An Eco Friendly Way To Get Your Home Off The Grid
By Green Edge Builders|February 14, 2022
The minute someone mentions living off the grid, the picture that comes to mind is building a home in the middle of nowhere, living a simple life with no WiFi, no phone, barely any electricity, away from civilisation. Understandably, not a lot of people are willing or able to do that, despite its immense environmental benefits.
But that’s not the only way to live off the grid and let your new lifestyle do wonders for the environment (and your bank account).
What Does Going Off The Grid Actually Mean?
Going off the grid in its simplest form means, disconnecting your home from one or more public utilities (electricity, water, waste) and replacing them with your own independent self-sufficient source.
It’s considered to be a much more sustainable way of living because it relies heavily on renewable energy, natural systems around you, and recycling. Plus with being self-sufficient, it would mean little to no utility costs once your off-grid system is up and running.
So to clear up a common misconception once and for all, it’s certainly possible to live a normal life having gone off-grid.
It’s also the most sustainable way of living, as the systems that make living off the grid possible have a much better impact on the environment and its continued sustainability. Other than being perfectly legal in Australia, the government incentives such as the solar energy rebate makes for an even sweeter deal.
How Do You Take Your Home Off-Grid?
There are many different options to take your home partially, or fully, off the grid. A good place to start is by only going off-grid in one aspect of your home. Here are some of the many ways you can take your home off the grid, saving money and the environment:
Recycle
There are many systems that allow you to safely and sustainably recycle and dispose of waste.
Effluent and greywater systems can also be used to make the most of your off-grid water reserves, which reduces the reliance on a constant supply of rainwater, enabling more water to be saved.
Control Temperature Naturally
Temperature control uses extensive energy which only increases pollution, and by saving, or eliminating the need for an outsourcing of temperature control, not only will you be saving the environment, you would also be saving yourself money.
There are two ways you could start :
Sealing your home is a great place to start. Air leakage accounts for 25% of heat loss in winter and loss of cool air in summer, but with the proper sealing in place, you would be able to reduce your energy and carbon emissions immensely, all by taking advantage of your home’s natural temperature control.
Another way you can do this is by ensuring your home has quality, up-to-date insulation installed. Moreover, you could start investing in quality windows. These relatively minor building improvements can easily be done by custom home builders in Melbourne who will then ease your transition to off-grid living as you’ll find there are perfectly natural ways to control your home’s temperature.
Harvest Your Own Water
Australia has seen many droughts in its lifetime, and with environmentalists saying that it’s going to get worse and worse with each passing year, there is an increased need, now, more than ever, to start saving water, Renewable water systems is the perfect solution for that, as it lets you make efficient use of your water while saving on water bills. This is because you'll be getting all your water straight from the same source as the big water companies do.
A great and easy way to do this is to have a rainwater tank installed. This will allow you to harvest your own rainwater use in your home. It’s installed with everything needed to treat the water, making the harvested rainwater safe to drink and use within the home.
Renewable Energy
There are so many environmental benefits to switching to renewable energy. In recent times, the solar power industry, in particular, has grown dramatically as a result of price and environmentally conscious consumers making the switch to what is a reliable alternative power source.
Solar energy makes use of batteries (that are about the size of a mini fridge) that is able to store large amounts of energy for use when the sun’s not out.
Another popular source of renewable energy is wind turbines, which harness the power of wind through blades that connect to a generator.
In the past few years, there have been so many exciting and brilliant new innovations in the renewable energy industry, such as Tesla’s off-grid energy storage battery, which makes now the perfect time to consider leaving the energy grid.
Setting up renewable energy in your home will not only mean a sustainable power source that doesn’t contribute to carbon emissions, it also means you won’t have to pay any energy bills ever again, saving you so much more money that can be spent elsewhere.
Is It Time To Finally Take The Plunge?
Living off the grid is something that is not widely practiced yet. But, for those concerned about sustainable living, the innovation and technology is there to make transitioning to a sustainable off-grid lifestyle one that’s easier to make than ever before.
If you’re thinking of building a new home and want to contribute positively to a brighter future and help save our environment, setting it up with off-grid capability by hiring a sustainable building company is something that will greatly benefit you in the long run and eventually save you thousands in utility bills.
For many, it is the overwhelming nature of going off the grid, and the misconception that it means you might miss out on the comforts of modern life that’s stopping you from making that decision.
That’s why we’ve made it our mission to help build homes that have off-grid capabilities tailored to the individual needs of our clients. We can advise you on the best practices in building a self-sustaining home and you can have the benefit of our vast experience and expertise in building custom home designs in Melbourne.
