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Arizona OffGrid Construction Services Co-Operative™

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Welcome to the Arizona OffGrid
Construction Services Co-Operative™ Page

Have you recenty purchased land in Arizona and are now searching for construction services to help you make necessary improvements to your land at the most affordable price possible?

All members of the Arizona OffGrid Construction Services Cooperative will enjoy affordable construction services since we are a non-profit organization. We provide many different types of services that are provided at cost or very near cost plus enough to pay our employees enough to make good salary for working hard every day to help our customers carve out a homestead on the raw land they have purchased.

Our construction crews can do everything from building t-post / solar-powered electric fences to keep out cattle, to using heavy machinery to bulldoze new roads and level out drive ways, to clearing out and removing trees, tree stumps, bushes, rock and boulders to make room for a building gravel pads for RVs/double-wide trailers as well as digging and pouring cement footers for pier-and-beam and cement foundations for new homes, cabins, sheds and manufactured homes.

Need a well drilled, water lines dug and pipes laid, or a new septic system installed? No problem! We are a non-profit, cooperative and will build all of these things for most affordable price possible.

In addition, we have a staff of licensed contractors, including:

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Services – for generating customized, floor-plan drawings that can be submitted to county permit offices.
Carpenters – for building anything with wood. Predator-proof chiken coops, rabbit huts, bee hives to wooden decks and pergolas to outbuildings, sheds, cabins and regular stick-framed homes. You name it, we can frame it.
Electricians – for installing solar systems, battery backup banks and back up generators to wiring entire homes and barns with AC and DC outlets.
Plumbers – for installing water lines/drip lines for gardens to rainwater collection systems to plumbing homes with cold and hot water lines for kitchen, bathrooms and washrooms to water solutions for live stock.
Stone Masons – for building stone fireplaces, rock/brick fire pits and gabion rock-baskets for rock retaining walls.
Solar Panel /Power Inverter Installers – for building small, medium and large solar power arrays to provide free, clean, green electricity.
Rainwater Collection Experts – for building small, medium and large rainwater harvesting systems that are large enough to collect a years worth of water supply from a single monsoon thunderstorms.
Build Predator Proof Chicken Coops – for raising chickens, ducks, geese and other types of birds for eggs, meat and feathers.
Bee Hive Apiary Specialists – for designing and building beehives with safety in mind for healthy bee populations, teaching best bee raising practices, and teaching off griders what type of gardens, trees, bushes and wildflowers to produce the most profitable types of honey. OffGridders can also participate in raising bees to participate in pollination programs that rent and transport bees to California once a year.

Raised Bed Gardens/Aquaponic Garden System Installers – for building gardens with perfectly pH balanced water/soil garden growing beds, water lines and drip systems and/or standard greenhouses and/or high-tunnel gardens.
Food Shelter Belts Arborists – for planting shrubs, berry bushes, fruit and nut trees that serve as wind breaks, but with the side benefits of growing food for homesteaders and the wildlife around them.
Natural Swimming Pools – for designing and digging stock tanks and natural swimming pools that use aquatic plants to filter the water to keep it clear as well as doubling as a pond for raising fish.
USDA-Backed Loans – there are government backed loans and grants that offgrid homesteaders can get from the federal government to help them obtain loans for improving their properties. But you have to work with licensed contractors for them to approve a loan contact us for more details.
Land Concierage Services – for landowners that haven’t moved onto their land yet, many times discover that it can be a burden to keep paying land rent payments, Property Owners Association (POA) dues and annual property taxes with no return-on-investment.

Our land concierge experts will teach land owners how to make minimal investments in building chicken coops, raised bed gardens, bee hives and building small tiny homes that can be rented out as an AirBNB properties to people who want to give the living off the grid experience a try.

It’s hard to make money as an individual homesteader trying to sell extra eggs, garden produce or raw honey in low volumes to the general public, but when a property owner participates in a cooperative that aggregates these types of products and sells them to a distributor, the process becomes much easier and more profitable.

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Interested in joining the Arizona OffGrid Construction Services Co-Op?

Fill out this form:

Cascade Solar Unveils Affordabe Solar Power Kits for Off Grid Sheds, Cabins and Homes for Unbeatable Prices

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Searching for a cost-effective solar power kit
to provide electricity for your OffGrid Shed, Cabin or Container Home or Tiny House?

Cascade Solar Groad Mount Solar for Off Grid Sheds, Cabins and Homes

Cascade Solar offers the best deal/cost-per-watt on turnkey solar power systems that provide everything needed, including batteries!

August 25, 2020 – Cascade Solar is now offering turnkey solar power systems in 1-kW, 3-kW, 5-kW, 8-kW and 10-kW plug and play configurations for best price you will find anywhere in the United States. All of their systems include premium -0/+5% solar panels, 97% efficiency power inverters, 12v 250 Ah AGM batteries, combiner boxes, PV electricity wiring, MC4 connectors, and roof or ground mount racking systems.

Each one of the solar power arrays featured below offers the best prices that were negotiated due to Cascade’s high-volume discounts. All of these systems include at least one battery and a power inverter with plenty of room to add additional strings of solar panels as a homestead expands.

