Community

Solar hamlet - artists impression

(eco)Village within a Village

The Welsh Government is embracing low-impact housing with the unveiling of its first village within a village – the Pentre Solar “eco hamlet” within the…
  • January 19, 2017 4:38 PM·

Who do you use?

A few weeks ago, our internet service all but stopped working for nearly 2 weeks, I finally figured out it was apparently caused by the…
  • January 18, 2017 10:32 PM·
Hut, Scotland, Building Regulations, Bothies, Off-Grid

Return of the Scottish Hut

If you fancy buying an inexpensive off-grid getaway in Europe – try Scotland. The government announced changes to their building regulations early this year. This…
  • January 17, 2017 11:49 PM·

Homeless and Roofless

By Jim Martin – Homeless Shelter Director, Delaware Every day in Southern Delaware, I work in the trenches and on the front lines of poverty,…
  • January 12, 2017 6:47 PM·

From a Caravan to a Community

Moving into a caravan in the middle of Hill Holt Wood in 1995 gave Nigel Lowthrop his roots. His purchase of the 22-acre woodlands in…
  • January 12, 2017 10:40 AM·

What happened to PB?

There are some things that can be (or look) fun about living off-grid, but there are many things that are less attractive, but still have…
  • January 11, 2017 8:58 PM·

Women off-grid

When you think of someone living off-grid, chances are you either think of a man or perhaps a couple (or even a family), but it’s…
  • January 8, 2017 12:32 PM·

Grid is over for least-developed nations

The cost of solar equipment is declining at ever-steeper rates, threatening a meltdown in Utility companies share prices and catalysing new projects and driving growth in developing countries.…
  • January 7, 2017 7:48 AM·

Not getting sick

With winter in full blast mode, people are sniffling, sneezing and coughing all around me, I work in the public, not necessarily with the public,…
  • January 6, 2017 11:56 PM·

Learn to live the old ways

Go to India to learn how they used to live, before power and water came to large parts of the country. Starting Jan 28, A…
  • January 2, 2017 1:22 PM·

Twenty seventeen

I am not believing it’s 2017 already, in just 3 short years, it’s going to be the year 2020, now that will take some getting…
  • January 1, 2017 9:00 AM·

Living in the Future

An ongoing documentary series celebrating sustainable communities and ecovillages around the world is promoting the off-grid way of life. Living in the Future hosts a free…
  • January 1, 2017 6:57 AM·

Tiny House Nation

Omaha, Nebraska Jan 1st – The TIny house movement is closely related to the off-grid movement.  IT makes sense to have a tiny home if…
  • January 1, 2017 5:52 AM·

Power from Tap Water

PBS News Hour just ran this report on an inventor who wants to extract the power from H20: HARI SREENIVASAN: Imagine a mini power supply…
  • December 27, 2016 8:39 PM·

Best Beats Unplugged

It is not often that large events can call themselves self sustaining. But two upcoming music festivals on two entirely different continents are bucking the…
  • December 24, 2016 5:54 AM·

Positively negative

I’m amazed at how the people in your life can become your biggest and loudest critics when you decide you are going to do something,…
  • December 21, 2016 11:54 PM·

Dump your camper in the lake?

Would you drive your camper into the lake or river? You would if you owned an amphibious RV! I’ve seen “redneck” versions where they put…
  • December 19, 2016 12:57 AM·

Barn living, level-expert!

I’ve seen many barn conversions but this is the best one I’ve seen to date! I LOVE the sliding barn doors that completely cover the…
  • December 18, 2016 1:10 AM·

Tiny homes for veterans

All too often, our veterans are being left out in the cold, literally, there are many who are homeless for a variety of reasons, and…
  • December 17, 2016 2:49 PM·

Last Minute Gifts to Unplug with

So, what’s in your off-grid Christmas gift kit? If you’re having some trouble choosing what to get for your off-grid someone, here are five suggestions to…
  • December 17, 2016 1:14 PM·

Here we go again…

I’m very conflicted, I just signed up for a “service” that I would ordinarily want to have, especially at the monthly cost I’m going to…
  • December 15, 2016 3:03 PM·

The egg

What does it take to be a good neighbor… One thing is being willing to help when help is needed. I don’t have really close…
  • December 10, 2016 6:27 PM·
Doug and dog - Pumalín Park

RIP Doug Tompkins

By Aurora Herrera Can you imagine the founder of a multi-million-dollar company living off-grid? The man at the helm of the globally successful The North…
  • December 8, 2016 10:31 AM·

Tiny home made with SIP

This video caught my eye because it used the term SIP, I didn’t know what that meant until I watched the video further, it’s structurally…
  • December 4, 2016 10:01 PM·

