Why Not Traditional Lanscaping
Some problems with traditional lanscaping are water pollution, air pollution, noisew pollution, consumption of our natural resources, produces solid waste, harmful to health and safety,
Farewell my Subaru
“Farewell my Subaru” is the story of bumbling radio presenter who tries to take his life off-grid
Green From the Top
An alternative to your traditional roofing materials is a “green roof”, or a rooftop garden. The surface temperature of a vegetated roof is able to
Changings Windows Offers Great Benefits
In most old homes windows are one of the largest sources of heating during the winter do to their low insulating ability combined with high
Masdar – off-grid or off their heads?
World’s press taken in by massive launch party for Arab eco-city. In fact its self-professed aim is to allow more oil to be drilled, while the eco-city itself is merely a dormitory town for nearby Abu Dhabi.
Earthships – Another Recycling Frontier
Earthships are earth-sheltered autonomous buildings made of tires rammed with earth, which are usually arranged in “U” or horseshoe shaped modules. Each tire is rammed
The wood-shed of Oz
Step-by-step account of a low cost off-grid set-up in a warm climate. All you need to know to do it yourself.
Enertia- Natural Materials, Natural Energy Homes
Anything massive, once warmed, tends to stay warm. The Earth maintains a habitatable environment in the minus 459 degree cold of space because our atmosphere
Return of the Grim Repo
As more homes are repossessed, the off-grid alternative becomes ever more attractive
Selfish old millionaire
Super-rich publishing magnate,Felix Dennis, calls himself an environmentalist, but opposes the building of an eco-town near his country mansion.
GreenGuard Your Home
You are working hard to make your home energy efficient, comfortable and self-sufficient what more can you do? How about making sure that the environment
Crofting boom
Scottish Crofting has not been so popular for 1000 years. Its a combination of ancient land rights and modern technology to create the ultimate off-grid life, and the waiting list is a mile long.
LEED Takes An Important Step
LEED®, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating Systems™, has taken the important step of creating a third party certification that is a
Blue Jeans For Your House
Yes that’s right now you can get blue jeans for your home. Okay so they’re recycled blue jeans made into insulation batting. This insulation is
Austrian eco resort
With hard work, and a little money, anyone can launch an eco-resort, just about anywhere.
Looking for A New Home?
If want to move to get off gird and don’t want a fixer upper then try Listed Green Homes. It is a real estate listing
Insulation “Ewe” Will Love
Okay we couldn’t help using ewe in the title. But how can you write about wool insulation and not use it? Every insulation has benefits
Insulation is Key
If you are thinking of going off-grid or even just trying to cut your current energy cost then an important key is insulation. You can
Paper Isn’t Just For Decorating Your Walls
Paper cannot only beautify your walls but also make it cozier in your home as well. With cellulose insulation you get added warmth and noise
Barratt wins UK “eco-village”
Britain’s first eco-village is not a village and not sufficiently eco, says Off-Grid Editor Nick Rosen.
One Month Left for Fed Tax Credit
The tax credit from the 2005 US Energy Policy Act will expire at the end of this year. Homeowners have less then a month left
My other house is off-grid
Five rules for evaluating the eco-credentials of a resort or housing development from Arkansas to Acapulco
Architects Designs Going Green
A survey done by Autodesk and the American Institue of Architects (AIA) showed that by 2012 90% of their architects expect to incorporate some sustainable
Energy Calculators are Your Freind
Since we talked about going energy efficient, we thought we tell you about energy calculators. Energy calculators can give from a rough estimate to a
Off-Grid island for sale
Sunset view from Long Island Its enough to make you long for an economic collapse. Long Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, has gone on the
I love my shed more than my ritzy house
When John Martin went bust he sold his home and built an eco-pod in Scotland. Now he’s running an eco-home business and back on top again.
20 ways to Eco-pimp your home
Simple, practical ways to save money and make your home cleaner and greener.
Hammer: Lenin loved him Russia and two former Soviet republics are host to four of the world’s top 10 most polluted places, according to a
Urban off-grid homes for sale
Six homes foreclosed after being illegally connected to utilities. Will be sold grid-free.
