring: A Poet's Memoir of Living Off the Grid (University Press of New England, 2006)..."
Reference: www.connecticutplus.com
Sunken Garden Poetry and Music Festival

Saft Introduces VHT Ni-MH Battery Modules For Off-Grid PV

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Saft Introduces VHT Ni-MH Battery Modules For Off-Grid PV
"...Saft, a Paris-based designer and manufacturer of high-tech industrial batteries, now offers a range of nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable battery modules specifically designed to meet the needs of off-grid photovoltaic and wind energy systems...."
Reference: www.solarindustrymag.com

JOHN BOGERT: Daughter re-launches a life 'off the grid'

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JOHN BOGERT: Daughter re-launches a life 'off the grid'
"... In this case an adjustment period that involves vegetable planting and live chickens, things that the new roommate claims will "take us off the grid." In truth, I have lived "off the grid" and wouldn't suffer through that much work again if you paid me. ..."
Reference: www.dailybreeze.com

Smart-grid hackers could cause blackouts

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Smart-grid hackers could cause blackouts
"...Deployments of smart grids should be slowed until security vulnerabilities are addressed, according to some cybersecurity experts, citing tests showing that a hacker can cause a major blackout after breaking into a smart-grid system. ..."
Reference: news.cnet.com

Tax Credit Boosts Home Wind Turbine Market

Tax Credit Boosts Home Wind Turbine Market
"...Auch’s Skystream 3.7 wind turbine knocks 40 percent to 50 percent off his monthly electric bill, a benefit he’s developing into a business opportunity as eastern South Dakota’s new Southwest Windpower dealer...."
Reference: www.chiefengineer.org