Building ideas for off grid

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Dr. Jenner,
If you need a Nurse/Corpsman/Medic on staff if the SHTF or TEOTWAWKI, I would be there!!!
Best of luck with moving forward, looks amazing.
Erqueen75:USA:
 
Dr. Jenner,
If you need a Nurse/Corpsman/Medic on staff if the SHTF or TEOTWAWKI, I would be there!!!
Best of luck with moving forward, looks amazing.
Erqueen75:USA:
You always have a place!
 
This is what I have so far
Running through potential options.
most concerned about defensive positions we can take- will admit I’m ignorant on that.
Edited to add: the cow pasture wetlands area is the southern exposure so I wanted the greenhouse with the best exposure possible. Also trying to utilize passive solar with windows on the south facing exterior of the home
0ACDFC57-CB0A-4013-BA2E-CA4FFCC931E7.jpeg
 
Dr. Jenner, it looks like paradise. But "I don't mind maintenance" worries me a bit. As you get older you will mind maintenance, especially snow removal. I once asked a realtor why people in a given area were selling their property (which looked good to me). The realtor said "age", they just get tired of maintenance. I asked him at what age this becomes a problem, he thought a moment and said 77.
Why there is so many snow bunnies that want to move to Florida and even see them here in Texas.
 
Tonight was the first time I actually got to see the link you provided. I love the long dining room and book shelf storage area. I would probably be showcasing home canned goods instead of books though.
You have a spacious kitchen from what I can see, but if you plan on growing your own to preserve, it probably wont be enough.
 
This is what I have so far
Running through potential options.
most concerned about defensive positions we can take- will admit I’m ignorant on that.
Edited to add: the cow pasture wetlands area is the southern exposure so I wanted the greenhouse with the best exposure possible. Also trying to utilize passive solar with windows on the south facing exterior of the home View attachment 14293
Garden probably should be a lot bigger if you are trying to live off grid as in live off what you can grow and raise. And where is your milking area/parlor? I have seen very rustic to very sophisticated.
 
Garden probably should be a lot bigger if you are trying to live off grid as in live off what you can grow and raise. And where is your milking area/parlor? I have seen very rustic to very sophisticated.
Oh thanks for that idea!
The cow pasture belongs to our neighbor to the south, has a ranch. Hoping to meet up with him and work out trades as the wetlands area we own- he grows hay in for the cows.
 
Oh thanks for that idea!
The cow pasture belongs to our neighbor to the south, has a ranch. Hoping to meet up with him and work out trades as the wetlands area we own- he grows hay in for the cows.
With you having 45 acres, your neighbor is a great backup for hay and as a cow pasture. If you are wanting to have your own cow, you will need to put up fencing on your own property. I would never "trust" a neighbor unless I have personalty known them for years.
 
Just one note... for the best solar off grid chargers and inverters... use Victron. You have to build a proper insulated room and use LiFePo4 prismatic cell batteries... currently they last the longest at upto 6000+ cycles. Dont put solar panels on the/a roof...
 
The plastic containers can and do burn. While AGM's do off-gas less than flooded's they do off gas and they do dry out.
I have been running AGMs in cars and in a battery bank for a number of years. In cars, they can definitely get hot and dry out. I had one that lasted less than a year in my truck. But inside in a controlled temperature environment, with the proper charger/maintainer, they don't ever get hot, or even warm. I haven't lost one yet in my indoor battery bank, and they all are waaaaaaay past their "expiration dates." They are never run or charged at more than a small fraction of their maximum output, or charging rate, and maintained on their optimum float voltage when not in use.
 
This is what I have so far
Running through potential options.
most concerned about defensive positions we can take- will admit I’m ignorant on that.
Edited to add: the cow pasture wetlands area is the southern exposure so I wanted the greenhouse with the best exposure possible. Also trying to utilize passive solar with windows on the south facing exterior of the home View attachment 14293
Do you get much snow at your new location? If you do you should take in to account that every building will need to be cleared of snow. By plowing, snow blowing and by shovel. I'd recommend moving your electrical building (battery bank, inverter etc) closer to the house. At least no more than 200-300 feet away. I have 2 mufflers on my Perkins 12 kw diesel generator and I can't hear it running from inside the house.
On Thanksgiving night we were all sitting around the table playing games when the power went out. I went up to the generator shed to check on it and found that the generator battery was dead. I jump started the generator with the truck. Saturday morning my son went to town and bought a new battery, everything works fine again. I love our solar system, just be aware that there will be challenges to keep everything running.
In snow country the closer the buildings are, the easier it is to clear the snow. With that in mind I still have 3+ miles of road to plow. Not only is there roads and trails to plow but you need to have places to put the snow when it gets to 3 feet or more deep.
 
I keep a trickle charger on my big generator always. The small generator is rarely used and will at least keep the heat tape on if it gets way below zero F
.Yes I live on the grid, But will not suffer if the power goes off. I think propane is a good choice. Larger tanks are better. (I don't sell them) But if you have high draw The lower part of the tank may cool so much that you have a serious pressure problem. At least in Montana. As ACdude says it is important to be able to get to your out buildings. Warm weather preppers may not understand this but the cold is actually a shield.
 
We get a fair amount of snow, more than I get where I’m at now.
That’s great advice thank you!
 
@Arcticdude would be interested to see what you think about this system
I like the idea of hybrid as we plan to put in 2 windmills also.
https://shopsolarkits.com/products/...dcpGwGc5DmY7ZE=.Ne7qiw&variant=39583507382412
That looks like a nice kit, and about the same output as mine. I'm not familiar with the brand though. I'd recommend getting a solar tracker too. It should increase your solar collection by about 30%. My system is inadequate during winter and so my generator runs more than I'd like it to. On a 12 month average the generator runs just under 4 hours per day. I plan to add a wind generator and another 4 or 5 solar panels.
What kind of generator will you be using? Are you going to add an auto start? I'm using a 12kw Perkins diesel. Its plumbed to a 55 gallon "day" tank, which I can fill from a 350 bulk tank that sits just outside the building.
 
Are wind generators/turbines still commonly used? I was talking to a Marine buddy and he said they're too expensive for what they generate, at least as far as home or residential use. He recommended 100% solar, but I know the tech is constantly changing and it's possible he's out of the loop on latest wind turbine tech.

That looks like a nice kit, and about the same output as mine. I'm not familiar with the brand though. I'd recommend getting a solar tracker too. It should increase your solar collection by about 30%. My system is inadequate during winter and so my generator runs more than I'd like it to. On a 12 month average the generator runs just under 4 hours per day. I plan to add a wind generator and another 4 or 5 solar panels.
What kind of generator will you be using? Are you going to add an auto start? I'm using a 12kw Perkins diesel. Its plumbed to a 55 gallon "day" tank, which I can fill from a 350 bulk tank that sits just outside the building.
 

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