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Off-Grid.net

Off-grid brings you news, knowledge, discussion, and classifieds from the off-grid world. What seems like a tiny niche is growing in popularity as people seek a life outside of the city. Off-gridders must find ways to produce their own energy, food, water, shelter, and other necessities. Connect with people who live off the beaten path or begin the search for your own property on this site.

Build It Solar

Dedicated to do-it-yourself renewable energy projects, Build It Solar provides hundreds of ideas and plans for any kind of home energy endeavor. New to renewable energy? Start with the "Half Plan" that uses a variety of energy saving projects to cut your energy usage in half. New to solar? Look for the do-it-yourself site survey to understand your property's solar potential. Not limited to solar, Build It Solar also includes tons of projects for wind power and biofuels.

Earth2Tech

Energy self reliance is a big topic for environmental, political, and individual reasons. Earth2Tech posts news about technological developments that can affect us on personal and societal levels. Stay on top of the news about electric cars, the smart grid, the bloom box fuel cell, solar power applications, and LED lightbulbs.

Wisebread

Wisebread is well-known for its advice on real personal finance. It's a community of bloggers who write about frugal living, lifehacks, careers, and other financial wisdom. Being smart with your money isn't supposed to inhibit you: rather, Wisebread's advice helps people worry less about money, allowing you to focus on the really important things in life. They also feature an active forum where you can ask questions and interact with other people who are trying to live within their means.

Instructables

Do you want to know how to build a vertical garden? How about your own solar panel array? Maybe you're looking for ways to reuse a linen closet full of old pillowcases. Instructables is a community based site that allows anyone to post a how-to project complete with photos and instructions. The result: a lifetime's supply of projects that can help you save money, recycle, or simply satisfy your appetite for making stuff.

Survival Spot

Disasters are a reality that shouldn't be ignored. That's the reason Survival Spot was created - to share information about a variety of survival and preparedness topics. Topics cover many aspects of survival, including gardening, food storage, health, and self defense. Also read about getting by in the wilderness and reviews of essential gadgets and gear. Like any other type of self reliance, preparedness is something to get into gradually and this blog can give you ideas on where to start.

Self-Reliance-Exchange

Written by a group of self reliant people, Self Reliance Exchange is quickly building an enormous database that covers a huge range of categories on self reliant practices and philosophies. Anyone interested in self reliance will find something useful to take away from this blog - recipes from scratch, emergency preparedness, and personal finance are great categories to start looking into here.

Simple Self Reliance

This writer explores the concept of self reliance and how self reliance fits in this modern society. How far can you realistically go down the path of self reliance? How can you stay on track with your priorities? He also writes on the grandaddy of self reliance, Henry David Thoreau. We can't wait to see how this blog unfolds!

American Preppers Network

For information and news from the world of emergency preparation, American Preppers Network is a great resource. Learn about food storage, what to expect during a natural disaster, and about other survival techniques. You can also connect with other preppers in your region and all over the world in the forum and through the numerous links to other prepping blogs on the web.

Alternative Energy

In Henry David Thoreau's Walden, Thoreau speculates that "Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel" are a human being's bare essentials. Getting into alternative energies such as solar and wind can offer energy self reliance and are becoming more prevalent across the country. But the first step to making the switch to alternative energy is to self-educate on different power sources and take active steps to become less reliant on power by using energy conservation techniques.

In the modern world, fuel is probably the most difficult element of self reliant living to come by, for the simple reason that we use so much of it. We live in big houses and use innumerable appliances. This convenience comes at a price: we are 100% reliant on grid-tied power.

Some people now question the sustainability of grid supplied power for the harm it does to the environment. Others, like us, have more immediate concerns: what if the grid were to fail? What if the price of energy were to drastically increase? Getting into solar, wind, and other types of energy sources can allay these potential problems.

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Latest Additions

'Off The Grid': 9 Amazing Attempts To Live Without The Electricity Grid (PHOTOS)
As I crisscrossed America researching for Off The Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America, I encountered an unsatisfied, pent-up demand to live offgrid......
Solar power struggles in the US
This is a good article on the current state of affairs for solar power in the US. The comments from readers shown at the bottom of the article are very interesting to read.
Small twon strives for energy independence
New technology and inventive financing has allowed this town to move toward energy independence. Innovative thought is still the key when it comes to successful use of solar power.
Tax credit for solar power off the table due to budgetary issues
In Pennsylvania the state has dropped a tax credit for solar power installation due to budgetary issues. This might be happening more for homeowners as budgets are continually squeezed.
Gulf oil blowout used as reason to push energy reform
A lot of people are using the gulf oil blow out as a reason to push for alternative energy choices. We are all for that, but our focus really should be first and foremost on fixing the immediate issue of oil spewing out into the Gulf of Mexico.
Competition for Grain - Sustain a Blog
There is a growing demand for bio-fuel around the world. But since this bio-fuel is taken from our current food supply it increases the costs of grains. Read about the morality of bio-fuels in this well researched article.
The Most Energy Efficient House in the U.S. - AZ Daily Star
Net-zero homes are few and far between, especially in Arizona where air conditioning is needed in the summer. Read about one Tuscon house that uses solar panels, solar water heaters, and energy efficient building materials. This house not only achieves net-zero status: it's also an energy producer: "In 2009 the house consumed 7,566 kilowatt hours of electricity and produced 12,154 kilowatt hours." Could this become the home of the future?
Solar Power Works in the Cloudy Northwest - Fox13
Even in a cloudy place like Washington state, solar power can work. Matt Moreno installed a $40,000 array on his roof (with the help of a loan and rebates, the cost decreased to $5,000 up front). This system collects and stores enough energy to power his entire house as well as sell some back to the grid.
Window Shading - Build it Solar
An energy efficient and cost efficient way to cool a house is to shade your windows. Read about this cheap way to cool your house in this detailed article.
Ventilation Systems - U.S. Department of Energy
Using ventilation is the cheapest way to cool your house on a hot summer day. This site provides detailed information on avoiding heat buildup, natural ventilation, ceiling fans, window fans, and whole house fans.
Evaporative Coolers - U.S. Department of Energy
A good energy efficient way to cool your house by using a swamp cooler. A swamp cooler evaporates water to cool down a house. This article talks about sizing and selection, installation, operation, and maintenance.
Radiant Cooling - U.S. Department of Energy
Learn more about radiant cooling - a little known, cheap, but somewhat inefficient method for cooling your house. The slightest shift in humidity might debilitate your system, but it's an interesting option nonetheless.
Inefficient Earth Cooling Tubes - U.S. Department of Energy
Earth cooling tubes were thought up by architects in the 1970s. By running pipes underground the architects hoped to create a cooling system that was more efficient and alternative cooling system.
Wood and Pellet Heating - U.S. Department of Energy
Interested in wood heating? This ancient form of heating is being revived in the form of pellet heating. Pellets are pieces of wood that are compacted to burn slowly. This site provides a detailed guide to this form of heating.
Active Solar Heating - U.S Department of Energy
Active solar heating uses solar energy to heat up air and water to heat up a house. This site is a detailed guide to how solar heating works and how to size your own system.
 
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