Jesse Ventura “an hour from pavements”
Former wrestler and politician goes off-grid for good in Mexico.…
April 13, 2008
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Former wrestler and politician goes off-grid for good in Mexico.…
If you are installing or have installed a photovoltaic (PV) system we have found some helpful resource to make it not only easier but safer for you and your home.
First if you are debating on installing the system as a DIY (do it yourself) then we found a resourced guide that can save you time and money and best of all it’s free. It is a guide on installing PV systems by the California Energy Commission as part of their Renewables Buydown Program. This guide is for the current state-of-the- art PV system installation, though revisions are set to made as the technology changes.
Second a telephone seminar on fire safety for PV systems will be held by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) on April 30, 2008 at 2pm EDT. Various fire districts throughout the U.S. have been raising concerns about the safety of fire fighters in building with PV systems over the last several years. Most of the concern was how to ventilate a roof that was cover in solar panels and how to disconnect the live circuits with out being shocked. This lead to the California Solar Energy Industries Association (Cal SEIA) working with the California State Fire Marshall’s office to develop meetings between representatives from the solar industry and others interested in fire protection. They worked out some guidelines for PV fire safety. These guidelines are focused on required area needed on rooftops for access of firefighters to ventilate the roof in event of fire. You need to pre-register but any interested parties are able to attend, you will then be sent the access phone number a week before the event.…
As threats grow to our way of life, going off-grid seems like an increasingly logical choice…
Getting off the grid or even using personal alternative/renewable energy while still attached to the grid is an expensive proposition. That is especially true when putting in a complete system at once. Here at The Off-Grid Home we wanted to make a database of all the programs available across the United States but, found that it was more of a long term goal. So we have taken down the page we have completed until we can have more complete and up to date information.
Though we still feel that everyone who is interested in using alternative/renewable energy should have a starting point for their own research. So as we were working on our own state by state narratives we ran across a complete database run by North Carolina Solar Center and the IREC. We haven’t been able to check to see how up to date the database is but it is a great start for individuals or even companies wishing to delve into using these power sources and getting financial help. The database is called DSIRE, Database of State Incentives for Renewable & Efficiency,and is stated to last be updated on April 7, 2008. We will be adding links from our site to theirs in hope that those who are just waiting to make the big financial commitment can now have the help they need. Plus, incentives and grants have limited time windows for them to be available. As ours may not be finished till after some are no longer available or near the end of the time frame making it hard if not impossible for you to get the help needed.
The database was founded in 1995 and is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. It is also funded by the US Dept of Energy.
The North Carolina Solar Center was created in 1998 and promotes the use of renewable energy technologies and green building practices. They do this through the four main programs of technical training and assistance, policy research and analysis, outreach and education programs, and technology research, development and demonstrations. They seek to stabilize energy cost for the consumer, stimulate local economies, reduce dependence on foreign fuels, and mitigate impact on the environment by energy use. It is operated by the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, IREC, has a mission to accelerate the use of renewable energy sources along with their needed technologies through both state and local government and community activities. It was formed in 1980 and supports market-oriented service that are targets at education, coordination, procurement, and both adoption and implementation of standards, guidelines and consumer protection. Members of IREC include state and local agencies, national labs, solar and renewable organization, companies as well as individuals.…
04-02-08
Today, actually it was yesterday as this is being typed after midnight (grin), yes I do tend to be a night owl at times, anyhoo, it was a good day, we had planned on going into Alpine, it’s a bit of a drive, but that is where the closest dentist is located. Bob had a dental appointment, on the way out of the neighborhood, we stopped at the country store and talked to a few people, the store owner found out we were going into town and offered to let us use her minivan, we greatfully accepted, our bug is running a bit rough, it needs some work, it’s fine for running around the neighborhood, at worst, if we break down, there will be someone along in pretty short order to give us a ride home :) We took the van and started out, I forgot to grab my keys so we didn’t have the mailbox key, bummer, oh well, it will just have to wait… We drove to Alpine, got to the dentist, Bob talked to him a bit, we are trading some artwork for payment, it’s a bronze sculpture that Bob’s mom made, it is very nice! It seems he liked it, he did say he usually collects paintings and drawings, not so much in sculpture, but he seemed to accept the deal, we made another appointment and left.
We took advantage of being in a town with actual stores (!) to make some purchases, we went to a Family Dollar store and stocked up on items we can’t get where we live, ok I exaggerate, we could get some of these items in our local grocery store, but it would cost quite a lot more and we wouldn’t have had the same selection. We spent over $100 there, but we came out with bags and bags of food, next we went to the lumber yard and got some building material. After that, we stopped at McDonald’s, yes, I know it’s really bad for you to eat, but I haven’t had any kind of “fast food” since before we moved out here in December, and I was soooooo ready to eat a greasy burger and fries! I did get a side salad to go with my artery clogging cheeseburgers and small fries, I drank water too, no soft drinks for me, I gave them up years ago, if I drink on now, it’s just too much, too many bubbles, to strong a flavor, it assaults my mouth, so I don’t miss that at all, I don’t know how I drank them before, yuck!
After that we drove home, went by our place to drop off the booty, and took the van back, I am so thankful to have had the use of that van, our bug probably would have made it just fine, but it was still …
A course on how to live sustainably in the inner city features mushrooms grown in coffee grounds, a fig tree fed by water from a washing machine, and electricity generated by a turbine made of old bicycle parts.…
Five ways of using water to best effect in the home and garden…
Author of “How to Live Off-Grid” gets double page spread in Independent newspaper to expound his philosophy and explain why he bought a Majorcan mountain hideaway.…
Mayor Livingstone campaigns for re-election on pledge to take London off-grid immediately in order to save energy. But admits UK government will not currently allow this.…
The personal nuclear reactor just got a step closer. A senior USAF spokesman revealed the Air Force wants to order one now, and have them at every base in the future to prevent dependence on vulnerable grids in nations around the world.…
When we started our journey to get off the grid we did not even realize that there was so many wonderful books available to help inform and encourage us. So we would like to share some of those we started with as well as some recent ones we’re still enjoying with you.
Since so much of the lifestyle we relish has now become more of an accepted, if not “hip” thing, the amount of space in our local bookstore has not only grown but better organized. The nice thing about that is that there is more information then ever out there to encourage more and more people to chose this path for themselves. On the other hand we really do advise reading part if not all of a book before adding it to your library. Libraries are a great source of information and many of the books that now grace our ever growing library was first read on loan. Another source, if you are lucky enough to have one where you live, is a book swap. We are fortunate in Baltimore to have “The Book Thing” which is a great place to drop off old book so they can begin a new life and give some a new home.
So above we have listed a few we thought would make great spring/summer reading. As always we are always happy to hear comments from our readers so if you have enjoyed or even dislike one please fell free to post a comment. Also if you think we missed out on promoting a book that should be read also feel free to post that also.
Also reminder that the Great Energy Efficiency Day by the Alliance to Save Energy is still taking registration for April 16, 2008. Then on Sunday April 20, 2008 Earth Day Events will be happening around the globe. You can see whats happening near you here. Let’s make this April a month to remind all those politicians that want our votes come November that our Environment and Energy Usage/Needs are a concern we want taken seriously and worked on. So as the Earth Day Organization is encouraging make sure your registered to vote for the coming elections and then let the politicians know we will be voting for not only our future but those our children and that of future generations to come.…
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