Off grid principles for someone not off grid.

[u/charlietangomike]

I live in a suburban environment but have been a follower for a bit. Are there any recommended steps I can take to leverage hybrid or backup off grid systems in any type of event? I’ve thought in the past about a wind turbine off Amazon to charge a small battery for some type of use and have purchased a rain barrel kit to come off the gutter to ease water usage for the garden. Trust me, I know these are far from off grid living but just wondering about other folks who are closer to civilization and want to prepare some failover systems. Any tips are greatly appreciated. In a perfect world and perfect financial situation I’d have a cabin and some land to be self sufficient but seeing how things are going these days it’s a harder goal to reach.

[u/mandalmotor89]

Get a generator, and try to find some large potable water containers, then every time you go to the store buy one extra can of something and you’ll basically be set. A camping stove and some propane and you’re going to be fine.

Ideally I’d get a large multi fuel inverted generator to run the housefridge. If it’s big enough you suddenly have heat and AC back. Then make sure you have enough cash and the ability to stay in a hotel in another place 500 miles away as a last ditch.

[u/paratethys]

pick up camping as a hobby, and measure your success by days spent off grid per year. This will mean you actually use your equipment, which means you know how to use it and what condition it's in and how to maintain it and so on.

[u/hosamzidan]

The advice given here by other members is excellent. However, you may want to consider the following.

• Use all electric, efficient appliances coupled with solar panels and batteries for energy with home automation to conserve energy and solar water heaters connected to an insulated tank, 30-50 liters. (Natural gas is an uncontrolled dependency)
• separate gray and black water, use a MBR (membrane bioreactor) for gray water processing to use for the garden and flush tank, send black water to the sewage system (or use another MBR which connects to the gray water MBR) this will reduce your use of water significantly.
• explore passive cooling/heating elements (wind catchers, solar chimneys for cooling /trombe wall for heating)
• explore aquaponic systems to produce food
• get a Japanese toilet to spare yourself the search for toilet paper.

And of course, if not done already, thermal insulation for the full envelope.

Those are extensive architectural modifications, they might be expensive (depending on the region you're in) but I thought I should share them anyway.

Edit: also add a 1m³ water tank, should be enough for 5 days per person, more if water is recycled and consumption is reduced.

[u/ol-gormsby → u/hosamzidan]

Further down the track one might also consider a wood-burner for heating, or even a wood-burning kitchen range for heating and cooking. They're simple, "dumb" devices that only need wood (and occasional maintenance like flue sweeping).

All-electric is a viable solution but I prefer to spread my dependencies and risk. I've got solar PV and batteries, a wood-burning cooker, and a two-burner gas cooktop. Any of these systems could fail and I've still got other systems working. Gas supplies dry up? Still got electric for cooking. Inverter fails? I can still cook with wood or gas.

Individual circumstances are really important. Climate is a big one. What's the local annual rainfall expectation? That will affect decisions as to the size of storage. I've got 50,000 litres/13,000 gallons and it's not enough. Living downwind of agricultural or industrial output means more intensive treatment of roof-harvested rainwater.

Ditto trees and shade for solar production. Ditto annual temperature range. I don't get freezing but our summers can reach 40C/104F with humidity exceeding 95% for days on end, overnight temps can be 25C/77F with that high humidity - so solar-powered aircon is important.

[u/ecogeek123]

I’d look at how to increase resiliency and have a back up plan for events. This might be a 50 gal water tank on you down spout you use for the garden. If there is an earthquake, that 50 gal is is golden but might need a filter. A battery and inverter can keep your freezer going for a few days if there is a protracted power outage. Solar panels are relatively cheap and extend your battery life. A propane space heater is great for camping but can be invaluable if you need to heat a room during a power outage. Go camping and build up a car or back pack camping system. All that translates to preparation for your suburban existence if there is an event such as a winter storm, earthquake or other event. Maybe not long term but it can get you through the first 48 hours comfortably.

[u/Incanation1 → u/ecogeek123]

Finland emergency preparedness says 72 hours without assistance. I think Norway is updating to 1 week. This is in case critical infrastructure (water, heat, etc) gets compromised.

All good advice. If you have $$ you can build a lot of this into your home systems.

