Posts from — July 2009

MS Technology head, Sam Shaw Morgan Stanley bank has unveiled a plan to build a colossal $400m UK-based onshore but off-grid data centre powered by tidal energy. In one of the most ambitious examples of this type of emerging activity Morgan Stanley is exploiting their infrastructure and project-finance capability to promote generation projects that will directly serve its own immediate operational needs.

Working with Atlantis Resources Corporation, a developer of tidal current turbines in which the bank owns a majority stake, Morgan Stanley proposes to install an array of tidal turbines in Scottish waters, marking the largest tidal energy project globally. (more…)

Sun Stations

Off-grid equipment has until very recently been focussed largely on devices for individual homes. But increasingly companies are offering technology aimed at off-grid communities. Here are three new devices designed to help small communities, hamlets and villages sustain themselves free of mains services. (more…)

I notice all of the ready made, easy to use, premixed, God only knows what is in it foods and drinks. There probably isn’t anything wrong with it, until you begin to read the fine print on the ingredient lists. One thing I have noticed lately is all the “healthier” juice drinks and teas that are hitting the shelf at your local stores. (more…)

Make a house a green home The American Clean Energy and Security Act is best known for its controversial “cap-and-trade” carbon emissions program, but the bill also contains an entire subsection devoted to creating incentives for consumers and federal agencies to build and finance more energy-efficient dwellings.

Under the Bill, State governments would be required to ensure that homeowners whose energy technologies allowed them to become  independent of utility companies for their power are not denied property hazard coverage by insurance companies. (more…)

Alternet produced this handy guide to keeping your water off the grid. (more…)

Retained Heat CookingHave you heard about hot box, hay box or cook box cooking? It’s the new-old way to cook that saves energy, improves flavor and increases the nutrition in your food, and frees up your time. All you do is heat up your food to boiling then retain that heat by insulating the hot pot of food until the cooking process is completed. (more…)

Sorry the hardest word.

The United States has for the first time accepted responsibility for its contribution to global warming, but her Indian hosts are unlikely to be impressed with the way US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton couched her statement.

In an attempt to encourage developing nations to cut their carbon emissions,  Clinton warned an audience in Mumbai last week not to make the same environmental mistakes the developing world has made. (more…)

Philosophy of Off Off-Grid We are pleased to welcome writer and thinker Michael Bunker to the pages of off-grid.net over the next few weeks.  We are serializing his new book, a work in progress about the theory and practice of off-grid living. (Update 2011 - Buy the book here from Amazon)

There will be a link from this page to each new chapter once it goes live. (more…)

Alive and wellHere is an update on what has been going on in our off grid life. I know I haven’t written in a while, I took a mini-break from blogging and writing, it was something I needed to do, but now I’m back. :) (more…)