3 ms·

I'm 34 and am working towards being grid-independent because the cost exceeds the value.

• PaulDavisThe1st 5y ago
  As I've described here (comment in thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30195830 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30195830 ), it would be essentially absurd to try to go fully offgrid in our home here near Santa Fe. Note that I define full offgrid as "not burning wood to supplement electricity usage for heat", which may differ from your view.
  • zbrozek 5y ago
    It's a lot easier for me than for you. I'm in the SF Bay Area, so my climate is milder on both extremes. Also I'm DIYing everything and scavenging discarded stuff where I can, so my costs are abnormally low. When all is said and done I'll have ~40-50 KWh of storage and a 20 KWp solar array for <$20k. And my cost of electricity is probably far higher than yours, so I have more incentive. When I think of grid independence, I mean the electric grid. I'm keeping an existing gas-fired heating system in addition to installing a heat pump system. I also have a generator.
    • ed25519FUUU 5y ago
      Have you checked to make sure you can actually disconnect from PG&E? Grid defection is not legal in almost all cities of any size. They make some exceptions for new construction that was never attached to the grid.
      • zbrozek 5y ago
        Luckily I'm not in a city of any size, and my remodel is extensive enough that my town has called in new construction even though it really isn't. But I don't actually care if I disconnect from the grid. I just don't want to pull any watt*hours from it. That's why I call it grid independence rather than off grid.