Future is flatpack says Dunster
House building eco-kits are the perfect way to combine sustainability with lower unit costs, says leading eco-architect Bill Dunster
Plans for “carbon neutral village.”
Who do they think they’re kidding? Its a long, long way from the five eco-towns Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised the people when he assumed
Landmark off-grid housing victory
An off-grid community in Devon – has won temporary planning (zoning) permission after a long battle against wealthy local residents.
The group of 16 people, featured in Nick Rosen’s book, How to Live Off-grid, paid just
Eco-palace back on
Plans are afoot to prepare a $10m eco-palace” as a wedding gift for Prince Charles son Prince William,and his fiancee Kate Middleton. As they holiday in a tiny island int he Seychelles, the palace in Wales is being fitted with a range of eco-features.
The Battle of the Benders
The Off-Grid web site is serialising Nick Rosen’s book, “How to live Off-Grid” about his journey round the UK visiting eco-homes. In it he meets survivalists and nimbys, free love hippies and millionaire idealists. This excerpt finds Nick visiting a “bender” community in Devon fighting for planning permission — they bought some land and built a barn and the canvas benders. Their public enquiry has just finished and the residents are awaiting the planning inspector’s decision.
Setback in Wales as planners reject off-grid house
Wrenches – they’ll never give up The first test of a new policy to promote off-grid housing in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire has ended
America’s best beaches
Listing of this year’s top 10 plus interview with Dr. Beach himself.
Battle for Wild Camping
Kid lawyer saves dad Recently I took the boys on their first wild camping trip on Dartmoor, writes Electric Kevin on his blog. I had
Hippy times are here again
If you missed the 60s, you can now buy the wisdom, and the t-shirts, neatly repackaged.
Solar powered wireless internet
A California company has introduced a solar powered wireless internet router.
First Earthship in France
Earthships cannot get off the ground in the UK, but welcomed in France.
UK Coast is clear
Walkers to be given access to whole UK Coastline – some diehard landowners resist
25 miles from Tucson
20 acres and a satellite internet mean this couple can live and work the way they want.
Eco-crusaders featured in People Mag
AARON ROURKE, BILL SCHENK, TOM BALLANCO , GUILLERMO PAYET, TED MILLER , DAVID DE ROTHSCHILD
Tax militant taken off the grid
Convicted tax evader and wife hide out in off-grid house, US marshals cut power and phone.
Squatter wins millions
Squatter wins deeds to plot of land on London’s Hampstead Heath worth
Prince Charles’s eco-B&B
Prince Charles announces he wants to build an eco-B&B. If plans go ahead, the residence will be the first royal home to take paying guests
Solar powered hydrogen production
PV to Hydrogen Apart from saving resources, using solar energy instead of power from portable generators like diesel generators. Yamaha generators or Honda generators, for
Geodesic Blue dome
Christopher Blue�s music career has taken him from working with John Cale to fronting his own raging band �10 Minute Warning�- alongside Duff McKagan, fresh off the ultimate in balls-out rock and roll trips, Guns N’ Roses. It�s no wonder he�s chosen an off-grid place to help him unwind and get away from the hectic Seattle music scene.
Coastal Access for All
New rules proposed by the UK government mean we may soon be able to walk the whole outline of the British Isle unimpeded by pesky �keep out� signs � but don’t count on it. The big landowners are opposing the move – write to DEFRA to voice your support. Currently, the public has access to only half of the country’s coastline, and despite a popular misconception – none at all to most beaches.
Live free – in a cave
looking for an off-grid hidey-hole? You couldn�t do better than a cave. There are hundreds to choose from, all empty, and a new acaemic study lists them all with notes about what makes the most attractive living conditions.
No More Excuses for Gore
Al Gore has been under attack ever since the release of his documentary �An Inconvenient Truth� for allegedly not practicing what he preaches. Most notably, his frequent flying and lavish energy-guzzling home were revealed to be causing the environment a whole lot of damage.
But, Gore has had some vindication lately. It seems that zoning laws have prevented the former presidential candidate (and some suspect potential candidate for 2008 despite his denials) from installing solar panels on his roof.
