OFF GRID has taken on some foggy vaporous religious place in people's minds; and has resulted in some pretty vicious attacks from and to, people who should be supporting one another! It is NOT some perfect dream of times past, up on some pedestal; but rather a hard physical and economic reality, that has the Possibility of enhancing, or harming, your independence and freedom! I have seen people trolling others for not being “Off Grid”, because they used propane to pressure can, even though they use kerosene for light!
So, people, let us all understand, that being off grid, is entirely dependent on the person that OWNS that specific homestead! It is also influenced by location, as some are so far off the power grid there is no local power available. Some also live in the city, and there are laws and codes restricting them from the alternative system, they want to use!
The property I just bought has a house on it that is hooked up to power and septic already. I intend to connect to the meter to get out there, then cut over to solar and wind as fast as possible. I may use the meter as my wind generator dump load, because that idea amuses me. They were buying water from a neighbor, and I may need to begin there, so a water well is an obvious need too. I intend to separate my grey water for irrigation use.
On to costs; alternate energy is expensive to set up. With the eventual goal in mind, you can buy a piece at a time; to avoid a loan situation. I have bartered and salvaged some of the parts for my system. I recommend you do so too, to help mitigate the setup expense. Consider making your own solar panels for two reasons. First cost is reduced significantly, Ebay sells chipped Solar cells CHEAP! Second, it promotes understanding of how they function. You will need panels, a charge controller, a battery, and an inverter (that match the voltage you have chosen). REMEMBER, on the system components, if you have One, you have None!
I have seen attacks for using septic system instead of a composting toilet; for not being Off Grid! I intend to use both myself, the composting toilets fascinate me ( I have some design ideas, LOL). So, systems can be different, and functional too! Some people need to learn to relax, and they will live longer anyway.
So, let's band together on this Off Grid stuff! Everyone has their own demons to fight, so don't try to become one too! Learn where we can, and mentor when it is welcome; but SUPPORT one another! Off Grid is NOT set in stone, but rather it must remain fluid to be survival effective, for each individual case!