The mention of living off the grid brings a mental picture to mind of a small cabin in the middle of nowhere, snowy hillsides in the background, a water pump in front next to an old wooden outhouse, fire logs stacked up neatly on the side of the place, crops growing in the back, and some cattle grazing nearby.
For some, this may seem daunting, but for most people — who love the great outdoors — living off the grid is like a dream come true. However, you don’t have to live in a secluded area deep in the mountains or far out in the countryside away from everything to live off the grid.
Living off the grid simply means, being able to supply your own power as the grid refers to the power grid. The best way to supply your own power is with solar panels.
1. No Hassle Quiet Alternative to Using a Generator
If you ever used a generator before, you probably heard the loud roar the motor puts out when in use. Even the generators that advertise low noise are louder than we would like them to be. Imagine having to fire that thing up every time you need power for something.
The sad part is many people still use generators as a source of power for off-grid living and have to undergo all the hassle and headaches that go along with it, including having to fill it up with fuel every time it starts running low, which doesn’t take very long at all.
Photo by Jon Sailer on Unsplash
The best thing to do with these noisy fuel guzzlers is to put them away and get solar panels to provide electricity for your homestead. Solar panels are the best alternative to generators since they don’t require any messy, flammable fuel to generate power and they don’t make a sound.
Just think about the peace and quiet you would have around your house without having to rely on a heavy noise making generator, to provide your power. You will have a constant flow of electricity to run your appliances, taken straight from the sun right into your home.
2. Save Money & Make Money
Years ago the average family couldn’t even consider using solar panels as their energy source since they were much too expensive to buy. In fact, they cost so much that even wealthy people would shy away from them.
How much did they actually cost? Around $10 per watt, WHAT? It’s true, so if you were to purchase just one 75 watt panel, it would set you back $750 and that is barely enough to light a lamp. Do you realize how much it would have cost to keep a refrigerator running?
However, the price of solar panels has plummeted so much over the years that you can get a 75-watt panel now for just $1, which is one-tenth of what it previously costed. Put that in your pocket and save it.
Moreover, there may be a way to get a lot of the money back that you spend on solar panels. You can sell the excess energy that your panels produce, to power companies. While some may have a cap on how much power they will purchase and the amount they pay may not be much, you will still be generating some extra cash for doing nothing. It’s something to think about.
3. Ease of use, just install and use
For years there has been a misconception about the installation of solar panels, where many claimed they were too hard to install and if you were to hire someone to set the solar panels up for you, it would cost you an arm, a leg, and a thigh, so many individuals would pass on them.
But, contrary to popular belief, solar panels are extremely easy to install and they are getting even easier with technology. As a matter of fact, all the advancements that took place over the years, have led to the availability of pre-made kits that you can order online, and install them yourself with step by step instructions provided with your shipment.
However, if you would happen to run into a snag and need help, most reputable sellers of solar panels have a 24-hour live chat that you can contact to help walk you through the process.
If you would rather not bother installing your solar panels on your own, many sellers offer free installation with purchase, so you can always set up an appointment with the seller to send someone out and install them for you, which may even be required in some locations.
Installing solar panels shouldn’t take more than 2 days to two weeks after receiving them. Once they are all set up you can begin using the energy they produce right away.
4. Security no worries about the power going off
If you have been paying attention to what’s going on in the world, you probably already know that our power grids are very vulnerable to attack and if they were to go down for even a short period of time, there would be major chaos.
Some people don’t think about how reliant on power we are and think only about being without TV, internet, and phone, but there is far more to lose than entertainment if the grid were to go down.
First comes the complete darkness, bank cards would be instantly unusable without power, the traffic lights would come to a screeching halt, there wouldn’t be any heat or air conditioning, and in a few days, all the food in your fridge would spoil.
Because water relies on power to travel to your faucet there would be nothing coming from your taps, you wouldn’t be able to flush the toilet either, and all it would take is a few days for hungry people to start hunting for food.
If you don’t want to be one of them, you should find a good location for off-grid living and install solar panels then you won’t have to worry about the grid going down or the power going out for any reason.
5. Better for the environment
Every day tons of carbon emissions are being dumped into the atmosphere by factories, cars, and us as we contribute to it every time we use electricity to turn on an appliance for convenience.
Unfortunately, we are already starting to feel the effects that all this has taken on the environment as the climate is changing rapidly everywhere. For example; the winters are getting much colder, storms are getting more intense, summers are getting hotter, many areas around the globe are flooding, and global warming will soon be here too if we don’t start doing what we can to prevent it.
If everyone were to do their part and stop using so much power from the grids, we may still be able to prevent global warming from occurring. One way to contribute would be by switching to solar panels as your main source of energy. Using solar panels doesn’t emit anything in the air, it is pure solar energy harnessed from our sun to produce electricity that will run our appliances.
The cost of switching to solar panels to provide our own energy is a small price to pay considering what it is going to cost us if we don’t do our part to save the environment from global warming.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that solar panels are the best option when it comes to supplying power to your homestead.
Solar panels come in both AC and DC. DC solar power is the cheaper of the two because it does not require an inverter to convert the DC power that solar panels generate and store in batteries, to AC power to be used for powering up appliances.
DC power cannot be used to run standard household appliances that you need to plug in. DC off-grid solar power systems will only work to power things like security systems, lighting, and communication devices, in places such as small cabins, boats, and RV’s.
About Conrad:
Conrad Novak is a proud father of two children. His journey as a prepper began when Hurricane Katrina hit and he lost his job due to the 2008 economic crisis. That made him realize that everything can change for the worst in a very short time. This experience was the detonator for him to pursue learning and becoming better prepared to face the kind of unexpected disasters that may occur at any point in our lives. You can read more of his content at SurvivorsFortress.com.