In other words, these systems are engineered to make it easy to add more solar panels and batteries as more and more solar electricity is needed or as the customer has more funds to spend on solar on a year-by-year basis.

Solar systems/battery banks can be expanded as budget allows upgrades:

The low-end systems can be expanded from 1.2-kW up to 5-kW of solar panels.
The high-end systems can be expanded from 5-kW up to 10-kW of solar panels.
All Battery Banks include at least one 10-hour AGM battery. Extra batteries $439 each. Lithium Ion battery packs are available at a significantly higher price!
We carry Solar Panels from Q-Cell (quoted below) and LG (available upon request).

U.S. Federal Solar Tax Credit – 26% Tax Credit Write Off on 2020 Tax Returns

The U.S. 26% federal solar tax credit expires on 12/31/20. In addition to the great prices, customers who pay taxes at the end of the year can write off 26% of the total cost of their solar system installation on their 2020 federal tax return. Some states also offer solar tax credits.

1.2-kilowatt Turnkey Off Grid Solar System for RVs, Tents & Small Sheds – $5,162.46

$5,162.46
-$1,342.23 (tax write off) =
—————-
$3,820.23 Total Out of Pocket

Four 315-watt Q-Cells Mono-Crystalline -0/+5% ( 315-w panels X 4 = 1,260 watts)
DC Combiner Box – Breaker, SPD, Switches – 4 solar string inputs, 1 string output
5k 97% Efficient Hybrid Inverter with built-in Charge Controller/MPPT – Up to 5,000 watts
One 12v 250 Ah AGM Battery* with Cables – (Extra batteries only $439 each)
PV Electrical Wiring – 150 ft roll
Plug and Play MC4 Connectors for connecting panels
Full Ground-Mount Racking System
1,260-watts x 5 sun hours per day = 6.3-kWh per day/189-kWh per month
At $0.11 cents per watt, this is worth $20.79 worth of free electricity
Break even point. Cost $5,162.47/$20.79 month free electricity = 248 months to break even
Total Cost $5,162.46 / 1,260 watts = $4.09 per watt for comparison shopping
Federal Tax Credit = $1,342.23 can be deducted from 2020 U.S. federal tax returns
Doesn’t include Taxes or Shippping that are based on final shipping address

3.1-kilowatt Turnkey Off Grid Solar System for Cabins, Yurts and Log Homes – $8,340.45

$8,340.45
-$2,168.51 (tax write off) =
—————-
$6,171.94 Total Out of Pocket

Ten 315-watt Q-Cells Mono-Crystalline -0/+5% ( 315-w panels X 10 = 3,150 watts)
DC Combiner Box – Breaker, SPD, Switches – 4 solar string inputs, 1 string output
5k 97% Efficient Hybrid Inverter with built-in Charge Controller/MPPT – Up to 5,000 watts
Four 12v 250 Ah AGM Batteries with Cables – 1,000 Ah battery bank (extra batteries $439)
PV Electrical Wiring – 150 ft roll
Plug and Play MC4 Connectors for connecting panels
Full Ground-Mount Racking System
3,150-watts x 5 sun hours per day = 15.75-kWh per day/472.5-kWh per month
At $0.11 cents per watt, this is worth $51.97 worth of free electricity
Break even point. Cost $8340.45/$51.97 month free electricity = 160 months to break even
Total Cost $8,340.45 / 3,150 watts = $2.64 per watt for comparison shopping
Federal Tax Credit = $2,168.51 can be deducted from 2020 U.S. federal tax returns
Doesn’t include Taxes or Shippping that are based on final shipping address

5.0-kilowatt Turnkey Off Grid Solar System for Cabins, Yurts and Log Homes – $13,262.78

$13,262.78
-$3,448.32 (tax write off) =
—————–
$9,814.46 Total Out of Pocket

Sixteen 315-watt Q-Cells Mono-Crystalline -0/+5% ( 315-w panels X 10 = 5,040 watts)
DC Combiner Box – Breaker, SPD, Switches – 4 solar string inputs, 1 string output
5k 97% Efficient Hybrid Inverter with built-in Charge Controller/MPPT – Up to 5,000 watts
Six 12v 250 Ah AGM Batteries w/Cables = 1,500 Ah battery bank (extra batteries $439 each)
PV Electrical Wiring – 150 ft roll
Plug and Play MC4 Connectors for connecting panels
Full Ground-Mount Racking System
5,040-watts x 5 sun hours per day = 25.2 kWh per day/756 kWh per month
At $0.11 cents per watt, this is worth $83.16 worth of free electricity
Break even point. Cost $13,262.78/$83.16 month free electricity = 159 months to break even
Total Price of $13,262.78 / 5,040 watts = $2.63 per watt for comparison shopping
Federal Tax Credit = $3,448.32 can be deducted from 2020 U.S. federal tax returns
Doesn’t include Taxes or Shippping that are based on final shipping address

8.1-kilowatt Turnkey Off Grid Solar System for Cabins, Yurts and Log Homes – $18,667.89

