Off the Grid Sustainable Housing Options

Case Study #2: Off Grid Housing - Luet House- Yukon, Canada

Joel and Trish Luet lived in a trailer with no electricity, no running water, and only a small woodstove. They started out using

candles and propane lights, then progressed to a small photovoltaic system with two solar panels and four golf cart

batteries that powered a few DC lights, a stereo and a radiophone. The system had a 2200 watt generator as backup.

Trish and Joel enjoyed producing their own power, so when they built their new home they decided to stay off the grid and

used many of the principles of integrated design when they planned and built their home and its heating and electrical

systems. The home was designed and constructed to be energy efficient and to minimize the impact on the environment

by reducing the embodied energy (the energy used to produce the materials) in the construction of it. The result is a very

energy efficient home that is completely powered by renewable energy for nine months of the year..

Its rectangular design, maximizes southerly exposure for passive solar heating and allows the low winter sun to penetrate

all the way to the back wall. Its open concept floor plan simplifies heating and cooling systems and will be easy to modify to

accommodate future lifestyle changes. The enclosing walls were constructed with Larsen trusses, which use approximately

50 percent less wood than a standard wood frame house and significantly reduce thermal bridging.

The metal roof was chosen for its ease of installation, durability, fire resistance and ability to be recycled at the end of its life. Energy efficient windows were a high priority. They are primarily triple-glazed and there are a minimum number of windows on the north side of the house.

The primary heat source is locally harvested wood burned soapstone masonry heater. The woodstove uses about 50 percent less wood and burns cleaner. Cooking is performed on a Heartland Oval wood cook stove which also provides supplementary space heating and increases the versatility of the home heating system. A propane two-burner cook top is used for smaller cooking jobs. Their Bosch on-demand propane water heater is 30 percent more efficient than a conventional hot water tank. Electricity is primarily generated by an eight-panel, 680 watt photovoltaic array and stored in a battery bank of six, two volt Surrette batteries with a capacity of 1575 amp hours. A Trace SW2512 inverter converts the stored electricity into 120 volt household power. This system provides 100 percent of the electricity used from February through mid-November. A 3500 watt gasoline generator provides back-up power and is only required from mid-November to the end of January, for about four hours per week. he design is a success as its carbon neutral and uses less than 50 percent energy than a traditional house.

Case Study for Off-Grid Living #3 Porter Cabin, Maine.The Alex Porter Family built this tiny off-grid retreat on a coastal island in Maine and is almost entirely self-sufficient. The project features a shed roof and is wrapped in a distinctive blue-grey corrugated skin. The home is the only solar-powered retreat on the isolated island and makes life a lot more leisurely, as the family does not need to continually get fuel to run a noisy generator.

The house is situated on a tiny sleeve of rock tucked close to the water. The sturdy steel cladding was chosen as the northern squall in Maine can be relentless. The cabin has a series of rolling storm panels that ward off the elements. When the sun shines, a small solar-electric panel mounted to the southern facing roof feeds 12v DC to the batteries, which in turn powers lights, a Refrigerator, and a small water pump. A large rainwater catchment tank provides more than enough water for the home, and a small on-demand water heater supplies an outdoor shower and the sink.

The remote location of the property and the site’s lack of power, the design made careful use of all materials so that everything is spaced on 24-inch centers. Most of the finishing materials were sourced locally and floated in. A composting toilet is provided for the home transforming the waste into fertilizer. The design is a transparent example of how well off-grid living can work, and how we can live in nature without polluting it (See Image for Cabin below)

Case Study for Off-Grid Living #4: Galisteo Basin Preserve

The Galisteo Basin Preserve is a development of off-grid homes living in harmony with nature without sacrificing their needs. The project is designed to integrate with the existing habitat, with 96% of the acreage set aside for open space—both public and private—and all development held to strict requirements for conservation and sustainability designed to foster a community steeped in its surroundings.

The Preserve will consist of a central mixed-use village, two conservation neighborhoods, and five off-grid homes on vast, but undivided, acreage. Land and homes face strict covenants as to development and conservation.

The development centers around The Village, 300 acres of walkable, mixed-income neighborhoods with 965 single-family and multifamily homes. Paths and parks connect the neighborhoods to commercial and community features, including retail space, an education center, and the greater Preserve itself. Outside the Village are the 20-home New Moon Overlook and 22-home Southern Crescent conservation neighborhoods. The master plan for the community support a combined purpose of environmental sensitivity while attending to the needs of the community, including those of interaction, supporting mixed incomes, and a physical integration with the landscape. Neighborhoods are planned to be responsive to the topography so as to eliminate grading; what’s more, says Whitehurst, hills, knolls, ridges, and the like foster a better connection between residents and the place they live.

This is the first home in the Galisteo Basin Preserve conservation community designed to be totally off grid. with solar collectors and battery and propane generator for electricity and power. Water is through a community built well and septic system.