How Making Your Own Power Empowers You

Kirsten Jacobsen • October 7, 2022

Start to Make your own power to Make your Own POWER!

More than ever it feels like there are so many things that we cannot control.  Pandemics, inflation, civil unrest, war, climate change, it's easy to get overwhelmed.  Sucked into doomscrolling or entertaining ourselves to death as an escape.  Maintaining a positive outlook requires a Herculean effort and reminding ourselves that we should only focus on the things we CAN control. 


One thing we can control is how we get our electricity.  Going off-grid with solar power can provide a sense of independence and security in these unstable times. 


Solar power, generated with PV panels, has been around for decades. President Jimmy Carter had panels on the White House which, sadly but unsurprisingly, Ronald Regan had removed.  There was a small window of time during the mid-1970s when it seemed that alternative energy and building with concepts like passive solar and thermal mass might have a chance at widespread adoption.  There were problems, though, with early solar systems.  The panels themselves were wildly expensive and the battery technology was not capable of storing large amounts of power for long amounts of time.


Fast forward to the present and solar electric power is cheaper to produce per watt than burning fossil fuels and battery technology is vastly improved and potentially entering a renaissance, in part spurred on by the uptick production of electric vehicles.  Community and large-scale solar projects are being built.  Grid-tied rooftop solar is being incentivized with financing options and tax credits.  A planned neighborhood in Florida made headlines when it took a direct hit from Hurricane Ida but did not lose electricity (like 2 million other people did) because it was powered by 700,000 (!) solar panels in a huge array.



All of this is cause for celebration.  Solar power kicks butt!  Woot!  And yet...we don't think this is the best use of its potential.  Way back when NASA was first putting solar modules on equipment it was shooting into space, their scientists advised the federal government that solar were most efficient when they are used directly on the thing they are powering rather than off in a distant solar farm connected to the grid. 


That's what we're advocating for: having solar panels generating power for your home, BUT not connecting to the grid.  Becoming your own utility company, not beholden to ever-climbing rates, and keeping the lights on (and everything else in your house) when the grid goes down for one of many reasons like extreme weather (cold, heat, wind), wildfires, demand being too high like for AC during a heatwave, computer malfunction, hacking and ransomware attacks, unfortunate animals interacting with it, and on and on...  The grid is fragile, antiquated, and just not modern.  No good reason to keep supporting this system when there's an alternative available that will put the power in your hands, literally.


Advances in battery storage, inverter technology, Energy Star appliances, and LED lighting combined with the exponential drop in cost per watt for PV panels, mean that it is now possible to operate a modern house with high-tech features and conveniences with a home solar system independent of the grid. 


When you produce, store, and use your own electricity you take control of one of your most basic needs.  You are paying for your system upfront but you will never have to pay another electric bill, never bumble around in the dark looking for candles when the power goes out, and never rush to eat all the food in your fridge before it goes bad.  And this one thing leads you to consider the other ways you could become more resilient like collecting your own water and heating your house without fuel. 


So what's the first step to becoming your own power company?  We believe that lightening your power load is important for everyone, even if you are not quite ready to make the switch to solar power.  Switching to LED lighting, getting rid of phantom loads, and improving the thermal efficiency of your home are all great places to start!  For more on how much energy you could save check out our page Lighten Your Power Load.


Stay tuned for more great reasons to go off-grid with power, water, sewage, and thermal comfort!


And if you just can't wait and want to get started learning more today check out our course OFF-GRID JUMPSTART!


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