If you’d like to know more about going off the grid and to inquire about how we can make that happen with your next build, contact us and get in touch with our sustainable home builders today.
But that’s not the only way to live off the grid and let your new lifestyle do wonders for the environment (and your bank account).
What Does Going Off The Grid Actually Mean?
Going off the grid in its simplest form means, disconnecting your home from one or more public utilities (electricity, water, waste) and replacing them with your own independent self-sufficient source.
It’s considered to be a much more sustainable way of living because it relies heavily on renewable energy, natural systems around you, and recycling. Plus with being self-sufficient, it would mean little to no utility costs once your off-grid system is up and running.
So to clear up a common misconception once and for all, it’s certainly possible to live a normal life having gone off-grid.
It’s also the most sustainable way of living, as the systems that make living off the grid possible have a much better impact on the environment and its continued sustainability. Other than being perfectly legal in Australia, the government incentives such as the solar energy rebate makes for an even sweeter deal.
How Do You Take Your Home Off-Grid?
There are many different options to take your home partially, or fully, off the grid. A good place to start is by only going off-grid in one aspect of your home. Here are some of the many ways you can take your home off the grid, saving money and the environment:
Recycle
There are many systems that allow you to safely and sustainably recycle and dispose of waste.
Effluent and greywater systems can also be used to make the most of your off-grid water reserves, which reduces the reliance on a constant supply of rainwater, enabling more water to be saved.
Control Temperature Naturally
Temperature control uses extensive energy which only increases pollution, and by saving, or eliminating the need for an outsourcing of temperature control, not only will you be saving the environment, you would also be saving yourself money.
There are two ways you could start :
Sealing your home is a great place to start. Air leakage accounts for 25% of heat loss in winter and loss of cool air in summer, but with the proper sealing in place, you would be able to reduce your energy and carbon emissions immensely, all by taking advantage of your home’s natural temperature control.
Another way you can do this is by ensuring your home has quality, up-to-date insulation installed. Moreover, you could start investing in quality windows. These relatively minor building improvements can easily be done by custom home builders in Melbourne who will then ease your transition to off-grid living as you’ll find there are perfectly natural ways to control your home’s temperature.
Harvest Your Own Water
Australia has seen many droughts in its lifetime, and with environmentalists saying that it’s going to get worse and worse with each passing year, there is an increased need, now, more than ever, to start saving water, Renewable water systems is the perfect solution for that, as it lets you make efficient use of your water while saving on water bills. This is because you'll be getting all your water straight from the same source as the big water companies do.
A great and easy way to do this is to have a rainwater tank installed. This will allow you to harvest your own rainwater use in your home. It’s installed with everything needed to treat the water, making the harvested rainwater safe to drink and use within the home.
Renewable Energy
There are so many environmental benefits to switching to renewable energy. In recent times, the solar power industry, in particular, has grown dramatically as a result of price and environmentally conscious consumers making the switch to what is a reliable alternative power source.
Solar energy makes use of batteries (that are about the size of a mini fridge) that is able to store large amounts of energy for use when the sun’s not out.
Another popular source of renewable energy is wind turbines, which harness the power of wind through blades that connect to a generator.
In the past few years, there have been so many exciting and brilliant new innovations in the renewable energy industry, such as Tesla’s off-grid energy storage battery, which makes now the perfect time to consider leaving the energy grid.
Setting up renewable energy in your home will not only mean a sustainable power source that doesn’t contribute to carbon emissions, it also means you won’t have to pay any energy bills ever again, saving you so much more money that can be spent elsewhere.
Is It Time To Finally Take The Plunge?
Living off the grid is something that is not widely practiced yet. But, for those concerned about sustainable living, the innovation and technology is there to make transitioning to a sustainable off-grid lifestyle one that’s easier to make than ever before.
If you’re thinking of building a new home and want to contribute positively to a brighter future and help save our environment, setting it up with off-grid capability by hiring a sustainable building company is something that will greatly benefit you in the long run and eventually save you thousands in utility bills.
For many, it is the overwhelming nature of going off the grid, and the misconception that it means you might miss out on the comforts of modern life that’s stopping you from making that decision.
That’s why we’ve made it our mission to help build homes that have off-grid capabilities tailored to the individual needs of our clients. We can advise you on the best practices in building a self-sustaining home and you can have the benefit of our vast experience and expertise in building custom home designs in Melbourne.
If you’d like to know more about going off the grid and to inquire about how we can make that happen with your next build, contact us and get in touch with our sustainable home builders today.
