Living off the utility grid has its rewards and its challenges. While the sense of independence and inherent reliability of off-grid living can be very satisfying, not everyone can successfully transition to a situation in which there are real limitations regarding their energy use. Redundancy and backup systems can reduce the challenges of powering a home using solar, wind, or other non-utility electricity, but owners need to be prepared for the reality of building and living in an off-grid home.

This introduction is intended to educate potential buyers of off-grid solar energy systems in particular, but many of the concepts apply to wind and other renewable energy products, as well as fossil-fuel generators as primary or backup systems. If you make it through this presentation and still want to take your home off the utility grid, great! It is completely possible with today’s technology. If you feel that off-grid living is not for you, there are alternatives in most locations, like offsetting your utility electricity with grid-interactive solar energy systems.

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