No I’m knot kidding

Knots, everyone needs to know how to tie different kinds of knots, whether you are living off-grid, or in the big city, it’s a handy…
  • November 16, 2016 6:06 PM·

Off-Grid vlog 03

Here is another chatty off-grid video shot on site on the 4th floor observation deck of the SkyCastle, the things going on lately are my…
  • November 11, 2016 11:48 PM·

6 Months Living in beauty

We’ve been full-timing in our Airstream since April. That’s 6 months of LIB (Living in Beauty). So far, we’ve been visitors of 23 communities in…
  • November 6, 2016 2:50 PM·

Tesla’s solar tiles may be too costly

The solar roof tile seems set to transform technological necessity into desirable object.   Elon Musk’s launch event last week was a revolutionary moment because it…
  • November 5, 2016 2:25 PM·

Two years in a tiny home

Two years after moving into his tiny home, Bryce Langston came back for a return visit to see how Brett Sutherland is getting along, what…
  • October 30, 2016 10:14 PM·

Park City commits to 100% renewable

  Park City, Utah is the latest American city to pledge to turn to 100% renewable energy (you can view the whole list here). The promise…
  • October 28, 2016 10:01 PM·

WrethaOffGrid vlog 02

This is a semi-quick video where I’m chatting about what’s been going on this week. The main things are that my daughter and my 2…
  • October 25, 2016 5:04 PM·

Now’s the time

It’s nearly Halloween here in the USA, which means the Christmas merchandise has been in the stores for at least a few weeks now… I…
  • October 23, 2016 11:35 PM·

Canada project launched by ATCO

    A new off-grid system is capable of generating 75 kilowatts and storing 250 kilowatts hours of energy. Now that’s impressive! Last week, ATCO announced…
  • October 23, 2016 11:05 PM·

Heard of a Walker stove?

Me neither, but once I discovered it, I am definitely intrigued, it takes the best of rocket stove, thermal mass heaters, masonry heaters and the…
  • October 22, 2016 7:48 PM·

How safe is your drinking water?

      Reports of polluted drinking water contaminating whole communities have flooded in recently.  As if we didn’t need another reason to unplug, various…
  • October 19, 2016 7:26 PM·

Crucial court hearing for Steward Wood

  You may remember the Steward Community Woodland Group from our previous article ‘Dartmoor community eviction‘. There’s a little summary downpage. Since then, the Woodlanders have graciously thanked…
  • October 13, 2016 2:05 PM·

WrethaOffGrid vlog 01

I have been doing more and more reviews online, including video reviews so I have been getting more comfortable with being in front of the…
  • October 9, 2016 9:32 PM·

Auroville, the Utopia next door

  Imagine a place free from politics, religion and money. People from every background, of all ages, living in unity and self-sufficiency. The food that…
  • October 5, 2016 12:45 AM·

Outdoor living made a little easier

  Campfires are unpredictable and some camping stoves are bulky and let’s face it, impractical. Whether you want to heat some porridge to start your…
  • October 3, 2016 12:52 AM·

Doomsday retailer

  Meet Scott Hunt, also known as Engineer775 on his Youtube channel where he gives expert reviews for National Geographic’s reality TV show, Doomsday Preppers.…
  • October 1, 2016 11:56 PM·

Dartmoor community eviction

  An off-grid community located in woodland within Dartmoor National Park, UK are faced with eviction after 15 years of living side by side with nature.…
  • September 29, 2016 12:34 AM·

Knowledge and experience

Since we aren’t naturally born with all the knowledge (and experience) we’ll ever need, we have to learn. Hopefully we are learning something new everyday,…
  • September 28, 2016 1:10 PM·

UK Glamping Show goes down a treat

  The Glamping Show UK, made its annual appearance last week near Coventry.  The 3-day festival is for businesses and enthusiastic campers. The event included talks about…
  • September 24, 2016 3:06 AM·

Hobbiton

I love looking at alternative type housing, even if it’s a bit of a fantasy, I do live in a SkyCastle after all :) I…
  • September 23, 2016 1:48 AM·

Reynolds builds off-grid school

Where better to teach the next generation to be eco-friendly and self-sufficient than inside an off-grid school? This may be the future thanks to Michael…
  • September 19, 2016 12:24 AM·

SkyCastle photos

Sometimes, you just have to shut up and let the photos do the talking :)   This is how the SkyCastle looks currently. \ The…
  • September 16, 2016 3:13 AM·

Overcoming your fear

Fear (from Google) noun: fear; plural noun: fears 1. an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause…
  • September 16, 2016 2:22 AM·

Floating paradise

If I weren’t living where I do now and loving it, this is how I would want to live, on a homemade island home. These…
  • September 11, 2016 3:33 AM·