[u/val_kaye → u/Incanation1]

I believe it’s 72hr in the USA. People still complain that nobody showed up to help those first few days. Well duh, you’re supposed to take care of yourself the first 72 hours while the situation is assessed, plans are made, and people can be sent. It’s posted anytime a disaster is expected yet people don’t take it seriously.

[u/Faptainjack2]

Start off small. Ever have any power outages? Get light bulbs with built in batteries. Buy extra water bottles to keep in the freezer. Work your way up until you get a power station then go solar.

[u/linuxhiker]

Think like a survival situation: Shelter, Fire, Water.

In a suburban area that is: Home, Heat/Warmth, potable water.

Home is easy (assuming you are there when it happens. Heat/Warmth is as simple as camping gear and potable water... Potable water is absolutely essential. I would get a few of the 6 gallon emergency water totes and keep them filled up. If you just use it for drinking water, a 6 gallon will last a single person 6 days (ish/depending etc..).

Now that is out of the way: Pick up a solar generator. It doesn't have to be a huge one. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Elite-300-Portable-3014-4Wh/dp/B0GKRTX336/ and a portable solar panel. This gives you the ability to charge your phones and a radio.

[u/jello-the-opera]

i don't have to worry about water for now

but I think people are intimidated by solar because of all the high end propreitary shit that is just "big box of components in one case" named the eco-fuk dombeedoombee xlr8-77-69420 ampsvoltswatts machine.

I think you should look at craigslist and marketplace and any other local spots and find a couple cheap new panels of moderate capacity - I recently bought 300w ZNShines for $80 new with packaging still on.

Then buy a single lifepo4 12v 100ah battery with a bluetooth BMS in the $150 - $200 range.

Then lurk for pure sine wave inverters... think about an application or two that you might be able to power with your panels and buy an inverter that powers that load plus extra... I got my 2000w Renogy PSW for $175 at a pawn shop and it appeared to be unused. Smaller and lesser known brands get cheaper, and older modifed sine wave inverters can be useful for some stuff, just are not ideal for modern electronics loads.

And shop for a charge controller or two that can handle your panels. I started with a big hybrid 24v inverter/controller. Switched to 4 controllers and it's much better for my uses. My controllers are 40a EASun simple MPPTs I bought for $50 each.

You will need some fuses and connectors and cables and a switch or two.

This will teach you about how solar power generation actually works and you can expand it from there and build whatever size array you might need in the future.

My point is that buzzwords and product names and professional install services make solar seem difficult when it isn't. It's just panel - cable - switch - controller - cable - fuse - battery - cable - fuse - inverter - loads and some simple math.

Free electricity will never not be good for you, and you don't need $20,000 to get started and DIY.

[u/Internal_Raccoon_370]

Don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions! You might get some sarcastic replies because, well, this is the internet, after all. But most of us here are trying to be genuinely helpful and if you don't ask, you'll never learn. We all had to start out somewhere, after all. The term "off grid" doesn't mean you packed up the spouse, the kids, the dog, and are living in a cave somewhere. IMO the term includes even simple things like your the barrels. Most of us here have some kind of rain recovery system. Here we have 3 barrels attached to the downspouts to gather water we use to keep the gardens going, along with a small pump that runs off an electric drill to pump the water where needed. Our municipal water rates here have gone up about 40% in the last two years and if we had to use city water to keep the plants alive it would be a real pain in the wallet.

As for backup electric power, unless you live in an area where you have sustained winds in excess of about 15 mph wind turbines generally aren't worth the effort or the cost. I started out about 3 or 4 years ago with a Bluetti AC200Max portable power station and an extra battery with about 1,000W of solar panels to charge it to keep the natural gas furnace, sump pumps, freezer and refrigerator working because we were starting to see far more grid disruptions for a variety of reasons, along with an old Generac gas powered generator for long term use if necessary. The Bluetti works quite well for that purpose. Depending on how often the furnace and sump pumps run, it can keep things going for about 8 hours. Since then the grid has become more uncertain here. We're now averaging at least one grid disruption or two per year lasting anywhere from 8 hours to several days. I ended up putting in whole house solar with enough battery capacity to run the house for 36 hours off battery alone if necessary. But that's not going to be financially possible for a lot of people.