$18,667.89
-$4,853.65 (tax write off) =
—————–
$13,814.24 Total Out of Pocket

Twenty-six 315-watt Q-Cells Mono-Crystalline -0/+5% ( 315-w panels X 26 = 8,190 watts)
DC Combiner Box – Breaker, SPD, Switches – 4 solar string inputs, 1 string output
10k 97% Efficient Hybrid Inverter with built-in Charge Controller/MPPT – Up to 10,000 watts
Eight 12v 250 Ah AGM Batteries with Cables = 2,000 Ah battery bank (extra batteries $439)
PV Electrical Wiring – 150 ft roll
Plug and Play MC4 Connectors for connecting panels
Full Ground-Mount Racking System
8,190-watts x 5 sun hours per day = 40.95-kWh per day/1228.5-kWh per month
At $0.11 cents per watt, this is worth $135.13 worth of free electricity
Break even point. Cost $18,667.89/$135.13 month free electricity = 138 months break even
Total Cost $18,667.89 / 8,190 watts = $2.27 per watt for comparison shopping
Federal Tax Credit = $4,853.65 can be deducted from 2020 U.S. federal tax returns
Doesn’t include Taxes or Shippping Costs that are based on final shipping address

10.0-kilowatt Turnkey Off Grid Solar System for Cabins, Yurts and Log Homes – $19,942.47

$19,942.47
-$5,185.04 (tax write off) =
—————–
$14,757.43 Total Out of Pocket

Thirty-two 315-watt Q-Cells Mono-Crystalline -0/+5% ( 315w panels X 26 = 10,080 watts)
DC Combiner Box – Breaker, SPD, Switches – 8 solar string inputs, 1 string output
10k 97% Efficient Hybrid Inverter with built-in Charge Controller/MPPT – Up to 10,000 watts
Eight 12v 250 Ah AGM Battery with Cables = 2,000 Ah battery bank (extra batteries for $439)
PV Electrical Wiring – 150 ft roll
Plug and Play MC4 Connectors for connecting panels
Full Ground-Mount Racking System
10,080-watts x 5 sun hours per day = 50.4-kWh per day/1,512-kWh per month
At $0.11 cents per watt, this is worth $166.32 worth of free electricity
Break even point. Cost $19,942.47/$166.32 month free electricity = 119 months break even
$19,942.47 / 10,080 watts = $1.97 per watt
Federal Tax Credit = $5,185.04 can be deducted from 2020 U.S. federal tax returns
Doesn’t include Taxes or Shippping Costs that are based on final shipping address

Which Solar Electric Kit Will Be Enough to Power My Entire Home?

For most off grid sheds, cabins and homes in the United States, one of the solar systems above should provide more than enough solar electricity to power your entire off grid homestead. These off grid systems are not designed to be used with a grid-tied home, but will accomodate a backup generator should it be needed during long periods of cloudy days when needed to charge up the battery bank.

Most of these systems price out to be less than a $3.00 per watt, which is way more affordable than most solar installation companies will charge you. You will save thousands of dollars by doing all of the solar installation work yourself.

We do recommend hiring a journeyman electrician to oversee the wiring and grounding portion of the installation. And maybe a general handyman to help with pouring the cement footers for the ground mount and digging trenches and/or installing conduit pipe when running wiring underground from the array to the house or utility closet where the batter banks are located.

All of solar power kits, ranging from 1-kW to 10-kW system include everything you’ll need including solar panels, power inverter with built in MPPT charge controller, batteries, wiring and the racking system for a ground mount. They are complete turnkey solar systems that will provide sufficient electricity to power entire homes and/or businesses.

1st Question: How Much Solar Will Your Off Grid Homestead Need?

To figure out the how much solar your home will need, make a list of all the appliances you use in your current home: satellite dish, TV, computer, kitchen appliances, refrigerator, freezer, washer/dryer, lights, etc. You can either use a Kill a Watt Meter or an electric calculator to calculate out how much electricity everything uses. Another way to estimate electric needs is to gather your last 12 months of electric bills to see how many total kWh you are using now on a monthly basis and add up the last 12 months. Most homes use about 30-kWh per day or 900-kWh per month.

2nd Question: How Much Space Is Needed to Build an Ground Mount Solar Power Array?

A 1-kW of solar power panels typically requires 100 square feet or less of space. So 1-kW of panels will take up approximately 100 sq. ft. of space. 3-kW would take up to 300 sq. ft. 10-kW will need 1,000 sq. ft. Solar Panels and batteries should be as close as possible to where the electricity will be used to prevent line loss.

3rd Question: How Much Solar Energy Will My Solar System Generate?

The amount energy that can be generated by solar panels is dependent on how many sun hours your homestead receives each day. PVWatts is a good resource for determining how many watts your system will generate. Or you can look at a solar sun hour map below. In the southwest United States, most places in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas will receive 5 sun hours during winter months and up to 8 hours of sun during the summer months.

Sun Hour Map of the United States

Actual power generated will vary based on location, equipment and installation factors. Refer to your electric utility bill to find the actual kWh used per month and then find the solar system that produces a similar amount of kWhs.

