Who is going off grid these days ? Any idea of why they would want to go off grid ?
We dug in a bit deeper to see which types of people would typically build a self-sufficient home or business.
It can be solar power, hydroelectric, wind power or anything else that nature can throw at you. Harnessing the above into energy is a fine work of art and can releases you from dependency on the power grid and power provider. Making you immune to rising power cost and reducing your share of emissions caused.
Type 1 : The I have no choice
As you all know , the world is a huge place and so is America. The power companies do not have the whole United States on the grid. There are rural areas where some people prefer living, some like tiny cabins on the mountains and others like larger cabins by a remote lake away from civilization.
These people that prefer to live in rural settings away from it all fits perfectly into the "I have no choice" , power companies would charge them way too much money to pull a line over so self sustainability is the only way to go for them. With current technology - generating enough power for minimum usage is very viable.
But if you live in a remote location ( middle of no where ) , don't expect to be blasting the air-conditioning or use power tools. So conserve your energy for the essentials like lighting and communications.
Type 2 : The I hate paying the power bills
It's that time of the month again, everyone rolls their eyes when they see the charges that the power companies are demanding us to pay. Some take action and invest upfront to build a self power generating system. These are your "I hate paying the power bills" group
After the system is built, there is minimal overhead costs for the power generation so the system pay for itself sooner or later depending on the rate that your power company is charging you.
Type 3 : The tree huggers
It may be hard to believe, but there are actually people in this world of care about carbon footprints. Going off grid is probably one of the greenest things a human being can achieve. Sure, there are some of us who buy smaller engine vehicles or change to those LED light bulbs, but these guys take it to the extreme and these are your tree huggers.
Going off grid does not necessarily mean changing your lifestyle, some people have off grid motor homes/RV or boats. Those are certainly options that you can look at if going off grid is of interest to you.