Best Off-Grid Power Options for a Remote Home

Living in a remote location can allow you to be closer to nature and get away from the hustle and bustle of more crowded, urban areas. However, isolated living has its drawbacks as well. One of those challenges is getting power to your home. In some cases, you might be able to pay to have grid power run out to your isolated home, but this often comes at a high cost and won’t be available in all areas. Instead, you’ll need to find an off-grid power option to generate electricity for your home. What are the best ways to power a home off the grid? Keep reading to find out.

Micro-Hydro

Micro-hydro electricity uses the movement of water to generate power for your home. One of the biggest benefits of micro-hydro power is that it is consistent. So long as the water source exists, you’ll be able to draw power from its flow. Of course, the big drawback here is that not every off-grid home is going to be conveniently located close to a flowing water source. While isolated homes and cabins do need to have a water source nearby, these water sources are often wells, rather than flowing rivers.

If you do have a house or cabin near a river, you will need to have it surveyed to ensure it’s a viable energy source. The truth is, not every source of flowing water will do. The river needs to have sufficient water volume and enough “head” (distance the water descends vertically over a given horizontal distance) to provide a meaningful source of power. Unfortunately, most water sources won’t meet those requirements, but if you’re lucky enough to live beside a water source that meets the requirements, you can have a source of constant power that provides the largest amount of energy per dollar invested.

Wind

People have been harnessing wind power for thousands of years. While initially used to turn grinding stones in a mill, wind power is now widely used to generate electricity. Enormous wind turbines can be found all over the country, providing power to entire cities—and they can be used to power a remote home. Of course, you won’t need a turbine as large as those found on massive wind farms, but you will need a large, open space with sufficient wind flowing through it on a regular basis. 

One of the biggest problems with wind power is a lack of consistency. Even if you live in a relatively windy area, you won’t have wind at all times. Additionally, the wind needs to be flowing in a consistent direction to generate power; it won’t turn the turbines if it’s swirling aimlessly around. Another drawback of wind power is maintenance. With so many moving parts involved, you will likely need to repair or replace parts regularly on this type of system.

Solar

Solar power is by far the most popular way to power remote homes. Solar power systems are low-maintenance and can be installed virtually anywhere in the country. You don’t need special conditions as you do with wind and micro-hydro power since all you need to generate power is some sunshine. Of course, though the sun may reliably rise and set every day, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get constant power from it. There will be cloudy days when your system won’t generate much power at all; plus, there’s the issue of powering your home at night.

An off-grid solar power system must have a backup power source—and, preferably, it should have two backup power sources. Most off-grid solar users opt for a solar battery bank. A battery bank allows you to store up excess solar energy generated during the day so that you can power your home at night. Your battery bank should be sufficiently sized so that you can meet your power needs for a couple of days with the stored energy. However, should your bank run dry, you’ll want to have a source of emergency power. A diesel-powered generator is usually a good option for this.

Though solar power systems have a high upfront cost associated with them, their reliability, efficiency, and longevity often make them well worth the cost. Most of your solar equipment will last at least ten years, with panels lasting 20 years or more. In terms of proper conditions, all you need to do is make sure your panels are installed in a spot that gets plenty of sunshine and isn’t frequently shaded by nearby trees. This makes it an easy system to fit in on any property, regardless of your location.

The best off-grid power source for your remote home will depend on the property’s features, but generally speaking, a Schneider off-grid solar system is the simplest solution to your power needs.