What is included in my Solar Power Installation Kit?

Our kits provide all the solar components you need from start to finish:

Solar Panels – PV modules with 25-year warranties, high effiicency and a -0/+5% power tolerance.
Off Grid Hybrid Inverters – includes a 97% efficient MPPT battery charge controller
Wiring and Waterproof MC4 Connectors – everything you need to connect the solar panels, batteries to the home’s electric utility panel/breaker box
Racking and Attachments – Industrial strength ground racking mounts for installing solar panels on the ground to allow for easy cleaning and snow removal.
Solar Power Monitoring Displays – Free with every kit purchase! Digital read out displasy allow customers to view and analyze theiring solar energy production in real-time.
Not Included – Concrete, schedule 40 pipe, conduit pipe, fittings, breakers, junction boxes and a sub panel (if required). All these items can be purchased at any electrical supply shop, Home Depot or Lowes, and will typically cost ~$1,500.

Can I Install a 1-kW to 10-kW Ground Mount System Myself?

Most people can install a ground-mounted solar system on their own in a couple of days.
Our kits use industry leading solar panels, inverters, and racking systems specifically selected and combined to make do-it-yourself installation possible.
A homeowner who has wired up AC outlets before and is comfortable working with electricity should be able install our off grid solar systems.
If self-installation is not for you, we can help you find a local NABCEP-certified solar installer to help you with the process in your area.

What does a typical solar installation process include?

A typical solar ground-mounted system for a home can be installed within one or two weekends once a permit is obtained from your city or county. After that, it’s just several easy steps until you’re system is producing solar electricity from the sun’s endless and free energy.

First, the racking and mounting system must be installed. This is the most laborious process of the solar installation process. You have to dig deep holes and pour concrete footers.
Once the racking and mounting system is secured in the ground, the solar panels and inverters can be quickly installed. The inverter(s) are then tied to the home through a dedicated circuit breaker in the main service panel.
When the installation is complete, your city or county inspector must sign off on it. You can accomplish this by scheduling an inspection meeting with them.
Lastly, you must get the system inspected by the local permit authority.

What If I Need to Hire a Contractor to Do All of the Installation Work for Me?

Any licensed general, electrical or solar contractor can install our solar kits. If you select to hire a contractor to install your solar kit, you should expect to pay approximately $1.00 per watt for labor, wire, conduit, fittings, breakers and other miscellaneous electrical components to complete the solar system installation.

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Sound good, but you’d like to talk to a real person to walk you through the solar purchase decision and solar installation process? Fill out this form so we can review your property location, examine possible shade from tree cover and calculate the number of solar hours that your property should receive and how many kWhs your solar system should produce.

Living-Off-Grid.com Magazine Unveils New State-by-State Buyer’s Guide Detailing Where the Best Places Are to Buy an Off Grid Property in the United States

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In addition, Living-Off-Grid.com also offers a “Guide to Off Grid Living” that provides over 100 chapters of information on producing solar power, rainwater collection, growing gardens, raising livestock and everything a family needs to build a self sustaining homestead

Living-Off-Grid.com – Rustic Log Cabin in the Mountain Forest’s Fall Foliage

Austin, Texas (May 26, 2020) – Living Off Grid Magazine announced today that it is now offering a State-by-State Directory of the Best Off Grid Properties for Sale in the United States as well as a Free Guide to Off Grid Living that details what is takes to start living off the grid for every state in United States.

The State-by-State Off Grid Land for Sale Directory and Guide to Off Grid Living were created to meet the pent up demand from city dwellers who are now actively seeking to buy rural ranch or farmland properties, then build an off the grid homestead due to these recent events:

California PG&E utility shutting off electricity to more than 2 million customers without warning and threatening to do so on a regular basis in the fture; and
News stories airing on the Coronavirus and COVID19 by ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and other TV News networks that provoked panic buying in grocery stores that first stripped grocery stores of toilet paper and cleaning supplies and then quickly followed suit with stories on meat processing plants closing across America, which led to panic buying of beef, chicken and pork; and
And, last but not least, ruthless Democrat state governors issuing mandatory police state quarantines ordering all Americans to cease going to work and not allowing people to earn a paycheck causing the loss of more than 20.5 million jobs throughout the United States.

These events have caused many quick thinking Americans to start shopping for the “best places” in United States to buy an “off grid” or “rural” piece of property so they could head for the hills to start setting up self-sustaining homesteads that would survive even if utility companies started shutting off critical services such as electricity, natural gas and water services and grocery stores were suddenly sold out of meat, vegetables and other food supply items.

Offgrid homesteads can replace on-grid electiricty with solar / wind power, and on-grid water with rainwater collection and grocery store food with homegrown gardens and live stock so that there is no need to be dependent on civilization to make ends meet.

