Living Off The Grid - 1593 Words

There are 180,00 families in America living a sustainable lifestyle and roughly around 1.7 billion people worldwide living without depending on the grid. (Palameri 1; Perez qtd. in Wood 1). The number of Eco villages, sustainable and intentional communities are rising across the nation as more people are discovering that they possess a strong inclination to live in the same manner as the Amish. This phenomenon is becoming a progressively popular choice for people from all walks of life. Not only are environmentalists and survivalists escaping the city life in efforts to live off the grid, but single families and people who are seeking to explore a simplified lifestyle are also joining the trend. Living off the grid is slowly becoming†¦show more content†¦People who decided to challenge the system in efforts to live The Good Life are providing resources for themselves. This means inhabiting an off-grid lifestyle makes one solely responsible for supplying their energy, waste r emoval system and water supply system. One resource that is essential to produce electricity is renewable energy. Providing one’s own energy consists of utilizing solar panels, wind turbines and micro hydroelectricity. Solar panels absorb energy from the Sun to produce solar energy. A great number of people who live off the grid use solar power. Wind turbines generate electrical power from the wind and functions in the reverse manner as a fan does. Micro hydroelectricity is another source of energy, which fascinatingly â€Å"uses a source of running water, like a stream, to generate electricity† (Dunn 3). Between all three sources of renewable energy, micro hydroelectricity is the most efficient, reliable and commonly used form. Undoubtedly, the most important resource people work to provide for an off-grid lifestyle is water. One method of obtaining water is through a water catchment system. This task can be accomplish simply through using barrels to amass rainwater or snow that is â€Å"fed by the downspout of . . . rain gutters or eaves of [a] building† or a house† (Black 128). Another method of obtaining water isShow MoreRelatedLiving Off The Grid : A Simple Guide1478 Words   |  6 PagesIn his book, Living Off the Grid:A Simple Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Self-Reliant Supply of Energy, Water, Shelter and More (2008) Dave Black lists the following eight reasons many people are choosing to go off grid in America today: There is no grid available, to minimize environmental impact of the grid and leave a smaller carbon footprint, to avoid utility costs, saving money by lowering bills, emergency insurance, entertainment of an intelligent mind, reducing use of fossil fuels, andRead More Evaluating The Suitability Of Solar Powered Led Lighting Systems As Replacement For Kerosene Lanterns985 Words   |  4 PagesTherefore, the most significant deduction from the study is that the solar-powered LED and CFL lighting systems are a viable and cost effective off-grid lighting alternative for fuel-based lighting systems in rural Ghana. Biswajit Biswas, Sujoy Mukherjee, â€Å"A comparative study of low cost solar based lighting system and fuel based lighting system for remote off grid location in India† Published on Sep-Oct 2013, Energy is the integral part of life. Energy demand increases day by day but it is a big challengeRead MoreEssay on The Use of Wind as an Alternative Energy Source644 Words   |  3 Pageswind is that it is free. The ability to harness and turn it into electricity has made wind power a viable alternative energy solution. Wind energy does not cause pollution or green house gases. Land usage is small. People and places that are off grid (no power supply from the traditional power companies) can still have access to electricity by installing this renewable energy source and creating their own electricity.(about-alternative-energy.com) A disadvantage to wind power is wind energyRead MoreWhy Americans Consume So Much More Than We Need? Essay1402 Words   |  6 PagesMovement Why Americans consume so much more than we need? Simply, because America is a consumption based society. Maslow has a theory about the Hierarchy of needs. Arguing that a relatively fixed and universal hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy starts off with lower needs which include food, shelter and clothing. Next in the hierarchal ladder are basic needs, which would include the feeling of being safe and having a feeling of belongingness, love, esteem and self-actualization. At the top of the ladderRead MoreAthens And Rome Vs. Rome1391 Words   |  6 Pagessignificance. #1 The Roman Castras were intended to be temporary fortified military camps. However, the camps were not all temporary some became permanent towns. This happened many times because it is a standardized plan, which made it easy to build off of. The layout of the castra was a very simple design that made it easy for these military camps to be built up quickly. Its basic form was either a square or rectangle, with which it was bisected by two main roads that formed an axis. Through the centerRead MoreSelf-Sustainable Living: Why?1815 Words   |  8 PagesSS 3150 Research Paper Self-Sustainable Living: Why? Nicholas Lawrence Abstract What drives individuals to seek out a self-sustained lifestyle, free from the electricity grid? This study aim to determine the reasons individuals and, in some cases, communities strive to be self-sustainable and free themselves from the electricity grid. Data will be collected form informal interviews with different groups of people that have, are in the process of, or do not want to live a self-sustainableRead MoreThe Electric Lighting Industry ( Behr 40 )1158 Words   |  5 Pageslasting charge (Burns 182). More and more gasoline powered vehicles have been taken off the market for newer and cleaner electric powered cars. The all electric powered car industry has become more popular as the years go on. Consumers are starting to understand that switching to all electric vehicles can save our planet and they are all for it. As more electric cars are put on the roads it provides us with healthier living. All-electric vehicles that are made from power plants generate the electricityRead More Wind Power in the Near Future Essay880 Words   |  4 Pagestown. Also, in the article â€Å"Pioneered the Concept of Distributed Micropower Generation,† Walt Patterson also pointed to distributed electric generation as a worldwide trend. Decentralized power production can bring immunity to largescale electrical grid failures. As wind turbines can be adapted to this use, increasing amounts of wind power will be utilized as a means to micropower generation. These examples suggest that wind power will be used in ways that correspond to each needed capacity andRead MoreThe Energy Of Solar Energy1687 Words   |  7 Pagesor weak grids. Firm and flexible STE capacities enable more variable renewable energy (i.e. wind power and solar PV) in the electricity mix on grids. While very high penetration of PV requires large-scale investment in electricity storage, such as pumped-hydro plants, high penetration of STE does not. Off grid in developing countries, solar PV and STE can transform the lives of those 1.4 billion people currently deprived of access to electricity, and those who can barely rely on their grid. SolarRead MoreLe Corbusier s Late Career1379 Words   |  6 PagesLe Corbusier did the contrary, and designed a modernist, high rise communal house. Le Corbusier concept was to design a hotel-like building where the inhabitants would become guests in their own homes. He believed that one can have a perfect life, living in the perfect house and was attracted by the idea of a â€Å"small city† building set up. Spaces 56 meter high, 23 meter wide and with a length of 140 meters reinforced concrete building was planned to have 18 levels and sustain 337 apartments of 23 different