Tabitha Shearin

Debra Dagher
UWRT 1102
4 April 2015
An Off-Grid Study

As humans become more and more dependent on technology, imports, and the government; three
families, a family of one, four, and six; have decided to set out and create their own homesteads
in which to live sustainably and free of economic connections with the outside world. All three
families have moved onto land bought in full or passed down to them, previously owned by other
family members. None of the families use electricity provided by a company and have wells as
their main water supply. In moving off grid, these families are seeking the answer to the
question, is it beneficial, overall, to live off grid, as opposed to traditional on grid living?
To begin their transition, they must first establish what it means to be on grid. They look at it
like this: on grid is the societal and economic link that connects a family, or person, and their
home to companies, government agencies, and the direct community. People who live on grid
can be literally mapped within a tight district and share the same source or electricity, water,
trash collection, etc.
Many families, like these, choose to go off-grid in search for freedom from society,
disaster preparation, or personal choice. Because this is a fairly new lifestyle choice; some may
even define as a fad, there is not a lot of research backing statistics and topics specific to this
question. It is people like these families, that are setting forth in the technological era to
experience life as it was only a little over one hundred years ago. With their knowledge and skills
gained people like them could be the answer to our main question.

Despite a lack of research, there are many viable organizations, companies, and people
who have invested their time and money into answering the smaller questions that encompass: is
there a benefit, overall, to living off the grid?
Economically, there is very little argument that can stand ground against off grid living being
more beneficial than on grid living. With the ever-improving manufacturing of sustainable
energy systems, things that harness solar, wind, hydro, etc, power; prices for materials and startup are decreasing while productivity is increasing (Off-grid calculator). This means it is
becoming more and more affordable for the average citizen to afford powerful sustainable energy
harnessing systems.
A great example of cost effectiveness comes from Wholesale Solar who has created a calculator
to help people and families determine the approximate number of solar panels they would need;
our six person family would need about 48 solar panels to produce 100% of their energy, our
four person family would need about 36, and our one person family would need just 28 (figures
assuming they all live in the same location) (Off-grid calculator). For each family respectively,
they will be paying $28,500, 18,2000, $17,000. That may seem like a lot but when you look at
US energy statistics, you will note that our three families spend between $1,080 and $1,920 a
year on energy bills. Once we subtract local and federal government discounts and incentives,
these families could come out only paying 50% of the cost (solar energy tax credit)! Looking at it
that way, if their loans are over a ten year span the biggest family would be paying
approximately $1425 a year for a solar PV system, a savings of $500. Once the system is paid
off, the cost of energy is free.
Besides energy, many other factors play into the economics of a home. Food, miscellaneous bills,
recreation, and resources all can drain a bank account quicker than energy. Keeping in mind

medical bills, recreational activities, and necessities that cannot be made at home cannot be
avoided, off-grid people and families save a significant amount of money on food by producing
their own. They also tend to have much more resources available, more readily, than traditional
on grid people.
The second factor looked at to determine whether or not off-grid living has any benefit over ongrid living was preparedness. Some off-grid people are what todays society calls preppers;
these are people who live an off-grid lifestyle because they believe they are preparing for a
social, natural, or even planetary, disaster. Many of them have bunkers, armories, and vehicles
for when these disasters occur. Although prepping is not the same as off-grid living, resources
created by these people can be used to assess the level of preparedness the average family, both
on and off grid, would be in the event of a disaster. Comparing the resources, deemed appropriate
for living after a disaster by the prepper community, it was clear that off-grid people would be far
more efficient and prepared for survival than on-grid people. The Survival Food Pyramid dictates
that in the worst case scenario, one would need seeds, a water source with filtration, bulk staple
foods, a large source of fuel, access to hunting (
In regards to our three families, they would have a ready supply of these resources because, most
of them, they use daily. For a typical suburban or urban family, they would very unlikely have
access to running natural water and hunting area. They may have the resources to garden to some
capacity but they would likely still need to buy or find seeds after the disaster has already
occurred.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Federal Emergency Management Agency created a
campaign called Ready which shows people the necessities for certain situations and what should
make up the ready kit in ones household. As a government run website, this is something the