“Regardless of whose fault it was for causing the COVID 19 pandemic, Americans are now frantically searching for 10 to 100 acre parcels of off grid raw land where they can distance themselves faraway from police state governments that are now threating to go door-to-door enforcing mandatory COVID19 testing and forcing citizens to inject unproven vaccinations, which may kill more people than the actual Coronavirus itself,” said Robert Hoskins, Living-Off-Grid.com’s Editor. “We’ve seen our Facebook (FB) Off Grid Homes Discussion Group’s membership numbers increase significantly. In the past 3 months, we have seen growth rates of more than 60% rising from from 2,800 members in March 2020 to 4,624 members in May 2020. Our actual increases were 15% in March, 22% in April, and another 25% forecast by the end of May.”

Facebook Off Grid Living: Prepping to Live Off the Grid Growth Stats 2020

“Our website’s Guide to Off Grid Living traffic also saw significant growth. For the entire year in 2019, we attracted around 2,690 readers that generated 5,230 page views.”

“Looking at the numbers for the first 5 months of 2020, our circulation has increased from 2,690 to 17,973 readers who have generated approximately 36,331 page views, up 6,930%. If this trend continues the magazine will have more than 41,000 readers generating 87,000 page views by then end of 2020.”

Living Off Grid Magazines’ Guide to Off Grid Living Website Annual Stats

“As a result of the massive pent up the demand for ‘Off Grid’ information we’ve even been getting calls from TV reality series program directors asking us to help them put together reality TV show treatments and story ideas for them to begin producing new off grid reality TV shows,” Hoskins added.

“After surveying more than 6,640 off-grid FB group members, we’ve found that our members would be most interested in helping TV producers and program directors putting together an Off Grid version of PC Magazine, but with editorial targeting off grid homesteaders, which would include Off Grid Product Roundups, Off Grid Buyer’s Guides and Off Grid Equipment Bakeoffs to help off-gridders make educated purchase decisions for big ticket items such as rainwater collection cisterns, aquaponic garden setups, high-end wood-burning stoves and solar power arrays that can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000.”

In addition, members stated that the off grid industry lacks an organized supply chain of value-added resellers and distributors or rural area buying cooperatives where off grid customers can see live demonstrations of working products and take education courses to help them make better purchase decisions.

Many feel that establishing off grid buying cooperatives would be a great way to generate economic development in very poor rural areas and counties where jobs are extremely difficult to find and where off grid communities are beginning to see rapid growth and expansion. Buying cooperatives are the perfect way to generate loans and grants requests for the USDA, which can be the driving force in rural economic development.

Specialized training classes are esssential for helping educate a local workforce installers, dirt movers, septic system installers, home builders, rainwater collection and solar installation experts that newcomers can turn to for expert installation of off grid products and services that every rural homestead will need. This process will generate a workforce of installers that can start news businessses that will would create good paying jobs as well as provide lots of installation companies that compete for new land owners business. Competition for these new products and services helps drive prices down and makes it very affordable to build new off grid homesteads.

About Living Off Grid Magazine

Living-Off-Grid.com provides a magazine with circulation of ~18,000+ readers and two Facebook Discussion Groups with ~ 6,640 members and business pages that allow people to follow, like and share information about what it takes to start a living-off-the-grid lifestyle anywhere in the United States.

Click on the links below to learn more:

Living Off Grid Magazine => http://living-off-grid.com/

State-by-State “Off Grid Land for Sale” Directory => https://livingoffgrid.home.blog/blog/

Facebook Discussion Groups:

Guide to Off Grid Homes => https://www.facebook.com/groups/OffGridHomes/
Guide to Off Grid Living => https://www.facebook.com/GuidetoOffGridLiving/

Facebook Business Pages:

Living Off Grid in Arizona => https://www.facebook.com/groups/nazlog/
Living Off Grid in California => https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOffGridLiving/
Living Off Grid in New Mexico => https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoOffGridLiving/
Living Off Grid in New York => https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkOffGridLiving/
Living Off Grid in Texas => https://www.facebook.com/TexasOffGridLiving/

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Contact:
Robert Hoskins
Living-Off-Grid.com
512-627-6622

Guide to Off Grid Living Launches New https://livingoffgrid.home.blog/ Website to Complement Its Facebook Discussion Groups and Business Pages

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The Facebook pages/groups and the off grid website provide info on building off grid homes, producing solar power, growing organic gardens, raising livestock and harvesting rainwater in Arizona, California, New Mexico, New York and Texas

SACRAMENTO, California – The Guide to Off Grid Living announced today that it has launched a new website to educate people that want to buy a rural piece of property and build an off-grid homestead in Arizona, California, New Mexico, New York or Texas.

“Today’s world is full of high-technology gadgets, computers, cell phones, cloud-based services that are all dependent on electricity, but as more than 2 million people found out in California, that can change instantly overnight and without warning,” said Robert Hoskins, Editor, Guide to Off Grid Living. “Our living off grid guide is written specifically to help beginners learn how to survive as long as the sun is shining and the clouds are raining.”

“Even if you live in a suburban or a downtown urban environment, almost anyone can prepare themselves and their family to live in a world without water, gas or electricity from local utility companies, which might vanish overnight, whether it be just for a couple of days or many months at a time,” Hoskins continued. “On the plus side, imagine what it would be like to live in a home with zero utility or grocery bills.”