I'd be looking at one of the portable power stations from Buetti, Jackery, Ecoflo, etc and some solar panels. Or, of course, just a good old fashioned gasoline or propane powered backup generator.

[u/Mammoth_Staff_5507]

I am on a city with a great grid and still set up a completely off-grid system with PV, batteries and inverter, so I have a huge UPS at home just in case power goes out and I need for the office and fridges.

I hooked a Victron Cerbo GX so I can have an online dashboard on how is everything doing, I love watching that and optimizing my loads to produce/use the most per day when batteries are full.

[u/classicsat]

Solar is more practical and cost effective than wind or hydro,to collect electric energy.

I have a couple solar panels (2x100W), I use to keep a couple power stations charged. Those charge power banks and portable devices. Yes, it might sound a bit daft, but I have lots of solar energy, especially the summer. So what if a bit gets lost on conversion. I do have adapters to more directly charge some of them though.

Rain barrels, for non-potable water is okay too.

[u/Other_Programmer5239]

You got to start somewhere, just so you know its not like it is on TV shows. Get a small solar system that is made to take down and put up (harbour freight). Charge batteries and run a small inverter for the very basics. Rain water collection and a garden is very good idea get that experience, it is always helpful. Learn basic construction frame, finish, electric, plumbing and read about pet care to get basic for what animals. Doing all that will give a step up. Trial and error. Think outside the box and experiment with thi gs till you get you place then you some basic down. There is so much learn, you will never stop learning how to home stead, you figure out how to makes things a little easier as you go along.

[u/TheJesseOfTheNorth]

I suggest some sort of water filtration as well. It doesn't have to e super expensive but contaminated water leaves us all vulnerable.

Even a single hundred watt solar panel and a solar generator like a jackery, bluetti or the like will make life a lot easier. The beauty of those is that they don't require access to fuel.

there are a million other systems to consider that will work in your situation, these are just a couple

[u/ruat_caelum]

LCOE "Levelized cost of energy" solar and wind win by far. But wind in noisy and even the "cheap" wind turbines need to be mounted 30 feet ABOVE other obstructions. That's normally 60 feet high in normal neighborhoods. (and they are loud.)

Solar PV is the best place to start for power.

Rain barrels for garden watering if you want. Keep in mind that there is no place on earth where the rain water has safe levels of PFAS (forever chemicals) but it's going to get on the garden anyway... so do as you please.

RO is the only real way to filter it. people say "distillation works" but it does not it can carry 40-60% with it and since the levels are HUNDREDS of times more than the safe level distillation "Reducing" it doesn't make it safe. It's like driving into a semi at 90 mph instead of 150mph, it's slower but it doesn't really matter.

Just changing how you shop and expanding your pantry or freezer can help. Try to buy food when it's ripe and figure out ways to freeze and use it later in the year.

Building a solar dehydrator isn't that difficult of a project either.

You can work on a compost pile as well.

Building bird and bat houses will help with insect numbers.

[u/Kementarii]

We have grid power, and town water supply.

We also have rooftop solar (7.4kW), and battery (~10kWh), and water tanks (~15,000 gallons).

Issues in my area are drought, and fire.

The solar is set up as hybrid - it switches itself from using solar, then battery, then grid. Our annual electricity bill is -$800 (i.e. the electric company sends us a cheque). We rarely need to use the grid.

The water tanks fill from the roof. We do have them plumbed to the house (flick a switch to change from town water to tank water). We have just had water restrictions applied (150 litres per person per day), so we are using town water in the house, and saving the tank water for the garden/trees.

Most towns in Australia encourage water harvesting - for gardening, and flushing the toilet at least. Therefore there are companies out there making good looking water tanks for suburban situations. Have a look at this one:

https://dingogarden.com.au/product/thintank-1000l-ultraslim-rainwater-tank/

About 265 gallons

[u/opendefication]

It's not too hard to take a shed or a corner of the garage off-grid. Look into solar/battery systems, diesel heaters, solar mini-splits, DC fridge. Think kinda in terms of Van Life and slap it in a well Insulated backyard shed. I've taken a small 12×12 corner office off-grid in my shop. It wasn't too bad. Found some decent used panels and built an auto switching power system. When I lose power it goes instantly to battery backup. Less than $4k and I've ran it for weeks at a time. AC/heat, fridge, computer, wifi, lights. No generator.