American public would be immediately directed to in the event of a catastrophe; therefore it

should be reliable. The items in the ready kit include water, a three day food supply for each
person, a battery powered radio, extra batteries, a flashlight, first aid kit, whistle, dust mask,
personal sanitation supplies, wrench, can opener, maps, cell phone and charger, medications,
documents, cash, sleeping bags, clothing, and a several other items (Basic Disaster). Overall, The
Federal Emergency Management Agencys preparation list is thorough but does not clearly
determine that off-grid homesteaders are any more prepared than on-grid livers. Although there
are several items off-grid homesteaders are more likely to have because of tasks and problems
on-grid people would not experience, they do not have a large percentage of more preparedness
according to this list. The idea of determining whether one group of people is more of anything
than another is always subjective. Because of this, the question does not have a definitive answer
but an educated assumption.
The last factor used to determine if off-grid living is more beneficial than on-grid living
was health. To determine this we first must assume that off-grid people grow their own food and
raise their own livestock and do not regularly use pesticides and antibiotics. The University of
Arizona claims there is little to no benefit of eating organic food vs. conventional store bought
food, despite organic food being 30% less likely to have contaminates from pesticides, etc. This
study was only done in regards to vegetables. According to their research, there is no nutritional
difference at all between organically grown and conventionally grown vegetables. It also claims
that, according to studies, there is no taste or quality difference between organic and
conventional foods; this still seems debatable.
Despite this study, GMOs are still a major concern amongst American society today. The
Institute of Responsible Technology has an article on their website titled 65 Health Risks of GM

Foods which extensively details the process and results of eating GM foods, tested on rats and
other animals, many of them farm animals. This research sheds a light on the effects these GMOs
could have on humans and could very potentially have on the livestock on farm. Because of their
research, and the contradictions made by the University of Arizona, it is confusing to understand
which types of foods are healthier. Chalking this up to a lack of extensive research, the concern
of health will be geared toward other health concerns and benefits. One example is air quality;
one cannot argue that a person living in an average sized city would have poorer air quality than
a person living on a homestead. Another health concern, one may not immediately associate with
off-grid living, is obesity. Looking at our family units, all of these individuals would have jobs
and responsibilities on a day to day basis that help provide for themselves and others. Many of
these tasks are labor intensive and could even require two or more people. Traditional on grid
people do not have the responsibility of providing their own food and resources and many even
employ companies to do their basic tasks for them. Because of this, on-grid people are much
more dependent, sedentary, and under active. These qualities can lead to obesity related illnesses
and death.
Overall, living off-grid proves to be slightly more beneficial than on-grid living.
Financially, it is very cost effective overall, but start up costs are higher than one could normally
pay out of pocket for. Based on preparedness for disaster situations, off-grid homesteaders are
more aware, stocked, and self sufficient than traditional on-grid people, but when it comes to
short term survival, both would assumingly thrive. Health wise, on grid living introduces people
to an array of genetically modified foods, pollutions, and other health risks that can contribute to
a shorter lifespan and poorer health. Off-grid families have a better chance of being fit, having
better overall health, and avoiding certain diseases and illnesses. Despite all the evidence, there

is much more to be compared and analyzed to properly determine whether there are significant
benefits to living an off-grid lifestyle. The only real way to determine it for sure would be to set
off and live it for yourself.

Works Cited
"Basic Disaster Supplies Kit." Basic Disaster Supplies Kit. N.p., 10 June 2014. Web. 17
Apr. 2015.
Off-Grid Solar System Calculator." Off-Grid Solar System Calculator. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.

Solar Energy Tax Credit & Rebates for Solar Panels | SolarCity." Solar Panels, Solar Tax
Credit & Rebates. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
Wind Power Your Home | Wind Energy Foundation." Wind Power Your Home | Wind
Energy Foundation. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.