The site is located at Living-Off-Grid.com and covers a wide variety of off the grid subject matters, how-to articles, video tutorials and guides for beginners, which provide top tips, tricks and strategies for off grid living and homesteading.

Building an Off Grid Shelter

For shelter, the site provides insightful information that beginners can use to research, plan and build their first off grid home, cabin, shed, tiny home, container house, earthship, steel building, terraced homes, yurts, glamping tents, Indian Tipi, underground bunker or wilderness shelters.

Living Off Grid – How to Turn a Shed into an Off Grid Cabin or Home

Installing an Off Grid Renewable Energy Power Source

For energy, the site details how to harness solar, wind and hydro energy to produce solar electricity, solar hot water, passive solar window furnace, solar lighting systems and solar ovens for cooking as well as the best backup generators.

Guide to Off Grid Living – How to Select between Mono-Crystalline vs Polycrystalline Solar Panels

Planting an Off Grid Garden and Raising Livestock

For food, the site details how to plant organic raised-bed gardens to grow vegetables, grain, medicinal herbs; how to build aquaponic gardens/fish farms; and how to raise chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, bees and other live stock to put food on the table.

Off Grid Living – How to Build a Predator Proof Chicken Coop to Protect Against Foxes, Skunks, Opossums and Raccoons

Providing an Off Grid Source for Fresh Water

For water, the site details how to collect water utilizing rainwater harvesting systems using rooftops and collection barrels/cisterns; how to build fresh water ponds for raising fish/aquatic plants; and how to drill your own well if the water table is close to the surface.

Off Grid Living – How to Install Rain Barrel Cisterns to Collect Rainwater and Store It to Provide Water

Providing an Heat Source for an Off Grid Home, Cabin or Shed

For heating, the site details how to select wood stoves, micro stoves, stove top blowers, small rocket stoves or large rocket mass heater/masonry stoves and tutorials on selecting the best chainsaws and how to build a firewood shed to keep wood dry.

Living Off Grid – Using an Efficient Wood Stove to Heat an Off Grid Shed, Cabin or Home

The Best States to Start Living Off the Grid

In addition to its first five business pages on Facebook, https://livingoffgrid.home.blog/ provides information for beginners that want to learn more about what it takes to live off the grid in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming or anywhere in the United States.

Off Grid Living – How to Buy Raw Land Parcels for an Off Grid Homestead

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How to Drill In Off Grid Foundation Piers with Helical Screw In Steel Footings

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Metal Foundation Piers – How to Drill
In Off Grid Foundation Piers with Screw In Steel Footings

Click on the photo to see more pictures:

Off Grid Living – Metal Foundation Piers – How to Drill In Off Grid Foundation Piers with Screw In Metal Posts

Drilling In Off Grid Foundation Piers with Helical Screw In Steel Footings

Utah – Helical piers also known as helical piles, screw cylinder anchors and helical foundations started to be used in 1836. This revolutionary engineering technology was discovered and developed by Alexander Mitchell and became utilized as a successful foundation for lighthouses, bridges, piers and homes on hill tops.

After over 170 years of development and use, these helical foundations are successfully used throughout the world to support anything from small residential applications to supporting a variety of large-scale civil engineering structures. Deck footings, fence post bases, pier footings, metal post foundations for a porch or solarium, ground screw anchors to support an addition to a home are some of the more common residential applications. Helical piers are a foundation technology and can be considered for use in any application requiring a foundational support.

Source: https://www.technometalpost.com/en-US/advantages/helical-piers/

Want to Learn More? Join our Off Grid Discussion Group on Facebook!

To learn more and discuss off grid topics, please join our free Facebook group at:
Off Grid Living: Prepping to Live Off the Grid
Or, read more topics in our “Guide to Off Grid Living” at:
https://LivingOffGrid.Home.Blog/Guide-to-Off-Grid-Living/

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How to Heat Water with Solar Hot Water Heaters and Stove Water Heating Jackets

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The Benefits of Using Passive Solar Heating and Wood Stove Water Heating Jackets to Heat Water for an Off Grid Shed, Cabin or Home

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How to Use Off Grid Solar Collectors to Product Free Hot Water

How to Use Passive Solar Collectors to Product Free Hot Water for Off Grid Properties

Various Types of Solar Hot Water Heaters to Heat Water for Off Grid Homes

United States – There are many options for solar water heaters that range from inexpensive home-made jobs to high-end state of the art commercial models.

If you switch to a solar water heating system, your use of electricity or propane will drop significantly; that number will approach zero rapidly if your backup heating system is a wood stove or firebox with a water jacket rather than occasional use utility electricity.

The home-made options are typically not suited for use during times of the year when temperatures dip below freezing. You would need to winterized them before any threat of fall or winter weather arrives. There are probably hundreds of variations that may be found on the internet. They range from coils of black plastic pipe on one’s roof to coils of copper inside a box with outer glass cover (creating a greenhouse effect).

Some of these utilize a DC electric circulating pump. It pushes the heated water into a storage tank and bring fresh cool water into the heater. This pump may be activated by a switch that is temperature controlled. But some are directly connected to a solar panel and only run when the sun is shining (precisely the same times that the water is being heated and needs to be circulated).

