People, places or buildings without mains water or power
 
Subscribe to RSS feed


HomeShopDiscussArchive by month (by subject at end of page)RelaxClassifiedsLogin

Off-Grid home wins Grand Designs vote

Section: — by Nick Rosen, 14 May
Rachel Shiamh
Shiamh - not a fan of McCloud

Grand Designs is a hugely influential UK TV series which has shaped the way the Brits think about architecture. It is fronted by posh, pin striped ex private schoolboy turned property developer Kevin McCloud – a man who is less interested in architecture than might appear.

Everything about Grand Designs has to centre around Kevin and his very grand ego. And that includes the awards for this year’s winning houses in the Grand Designs competition.

It was not just McCloud’s ego that was bruised by the awards ceremony.

The closing sequence featured McCloud on glass ramp as a Land Rover drove towards him. But each time the sequence was filmed McCloud fell off.
>>Keep reading “Off-Grid home wins Grand Designs vote”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

Energy From Dirt

Section: — by veg-head, 12 May
Van Vuuren - new black gold

ACCRA 11 May

You’ve heard of solar power and wind power. Now, you might start hearing about soil power.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that make use of the energy given off by soil microbes are amongst the technologies that hold promise for bringing power to developing states, where electricity is often scarce.
>>Keep reading “Energy From Dirt”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

Take a swim on the wild side

Section: — by Katie, 07 May
Daniel Start goes wild

Britain’s freshwater rivers, lakes and waterfalls are cleaner, safer and more accessible than at any time in living memory.

To celebrate, photographer and travel writer Daniel Start has set out to find Britain’s 150 favourite swimming holes in a new photo-guide book Wild Swimming: 150 Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain. There are sections on skinny dipping, waterfalls, wild swimming with children, canoe camping,raft making and riverside wildlife too You can find an interactive map, plus guidance and articles,
>>Keep reading “Take a swim on the wild side”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

Oil heads for $150

Section: — by SuperJoe, 06 May
Pump my ride

The cumulative effects of higher oil prices, higher food prices and the credit crunch are only just beginning to be felt. Now it seems certain oil will go to $150 a barrel before the end of the summer, and that will be the real crunch.

Higher oil will mean even higher food prices, and of course higher energy prices at home and at work. Solar panel prices are set to collapse, but not yet. We are set for a year of living dangerously.
>>Keep reading “Oil heads for $150″

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

I live in my car

Section: — by SuperJoe, 23 Apr

Jassen Bowman could live pretty well anywhere he wanted - here he explains why he decided to live full-time in his car:

Jassen: in-car hero

As I sat across the breakfast bar from this lovely young couple in their beautiful, meticulously ordered home, they told me they were finally going to be able to build their dream home in the country. And I was going to be part of that process for them, in my small way, by helping them sell there current home in the suburbs. As I filled in blanks spaces on the listing agreement, I casually asked them about their new home.

“Oh, it’s going to be great. We’ll have huge south facing windows, and we’ll be on 5 acres in the foothills…”

It sounded like a dream in so many respects. Their two young daughters would be in a better school district, their dog would have more room to roam outside, and they could enjoy the quick access to the mountains for all their outdoor pleasures.
>>Keep reading “I live in my car”

Your Comments: 2
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

The great housing swindle

Section: — by Lindsay, 14 Apr
One day all this will be siezed

Steve James (pictured) is a tireless campaigner for the right to live off-grid. Because he wanted others to learn from his experience of building an off-grid cottage, his own home is now under threat from the planners. Here he tells his own story: You can learn more about Steve at his web site.

>>Keep reading “The great housing swindle”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

Geothermal - heating from the earth

Section: — by techstar, 01 Feb
How it works

What better way to be warm in your off-grid haven then to let the Earth’s own temperature do the work for you? Around 40,000 geothermal heat pumps are installed in the United States each year, and although they do need electricity to suck the heat out of the ground they give back four times what you put in.
Geothermal, GeoExchange, earth-coupled, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps all use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature.
>>Keep reading “Geothermal - heating from the earth”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

Bio Town USA

Section: — by veg-head, 14 May
Piggy Power

Legion Field, Indiana – for CBS News

Indiana’s seven ethanol plants and a fledgling wind power program are a pathetic response to the risks of climate change. But you can’t say the same for the small town of Reynolds, Ind.
>>Keep reading “Bio Town USA”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon

Down to Earth

Section: — by Katie, 11 May
Ecomagination for all

Evelien Matthijssen went on a skill-sharing weekend for system shifters who want to experience the future (and help bring it about).

Ardennes Belgium, 25-27 April 2008
>>Keep reading “Down to Earth”

Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Digg  Del.icio.us  StumbleUpon


  • TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF OFF-GRID.NET

    1. Have you visited this site before?
    2. Would you recommend it to a friend?
    3.