Half-price Solar Panels – Colorado
Residents in Colorado are getting around 50% back on their solar installation spending � all thanks to renewable energy incentives offered by Colorado utility companies. In 2004, Colorado voters passed Amendment 37, requiring large utility companies to get 10% of their energy from renewable sources. As a result, Xcel created the Solar Rewards program, offering an up-front rebate for homeowners wanting to install solar systems.
Branson’s New Toy
Richard Branson�s got himself another island to do with as he pleases. Branson wants his latest purchase to serve as an eco-friendly example to the rest of the resorts out there. Conventional cars will be banned although there may be small electric buggies to ferry visitors around. Homes will be built Balinese-style from sustainable materials. Branson is already installing wind and wave turbines and solar panels on Necker, which is used as a hideaway by celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Annie Lennox.
Hurley’s Organic Ambitions
After announcing she was quitting acting and settling down, Elizabeth Hurley has been true to her word. She wed Arun Nayar at the start of March, and now plans to settle on an organic farm.
High-tech sustainable house
A house being built at Florida State University incorporates hydrogen, solar and fuel cell technology and is set to be wholly off-grid.
Room at the top
Each day carpenter and aspiring writer Salim Hossen Gaus, aged 25, winches himself 30 metres (100 feet) in a precarious home-made pulley to a small wooden platform he has built at the top of a palm tree.
Rural phone technology options
Being off the power grid generally also means that we are off the telephone grid. In my way of thinking, lack of phone is a
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
Amazingly, given his oil industry links, George W. Bush�s Texas ranch boasts a range of eco-features including geothermal heating and cooling, that would make Leonardo di Caprio proud. The passive-solar house is positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls. Full description of all eco-features and analysis of why the oilman bothers.
I Want One of Those
You can take it anywhere Competing teams around the world are working on mobile off-grid pods that can be plonked down anywhere to become comfortable
Families wanted for tiny islands
remote real estate, island home, island dwelling, cheap home,
Green Mortgages – ethical living
ecological loans, eco mortgages, green loans, green mortgage,
Rolling Stones beach hit
Like a Rolling Sloane Rolling Stone Keith Richards spends most of his time in Connecticut, but now he has bought himself a disconnecti-hut a beach
Campaign for Off-Grid planning permission
Charlie Luxton, planning permission, campaign,
Property bargain in UK beauty spot
Today programme, Allender, David Allender, off-grid house, Bolton Abbey,
BusinessWeek goes off-grid
off the grid, Albuquerque, Forest City, Albert Ratner, Peter Calthorpe, Mesa de Sol, housing developments, new mexico,
Buying an off-grid property over the Web
East Texas, real estate, buy land, buy woodland, survival, Ray Mears, buy property,
Land boom in the boondocks
Swift , Swift Cove, Marble Creek Estates, Swift View, residential real estate, Forest Service Road, Fruit Growers Supply, Skamania County, Washington Growth Management Act, Oregon,
Self build homes
Self build home, Long Sutton, Jerry Harrall, earth-sheltered, Sustainable Ecological Architecture,
Ben Law’s Woodland House
Ben Law, Woodland Way, Woodland House, Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud,
International Space Station
outer space, space, underwater, living in space, NASA,International Space Station, Biomass Production System,
The Green Dream
tree-house, tree house, arboratory, thetford forest, Alex Shirley-Smith,
The Woodland House
Ben LAw, Woodland Way, Ecohouse, Woodland House, permaculture, living in the woods,
Right to Roam the UK Wilderness
The Wilderness belongs to us now The Ramblers Association will be leading five huge guided walks next weekend to take advantage of new rights of
Biofuel Wars
Maria Alovert aka Girl Mark Josh Tickell vs Maria Alovert – with thanks to Maxim Online In the blue corner: Josh Tickell, has been featured
London building claims zero fossil energy
No power bills here, dear A property developer has launched an energy self sufficient block of flats in London. Yorklake Homes said the four flats
Remote Scottish eco-project
Utterly remote Wildlife millionaire Paul Lister bought the Alladale Highland Wilderness Reserve after a 10 year search. He was looking for somewhere isolated, private and
Self-builders need lots of friends This comprehensive guide to building your own home is written by someone who has actually done it. All the pitfalls