Evacuated Tube Solar Hot Water Heaters

Evacuated tube models are composed of numerous rows of glass tubes with another smaller tube inside each of the larger tubes. A vacuum is pulled between each of the two tubes which greatly lessens the loss of heat to outside weather. Water or an antifreeze solution is then circulated through the inner tubes.

The advantages of evacuated tubes lie in greater efficiency and less heat lost. So they work quite well even during surprisingly cool temperatures. However they are somewhat fragile and may not be as suited to areas with a great amount of snow and ice due to the potential for breakage from buildup.

Flat Panel Solar Hot Water Heaters

These heaters look much like solar electric panels but contain tiny water passages which enable a great amount of surface area to come in contact with the heat from the sun. While not as efficient as evacuated tubes, flat panels still work very well and are certainly more rugged when faced with heavy snow and icy conditions.

Typically an antifreeze solution is circulated through the tubes or panels and the hot fluid is routed inside to a heat exchanger which transfers the heat of the fluid to the home’s hot water. There are some varieties of evacuated tube heaters that are called drain down systems, which do not require the use of antifreeze because the water drains away from exposed areas once the water cools off.

Thermo-Siphon Solar Hot Water Heaters

It is possible to set up a solar water heating system that doesn’t require an electric circulating pump. This would be called a thermo-siphon system, operating on the principle that heat rises.

This was the type of system we planned to install for our cabin in the summertime. The disadvantages would be the amount of work involved in installation, significant cost of commercial systems, and reliance on an electric circulating pump (unless it is set up as a thermo-siphon system).

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Solar Powered Lighting Systems for Off Grid Cabins and Sheds

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Off Grid Living: Solar Powered Lighting
Systems for Off Grid Cabins and Sheds

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Solar Powered Lighting Systems for Off Grid Cabins and Sheds

How to Install Off Grid Solar-Powered Lights

One of the first things you’ll learn when camping or off grid living is that without electricity, it gets dark quickly.

But solar power is a great way to provide a wide variety of lighting and security systems that will let see what is making that big bumping sound in the backyard at 2:00 am in the morning.

How Off Grid Solar Lights Work

Solar spotlights are powered by photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight to electricity on the atomic level. Each cell contains a thin, flat semiconductor panel with a positive charge on one side and negative on the other. Sunlight causes the semiconductor’s atoms to blow apart, releasing electrons; the electrons are recaptured as electric current between the positive and negative charges. The electricity then travels through a cable to power the spotlight. Solar energy is also stored in the interior battery for use at night or on cloudy days.

Uses for Off Grid Solar Security Lights

Solar spotlights are particularly useful in illuminating outdoor spaces where traditional extension cords or bundles of wiring aren’t practical, such as in formal gardens, large open lawns or residential entrances. Newer models offer light emitting diodes (LEDs), which illuminate more effectively and efficiently than old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. Whether you choose to light a wide area from above or train the beam from ground level on an individual object, such as garden statuary, you can easily install individual spotlights without hiring a professional contractor.

Best Places to Install Off Grid Solar Lights

The foremost concern with installing solar spotlights is ensuring that enough sunlight reaches the photovoltaic cell. Spotlights today usually feature a long power cable between the cell and the actual light, so you can place the cell in a sunny spot that receives about eight hours of light a day, and position the spotlight where you want it.

For ground-level lighting, stake the cell in the ground so the cell faces the brightest sun, and then stake the light in the ground a few feet away from the object you wish to illuminate. Train the beam upward to focus on the object.

Mounting solar spotlights over entrances, garage doors or decks involves screwing the light’s baseplate into the vertical wall or post over the area you want to brighten, then angling the light’s beam downwards. With these types, the solar cell may be attached to the light’s hood or via a power cable; in both cases, the cell still needs to receive sufficient sunlight for operation.

Source: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/install-solarpowered-spotlights-79769.html

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How to Select a Wood Stove Based on the Size of Your Off Grid Cabin

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The 6 Essential Considerations for Buying the Right-Sized
Wood Burning Stove for Your Off Grid Shed, Cabin or Home

By 30X40 Design Workshop

The video above presents a comprehensive buying guide for wood stoves – a primer on exactly what you’ll need to know before buying a wood stove for your off grid shed, cabin, container home, earthship, steel building, tent, tiny house, yurt and/or any other type of off home.

Top Stove Buying Decision Include:

Steel vs. Cast Iron Cost
Stove Output (BTU vs. Size)
Firebox size
Efficiency Catalytic vs. Non-Catalytic
Flue (Interior and Exterior)
Hearth Protection
Wood Storage Ash Pan
Aesthetics Maintenance

Checklist of Items to Consider when Buying a Wood Stove:

It may be summer now, but winter is coming and its going to be a cold one. Here are some simple considerations to think about when buying the right wood stove for your shed, cabin or other type of off grid home.

1. Decide Between a Fireplace and a Wood Burning Stove

There are two main types of wood stoves. A fireplace, which is usually imbedded into a wall and a free standing stove, which sits in an open air space somewhere in a room. Fireplaces are usually open and waste a lot of energy and are prone to fires outside the fireplace as popping wood can send sparks flying out onto the room’s floor.

