We recently installed an off-grid system and we talked to the owner about the reasons why they went off grid.
Why go off-grid?
There were two reasons why I wanted to go off grid, firstly to be environmental and renewable energy was big on my mind. The other reason was that my property is on the outskirts of town and it was going to cost a similar amount to get electricity to my property. As there was no grid established I would have had to pay for the electricity connection myself. I would have always gone solar eventually anyway, so I decided to do it now.
What is on your property now?
At the moment there is a shed that I have appliances (lighting, heater, refrigerator) as I often do my work from there. I will be building a small house just so that I can have what I need. The house is with the Architects, the site surveys have been done. So, we are almost ready to start building. It is a specially designed house as I wanted something small and efficient.
What do you mean just what you need?
I don’t believe in excess. I find only having what I need is ecologically sound and that is important to me. I think it is important not to be wasteful, so I will go with just what is needed.
How has having the off-grid system changed your life?
I feel safer with the lighting and other things. It can allow me to use power tools as I now have electricity. I can go to the property and plant trees in anticipation of the house being built.
What was it like dealing with Renewable Power Systems?
Paul wasn’t the cheapest, but I was after quality. I just knew I could trust him. He was genuine and showed a lot of integrity. As I am doing this on my own I really needed someone I could trust. He was very informative and encouraging. He pushed me to find out what I needed and that was great as it led me to understand my energy usage more and that was important. If you know what you use, then you understand your impact more. I felt like I was making an informed choice. I trusted him, and I knew I could rely on him to do the right thing.
How was the install?
It was brilliant! It was installed over a few months and he was perfect in that he was always on time. He explained everything as he went along. He even worked within my schedule, so he worked around my time, not his. Nothing was too hard or impossible, he just got things done.
Being a part of it
Paul even encouraged me to be a part of it. I was very interested in what he was doing so he allowed me to get involved. I helped to create the battery enclosure. I love it. It was what I wanted to do.
What’s next?
Now that I am running a fridge with lights we will be ready for when the builders come. Which is soon, and the best part is that they will have power. When the house is finished I will be totally self-sufficient and that is what I wanted.
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