Many of us aspire to go out to the countryside and build a house to live on our own. However, we cannot carry on the same wasteful living that we do in cities. No one is coming to pick up our trash in a village nor will anyone supply power to a remote location!
There’s one thing that we all know and should understand in the current situation — our current way of living is unsustainable. Cutting down trees to make furniture or even the fact that the majority of our garbage and waste ends up in landfills doesn’t benefit the environment.
Many people have realized this and are making the change toward a more sustainable way of living. Part of this involves building a sustainable home. If you enjoy nature, then you may also want to choose an off-the-grid location. But before we can find out how to build an off-the-grid sustainable home, let’s learn what a self-sufficient home is.
What Is An Off-the-grid Sustainable Home?
A sustainable home is also known as an ‘earth ship’ among enthusiasts, which means building a home that’s energy-sufficient. A sustainable home centers on the following factors:
- Obtains electricity from solar or wind energy
- Uses natural materials
- Manages waste through reuse or recycling
- Efficient water harvesting through rainwater collection
- Grows food through organic methods without the use of pesticides and herbicides
How To Build A Sustainable Home?
Now that we know what a sustainable home is, let’s now take a look into the process of building one:
Choosing Suitable Design
The most crucial aspect of building an off-grid home is protecting it from natural elements. Off-grid homes should be able to withstand any natural disasters commonly occurring in the area. Further, they need to be impenetrable not just to the elements, but to any animal that will be wandering around.
The design for your self-sufficient home should allow energy-efficiency. This means that if you’re going to use solar power, it should be designed in a way that you can install solar panels and make the most of the sunlight. One option is you could set the house in the east-west direction, which means that the roof–where you would install the solar panels–is facing the sun during the daytime. Simply put, it should make the most of the insulation and warmth from the sun.
Choosing the Right Location
If you love being around nature and sharing your space with the animals and being part of the wild, then you’ll love this part. When building an off-the-grid home, it’s important to find a location that’s free of human interference. This means that there are no existing electric lines or other development.
Sustainable and Renewable Energy
Off-the-grid sustainable homes need to focus on using as much sustainable energy as possible. Two of the main sources include the sun and the wind. However, some homes, depending on their location close to a water body, can also use hydropower. This emphasizes the need to take the environment into consideration and work with it rather than against it. If, for instance, the area you chose is windy, you could make use of wind energy. You could also go for a solar-wind hybrid power if your budget permits.
Going Solar
Solar energy is a major aspect of eco-friendly homes. This is because it’s usually sufficient during the warm summer months and can be used to warm the house during the cold months as well. But you may wonder how many solar panels do I need. This depends on the size of your home and your energy requirements.
Since the house needs to be energy-efficient, you may need to consider the direction as going solar could cause the house to overheat during the summer months and remain too cold during the winter. Choosing the opposite direction to the sun can help deal with this problem. You could also consider insulation for trapping heat during the cold seasons.
Growing Own Food
Since being off-the-grid will require you to grow your own food, the best way that you can achieve this is by using organic methods and permaculture. This means that you won’t use pesticides and harmful chemicals to grow your food in a more sustainable and natural way.
Simple Construction
You need to use local materials that is easily found in your area, such as rocks for building the walls of the house or bamboo for reinforcement. You could also use recycled wood to make the roof. In some cases, people may use old tires and glass to make the walls. Sometimes, you may decide to construct your house yourself instead of bringing in an expert. Then it’s advisable to use simple designs that are easy to install. That said, even with the services of an expert, a simple design is one way to ensure that your mind is free whenever you’re in your off-the-grid home. Simplicity is a great way to promote relaxation and ease away any complexities in your life.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve always wanted to go off-grid and spend your time amidst nature and wildlife, building an eco-friendly, energy-efficient home is a great idea. Hope these tips will help you create the ideal off-the-grid sustainable home for you.