Energy production
Living off-grid means producing your own renewable energy or finding alternatives that do not use electricity. Relying on any one source of power is not reliable or sustainable in any situation, even when living on the grid.
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Solar Power
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Wind Power
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Hydro Power
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Non-energy methods
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The Scablands Homestead's main source of energy will come directly from the sun. Whether it be from our solar oven, food dehydrator, hot water heater or an actual solar panel system, we are finding ways to incorporate the free energy from the sun into our future. Each of our solar system designs will be shared once developed and built.
Scablands Homestead will be finding ways to utilize wind energy from a variety of methods. We are planning on building our own wind turbines both small and large. More information about our designs and plans will be shared as they are developed.
There are a lot of ideas and plans out there for using flowing water to generate power and we are very interested in them. Unfortunately the Scablands Homestead will be unable to utilize this wonderful source of energy, as we will have no flowing water on the property.
If you can think of ways we can incorporate this into our homestead please contact us with your suggestions.
If you can think of ways we can incorporate this into our homestead please contact us with your suggestions.
Renewable energy will have it's limitations on the Scablands Homestead, especially during the winter when there is less sunlight. We are looking at many options that will limit our need for energy. This reduction in our energy load will also enable us to build and purchase a smaller overall system that will be within our restricted budget.
Traditional Energy
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Alternatives & Non-energy
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food storage
On the Scablands Homestead we plan on using several alternatives for storing our food. From overwintering our produce in a root cellar to preserving our food throughout the summer by canning and drying. Just like with energy- one system alone is not reliable enough to meet all of a persons needs. We will be employing a variety of methods for food storage. All of which will require limited to zero energy to store once preserved.
Heating & Cooling
There will be no wall mounted air conditioners, no central heating (HVAC) or small individual room heaters at the Scablands Homestead. So how will we cool our home in a hot summer that averages in the upper 90's every day; or warm the house in the freezing winters that average below 30 daily throughout winter?
By using a passive solar design when building the home, high insulation values, thermal mass in the walls and floor, rocket mass heaters, and underground cooling tubes. Visit our natural building page to learn more about our home design and join us on our build in the summer of 2017.
By using a passive solar design when building the home, high insulation values, thermal mass in the walls and floor, rocket mass heaters, and underground cooling tubes. Visit our natural building page to learn more about our home design and join us on our build in the summer of 2017.
Cooking
Cooking our food off-grid will indeed be a learning experience filled with trial and error. Without an electric or gas stove it won't be as simple as turning a knob, setting a temperature and walking away. The Scablands Homestead will be utilizing a few different cooking methods, as with all our off-grid solutions we need to have more than one option. We will be learning to use an antique wood cook stove, a solar oven, hay box cookers, and an earthen oven.
To learn more about cooking off-grid and find some recipes visit our homestead cooking page. Our earthen oven and other DIY cooking projects will be posted on our natural building page as they are designed and built.
To learn more about cooking off-grid and find some recipes visit our homestead cooking page. Our earthen oven and other DIY cooking projects will be posted on our natural building page as they are designed and built.