Free standing stoves are usually better because they can control the burn rate of your wood. They are much safer because they keep the fire enclosed inside a door. And, they radiant heat on a 360 degree basis, which is really important in very cold climates. When combined with masonry stone walls, they will heat up stone that will do a great job of efficiently heating up your home and keeping it toasty warm.

2. How Large Should Your Heat Source Be?

Picking the right sized wood stove for your living space is critical. A number of wood stoves for sale come with huge fireboxes, 3, 4, and sometimes even 5 cubic feet. But with modern insulation and the supplementary heat that most houses have now, these are usually overkill. A home between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet usually calls for a wood stove with a firebox between 2 and 2.5 cubic feet. If you’re heating a smaller space, like a garage or a cabin, you might want to try looking for even smaller wood burning stoves – 1 to 1.5 cubic feet.

3. Efficiency, Efficiency, Efficiency – Meeting EPA Standards

Higher efficiency means less money spent on wood, less work chopping and hauling wood, and a product that is better for the environment. Older wood stoves tend to be inefficient and waste wood and many companies don’t publish their efficiencies as a result. Look for wood stoves for sale that have EPA listed efficiencies of 70% or above to get the most bang for your buck. Some new stoves, like MF Fire’s Catalyst, also come with smart thermostat technology that helps to cut down on overheating, giving a real world efficiency boost of 20 to 25%. Buying a wood stove from MF Fire means less chopping, less stacking, and fewer trips to the wood pile during winter storms.

4. Clean Air and the New EPA Regulations

Gone are the days of smoke belching potbelly stoves. New clean air standards have set a high bar, restricting wood stove smoke emissions to only 2.0 grams/hour by January 2020, making nearly 85% of currently available wood stove illegal to sell. But some manufacturers are still trying to squeeze out their old units before the deadline. To get the cleanest and most efficient burn, look for wood burning stoves for sale with EPA listed emissions below 2.0 g/hr.

5. Catalytic or Non-Catalytic Fireboxes

When they were first introduced in the 80’s catalytic stoves, or wood burning stoves that use a catalytic combustor to reduce emissions, got a bad reputation. These initial poorly designed wood burning stoves were impossible to get started and used catalytic combustors that fouled and went bad after only a few seasons. New catalytic stoves don’t have those problems.

Most catalytic wood stoves for sale today are significantly cleaner and more efficient than their non-catalytic counterparts and those catalytic combustors can last for 10 years or more. When they do need to be replaced, the replacements generally cost less than $100. Some catalytic stoves can be harder to start, but buying a wood stove with new smart stove technology like automatic igniters or MF Fire’s TurboStart technology makes them easier to start than ever.

6. Smart Wood Burning Stoves

Technology is in everything nowadays: phones, cars, even refrigerators. Modern wood stoves are no exception. Some new wood stoves include features that make it easier to start, remotely control your burn, and even to protect your family from chimney fires. Buying a wood stove with these modern features help those of us who are getting up in years to do a little less work and have a lot more peace of mind. While smart wood stoves frequently cost a bit more, buying a wood stove with the added features are usually more than worth it.

7. Gathering and Stacking Wood

Acquiring, stacking and moving wood will become a part of your life. I personally embrace these as part of my choice to live in a cold climate, and I feel like the added effort is good for both myself and the environment — but it’s certainly not for everyone.

Source: https://mffire.com/

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Homes for Living Off Grid in Utah

Searching for Information on How to Start Living Off Grid in Utah? Our “Living Off Grid Newsletter” Provides Everything You Need to Research Before Building an Off Grid Cabin in Utah

Have questions about what it will take to live off the grid in Utah? Join our Utah Off Grid Living Group on Facebook to read, see and learn more about the Off Grid Living lifestyle!

Who Wants to Start Living Off Grid in Utah?

What is the Best Way to Find Affordable Off Grid Land for Sale in Utah?

What Kind of Off Grid Home Would You Like Build in Utah?

How Much Solar Will You Need for Electricity in Utah?

How Much Rainwater Will You Need to Harvest in Utah?

How Will You Heat Your Off Grid Cabin in Utah?

How Will You Provide Food for Your Family in Utah?

How to Build Fences/Roads for Off Grid Properties in Utah?

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Best Countries to Live OffGrid Outside the United States

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How to Build the World’s Best Mouse Trap for Only $5 that’s Easy to Build

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Off Grid Living – How to Build the World’s
Best Mouse Trap for Only $5 Easy to build

Off Grid Living – How to Build a PVC Trap for Rats, Mice, Squirrels, Turtles & Raccoons

Catches and kills mice and rats all night long. No need to reset or re-bait. Rolling log mouse trap. This trap works best if you can get the holes drilled exactly in the centers of the pipe ends. In hind site I would have drilled them before pushing them onto the pipe.

Read, see and learn more at: https://buff.ly/2HSgWI7

Watch the #YouTube #Video: https://youtu.be/n1EsnIshQYw

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