The one-off guide to building an off-the-grid home
As the world becomes more conscious of the impact of human activities on the environment, several interventions are being made to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and dependence on nonrenewable energy sources and a complete recourse to solar power in our homes is one way to achieve this goal.
Living off the grid can be very demanding, but in the long run, is, however, truly rewarding. Particularly, your outdoor kitchen is a great way to enjoy a dependable and efficient power source for cooking meals and dining in nature without relying on traditional utilities such as electricity and gas. In this guide, we will take you through a thorough overview of all that is involved in building a completely solar-powered home, from ascertaining your energy needs, choosing solar panels and batteries, designing the home for energy efficiency, adhering to certain regulations, and obtaining necessary permits.
In this post, we would like to share details on how to build a completely off-the-grid home.
- Ascertaining Your Energy Needs:
The very first step in building a solar-powered home is to highlight your basic energy consumption rate that will help determine your energy needs. It involves a quick estimate of how much electricity you consume on a daily basis, as well as seasonal variations in energy usage. You can get a sense of your daily energy usage by looking at your monthly energy bills, which should show your average kilowatt-hour (kWh) usage per day.
Talking seasonal variations in energy usage can be difficult to determine, but these variations are great essentials to consider when designing a solar power system.
In most homes, there is a higher level of energy consumption used for heating or cooling in the summer and lower energy consumption in the winter months. To get a hold of your seasonal energy usage, take a careful scan of your historical energy bills or consult with a solar installer for the avoidance of doubts.
Another way to determine your energy needs is by considering a variety of factors like your family size, the appliances and devices you use, and their usage. This is done by bringing the energy consumption of all the appliances and devices in your home to a sum and multiplying that by the number of hours you use them every day.
After you have accurately determined your energy needs, you can then go ahead to design a solar power system that fits those energy needs, by ensuring you provide enough power to meet those needs and reduce your reliance on the grid.
Every solar power system needs a solar panel to draw renewable energy from the sun to function. Solar panels are what convert sunlight into electricity to be used in your home.
The two main varieties of solar panels are monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are known for their high-efficiency rate of around 20% but turn out to be the most expensive solar panels available on the market.
In choosing solar panels, it’s important to consider both efficiency and cost and your basic energy consumption rate.
The batteries on the other hand are needed to store the energy generated by the solar panels and they come in handy at night or during cloudy/rainy days when there is a limited production of solar.
With the variety of battery types available on the market, it’s important to do your research on the advantages and disadvantages of the types of batteries before making a decision.
Lead-acid batteries bags higher patronage in solar power systems because they are relatively affordable and maintain a clean record of reliability despite their heavy weight and much demand for regular maintenance.
Lithium-ion batteries are a newer technology that possesses several advantages over lead-acid batteries. They are lighter, more compact, and require less maintenance. They also have a longer lifespan and can be charged and discharged more quickly. However, they are more expensive than lead-acid batteries.
Flow batteries are the most expensive and newer type of battery with higher efficiency, larger energy storage capacity with a longer lifespan that gives them a unique edge over lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
Before selecting batteries for your solar power system, your major focus should be on the lifespan, maintenance requirements, and efficiency of the battery you choose to purchase. We have the best efficient solar panels and battery collections, you can check them out.
- Design Your Home for Energy Efficiency:
Aside from ascertaining your energy needs, another important factor to take into consideration when building a solar-powered home is designing your home for energy efficiency.
It’s simply making your home more energy-efficient by reducing the amount of generated energy, which in turn caused a decline in the size and cost of your solar power system.
Here are some energy-efficient design strategies to consider;
Home Layout:
The physical layout and orientation of your home can affect how much sunlight it receives and how well it is ventilated. Design your home to have a classic orientation for solar.
Avoid the shades so you take advantage of natural light and air circulation to reduce your reliance on artificial lighting and air conditioning. Your solar panels need the most sunniest and open space available in your compound. This may require you to trim any trees around your compound that hinders direct contact of sunlight with your solar panels.
Have Eneergy-Efficient Appliances in Your Home:
Choose cooking types of equipment or appliance that are capable of operating with solar-powered systems and consume less energy than their traditional counterparts.
Energy Star-labeled appliances that indicate that they meet energy-efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are the great choice you should opt for.
Insulation and Sealing:
For energy conservation and storage, proper insulation and sealing your home can help reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer which will drastically reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool your home.
- Adhering to Certain Regulations and Obtaining Necessary Permits:
Different states and local jurisdictions have different regulations and codes that must be followed when installing solar panels or building a solar-powered home. To avoid a breach of your state laws and solar system regulations, here are some things to know.
Building Codes and Zoning Regulations:
Building codes are laid out sets of regulations and standards that specify how buildings must be constructed, designed, and maintained. These codes are given to ensure safe, healthy, and energy-efficient buildings.
Be sure to check with your local building department to determine what is required in your area because these codes and regulations vary by location. So you will need to comply with building codes and zoning regulations when constructing a solar-powered home.
Permits:
In some states, before installing a solar panel, you will need to obtain permits to secure a peaceful standing with the state government. If your state falls in these categories, ensure to get a permit from constituted state authorities based on the scope of your project.
Round up
An off-the-grid outdoor home is completely possible and can be built to be functional, eco-friendly, and fun. If you have made up your mind to have your home solar powered, make sure to follow these simple guides and watch how they will surely turn out to give your home a facelift and a uniquely perfect feel.