Living Off The Grid Summary

One of the biggest, but not most obvious reasons for switching to renewable energy is that it will pay for itself. One of the first things people think about when they make an investment is price; Sure acquiring renewable energy such as solar power right now may not be cheap but as a matter of fact during the duration of 2009-2014 the price of solar power dropped 78%(Gardiner)! The best part about solar power is that it is available to nearly anyone. Likewise wind power has also dropped 58% in price and now is among one of the cheapest sources of power in the United States (Gardiner) even though wind power is not available to the ordinary citizen. Switching to renewable energy will save a boat load of money as the article “Committing to Renewable Energy Will Pay Off” states “Investing in a renewable energy as the source for electricity in our future will save 10 times the

Going off grid is the desire of many Preppers, and some have successfully done just that. It requires planning and hard work however, and furthermore it requires you keep an eye on the future.

Minimum Wage Should Be Increased In the Los Angeles Times newspaper “Living On The Edge, Full Time by Jenny Jarvie (Apr 6, 2016), the author talks about the minimum wage should be raised. The author, Jarvie stresses that millions of people are either making the bare minimum or are making below the federal minimum wage. There are five states that do not have minimum wage and fourteen states that have the minimum wage of $7.25. For an example Georgia’s minimum wage is $5.15 an hour.

Alternative energy is more affordable and creates more jobs per dollar invested than fossil fuel resources (Wright). Another wonderful thing about alternative energy is that the facilities use primarily local workers, so investment dollars are kept in local communities (Wright). Alternative energy also has more stable rates and provides long-tem savings. Basically once a wind or solar facility is installed, the "fuel" is essentially free, but fossil fuels are subject extremely unpredictable prices that can lead to significant fluctuations in energy rates (Wright). The price-stability benefits offered by homegrown renewable energy provide a clear more long-term advantage for utilities and their customers over the uncertainties associated with fossil fuels like natural gas and

In order to understand the word ‘thermal’ within a building, then SHGC which is solar heat gain coefficients had to be known to known the property of thermal insulation and conductivity in a whole manner. Solar heat gain coefficient is widely use in the United State in designing building. SHGC may refer to the transmittance of solar energy of windows or even walls, every object can be evaluate by using solar heat gain coefficient method by knowing the properties of each material. If a material have high solar heat gain coefficient, then the material is a good absorbent of solar heat. For material that is black in colour, inevitably it absorb heat faster because of the colour doesn’t reflect the wavelength that comes directly from the source of light. So, low-e components of a building that comes with low solar heat gain coefficient will reflect and keep heat source that came from sun away from the house and that will probably makes a house cooler. Solar heat gain coefficient usually dealt with windows that possess a low-e property. Low-e may regard to the emissivity of one’s material. Nowadays window mostly is transparent, and that makes it vulnerable for sunlight to penetrate easily into a house without any reflection. We have to be notice that if a window is place facing the unsuitable direction such as west or east, it will have an adverse effect towards the thermal comfort of a house especially terraced house in Malaysia that cant undergoes renovation due to the

For most modern Americans, the loss of power means the complete loss of normalcy. Their lifestyle is so dependent upon the grid's constancy that they do not know how to function without it. How do you cook a meal if your gas stove has an electric ignition? How do your children find their way to the bathroom at night if the light

Fossil fuels are harmful to the environment, they release chemicals into the atmosphere which reduces the air quality, and degrades the protective ozone layer around the Earth. Solar power is unlike fossil fuels in this way; solar harnesses power from the sun, a never ending source, in a simple process that does not harm the environment, making it renewable and sustainable. For a comfortable indoor temperature year round, this house utilises double glazed operable windows. Double glazing windows increases thermal protection of the house by creating a thicker insulating layer, it keeps the cold air outside in winter, and the warm air outside in summer that would usually be transmitted through the windows. The structure is made from metal cladding, cement sheet and plantation timber. Metal cladding and cement sheet create a thermal layer that protects the

* Putting up curtains in each room with backers will help to keep the heat out. By using Styrofoam between the blinds and curtains will also help to keep the heat out and reduce energy bill

For me living off the grid means living minimally and being self-sufficient, just you and the essentials. No building codes, no dependency on the power grid, no required monthly payment to the trash collection service or city sewer service. The idea of living off grid is about simplicity and making conscious choices. Challenging oneself to push the boundaries of the things we can live without, and for each of us, those things are different. My mother and I have such different needs and different means of cooking that I could live without a microwave, where she on the other hand, could live without an

There are more people living on the grid, then those living off the grid at this time. However after my research I conclude there is more people on the grid, then off Let’s take a look, people go off the grid for reasons Whether by choice or circumstances beyond one’s control or it’s just the way it is in their country. For example Around the world, 1.3 billion people do not have electricity. Furthermore, in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 600 million, and in India 300 million live without electricity However the world Population is about 7,432,663,275 out of that seven billion 1.3 billion is without electricity beyond their control another 1.7 billion people in the world live off the grid by choice. And 180,000 people are living off

Houses use insulation to prevent heat loss in winter and prevent over heating in summer. People put insulation in between their roofs. This is often used when the roof in metal or tin which attracts heat and has makes houses hotter. This insulation stop heat from being able to transfer into the house making it hot in summer. This insulation also prevents heat from escaping the house in winter keeping the house warm. Houses also use glass which is more expensive but more efficient. This glass is made with two panels are vacuumed meaning that all of the air is sucked out between them and this all so prevents the heat transfer keeping the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

The domes curved walls would allow for better flow of warm and cool air unlike that of a square house where heat and cold tend to get trapped in areas (Bernardi) (Buckminster Fuller Institute). Tired of hunting up firewood or buying it every winter to heat the original house my father wanted an energy efficient house where as he put it, “one log to keep me warm all

Diving deeper into an Earthship has enlightened me to many things I was unaware of prior to my research. Although I knew how Earthships worked, and even some of the ways they didn’t, I didn’t realize the evolution and how far along Earthships have come. Although I still think Earthships are extremely cool homes, I began to questioning what makes them really any different than a regular off the grid home. I started to discover Earthships aren’t really any more environmentally friendly than any other house, opposed to my original belief. In our society today, we recycle most of our bottles, cans and tires, so they aren’t ending up in land-fills anymore. Also, materials like concrete aren’t environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, you can use other materials in an Earthship, like flagstone, that you couldn’t otherwise use in a traditional stick frame home.

“The code for sustainable homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. It aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote higher standards of sustainable design above the current minimum standards set out by the building regulations”. The code takes into account 9 distinctive measures of sustainable design. The measures are energy/CO2, water, materials, surface water runoff, waste, pollution, health and well-being, management and ecology.

Earthship design is a movement initiated by Michael Reynolds. Earthship Biotecture is a method of architecture and design that incorporates recycled materials, earthen materials, and renewable energy sources into a sustainable and self-sufficient home. The purpose of this according to Michael Reynolds it to achieve energy independence, sustainable housing, and relieve the burdens of stress on the environment from conventional building methods while keeping cost minimal. Utilizing waste and earthen materials, Michael was able to construct comfortable living, beautiful architectural design, and self-sufficiency