Living Off The Grid in Canada
Living Off The Grid in Canada. There are many reasons for living off the grid in Canada, but right now there are only two that really matter: simple home economics and global warming. By producing your own power at home with Renewable Energy you can achieve both of these objectives.
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Simple Home Economics and Living Off the Grid in Canada
Is your electric bill going through the roof? Are you tired of the city? Are you even just a little bit handy with tools?
Back in 1990 our family answered yes to all of the above questions and decided to give living off the grid in Canada a try. We bought a nice piece of property, 20 acres in Eastern Ontario first. Then we proceeded to build our own home with lumber and material from the property.
Solar Panels for Living Off the Grid in Canada
We chose to install solar panels first because of the ease of installation and the fact that we could add onto the system later when money and time permitted.
The very first thing we discovered was that solar panels are easy to install, but you have to do it right. The panels are a major investment and we didn’t want to wreck them right off the bat.
We just didn’t know enough about solar panels to do the installation job properly. We knew that was the best option for us to start out with but we just needed more information.
If you find yourself in this position you can read the helpful article we wrote to get you started.
You can Learn About Solar Panels for living off the grid in Canada.
Wind Generators
We had our solar panel array up and running for many years before we decided to add on to it. Jane and I decided that we wanted a wind generator to help out the battery charging when the sun was not shining. Basically, we figured that if the sun isn’t shining then the wind is blowing. Our observations have proven this theory to be correct as well.
We liked the fact that the new wind machines were quieter and more efficient than, even 10 years ago. But the price!
To buy the 1000 watt wind generator we needed for living off the grid in Canada would cost over $2000. That was a lot of money for us, so we decided we would build our own wind generator.
That decision proved to be a good one, as it ended up only costing us about $100 to build a wind generator including the plans we downloaded.
We could not have built our own without those plans and it sure took a while to find the right ones.
Do you want to build your own wind generator?
Have a look at this helpful article we wrote about our experiences building our wind generator. You can Build a Wind Generator for living off the grid. It will definitely help you to build your own as many of our readers have done.
Global Warming and Living Off the Grid in Canada?
Here in Canada the effects of global warming are being felt in many severe ways. Increased smog, severe weather patterns affecting agriculture and the increasingly unhealthy environment in which we find ourselves are all contributing to depleting the health of all Canadians.
It is our aim to reduce the effects of global warming by showing you ways to reduce your emissions of greenhouse gases and leading a healthier lifestyle.
One of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by living off the grid. How?
Living off the grid is about producing your own power at home with Renewable Energy.
By using the clean energy of the sun, the wind, or hydro power we lessen our dependence on coal fired electricity generating stations, which are heavy producers of pollution causing smog that contributes to global warming.
You will also be using less fossil fuel resources to run your home- heating your water, heating your home and running your appliances with renewable energy sources. This greatly reduces toxic emissions into the atmosphere. And we can do this, one household at a time!
What about Nuclear?
Most renewable energy sources shy away from the discussion of nuclear power, but here at Off Grid Living we will make our stand. We dismiss Nuclear as a viable long-term energy source and here is why.
If you could choose exactly where you would live and you only had these two choices, where would you live?
Choice A- Next door to a nuclear power plant Choice B- Next door to a wind farm
I know which one we have chosen. The simple truth is that nuclear power scares us to death. You can sell it quietly with television commercials showing birds singing and pretty music, but the problem is—what happens when something goes wrong?
One malfunction, one human error and we have Three Mile Island or Chernobyl all over again.
What is the worst possible scenario if your next door wind generator malfunctions? “Look Bob, one of the blades fell off at the wind farm. Hope everything’s OK.”
What is the worst possible scenario if your next door nuclear power plant malfunctions? “Look Bob, there’s smoke coming out of Reactor #3. Hope everything’s ………….”
And then silence, for a very long time.
We all make personal choices that we have to live with. Ours is living off the grid in Canada. What choice will you make.