Events

Dear off-grid Diary

There is a sense of purpose and accomplishment that comes from living off-grid, whether you are in a motorhome or a backwoods cabin. Being food and energy self-sufficient, not being affected if the area has a power outage, no utility bills…..

Lest some think it’s a problem-free idyllic life, be aware that when grid support is removed, and you are the primary repairman for a variety of systems, there can be many trials of character, and marriage.

The following links are a few off-grid articles and diaries of folks who walk the walk, and live off-grid. We will carry others in future stories…

Chicago Trib promotes off-grid

The off-grid world is going mainstream in the US, as this story shows – reprinted from the Chicago Tribune March 8th and LA Times, April, yes April, 10th —

More warming to off-grid living
People who live without access to the electric grid that powers most homes don’t have to exist like rural pioneers, thanks to solar energy and other alternatives

By Clarke Canfield
Associated Press
Published March 7, 2005

BINGHAM, Maine — Just because Richard Roberts and Martha Maloney live more than two miles from the nearest power line doesn’t mean they have to read by candlelight and take cold showers.

One day this winter, with the temperature at 8 degrees and whipping winds making it feel 20 degrees colder, Roberts and Maloney were warmed by the fire in their 25-year-old wood-burning stove and the heat from three propane heaters.…

POSTED 12TH MARCH 2005

We need at least three people to help us build www.off-grid.net into a center for people who want to live, work or travel in a new, free, eco-friendly way.

Ad sales person
UK research/admin volunteer
US research/admin volunteer
Other research volunteers – e.g. Australia and New Zealand

AD SALES PERSON

This is a paid position, based in the UK or the US, and on your shoulders will rest the responsibility to make the site financially viable.

We need a web literate, commercially minded person, who believes in the message on the site, that we can live off-grid in comfort, save money and be good to the planet at the same time.

Responsibilities include: supervising all advertising sales; developing relationships with long term advertisers; marketing to support the ad sales effort; coordinating with the tech team to ensure banners are well positioned and web stats are fed back to clients; promoting the retail items we sell on the site; sourcing more products for us to sell on the site.

You will need to know the nuts and bolts of Internet commerce, how do I do a good affiliate deal, and what is a bad one? What is a fair price for a banner ad? How do you count clickthroughs? No Nu-be’s please!

You will be equally at home offering a discount to an advertiser of solar panels for a banner on our home page, or negotiating with a manufacturer for a discount on a wind turbine to be sold in our online store.

At least 3 years relevant experience preferred; good teamwork vital.

This is a full time job (or more) The basic pay is $800 per month as an advance against sales targets. With excellent bonuses and achievable targets you should be bringing in $2500 within three months. After that pay will increase with the success of the site.

Please email nick@off-grid.net or call +44 7971 543703.

RESEARCH VOLUNTEERS

We need people to be constantly out there researching the latest off-grid developments, finding good stories, good writers, potential advertisers; making links to to other sites, and requesting links from them; representing off-grid in discussion groups and forums.

All expenses paid — i.e. phone calls and Internet connections.

Please email: nick at www.off-grid.net or call +44 7971 543703 – due to high levels of spam, do not assume an email you sent was actually received.…