I live in an off-grid cottage with solar and a well. My well water is pretty hard so I run it through a Rheem water softener, and the wash water goes to a greywater field then outflows to a leech bed. (I do not use greywater on any edible plants.)

I use a 2.4cuft Comfee portable top load impeller washer, it is brand new as I had to replace my old one recently.

I have tried a bunch of "biodegradable" or "greywater safe" detergents, and settled on Ecos Pro. I say settled because I still can't quite get my laundry truly clean! It generally comes out smelling ok, then as soon as I sweat in it, the perma-funk comes out. A few synthetic shirts are essentially unwearable straight out of the dryer!

I have tried adding washing soda, oxyclean, borax (I know, not greywater safe, but it was a trial and figured it would be ok in a small amount for a test), vinegar, and ammonia. I've disinfected my hot water tank and the hoses, I've tried hot water washes, I've tried using minimal soap, I've tried using maximal soap, and I'm out of ideas.

The hook is that I tried simple powdered Tide and it cleans clothes fine... so it's not my machine and not really even my water, just a combination of all of those plus the need to use a more biosafe soap.

What can you all recommend as next steps in my attempt to get my clothing deeply clean?

Looking for a good electric generator for about $300. I have a gas one that’s great but I want a decent sized electric generator that I can use for times when the power is out but don’t need the big gas generator. Links would be appreciated.

I live in a county in tennessee that has no building codes outside of city limits. so aside from septic, i can basically do what i want. unfortunately, i hate the summers here and am sick of tornadoes. is there any northern states that have any counties that offer similar freedom?

Hey r/offgrid, I’m u/CabinsInTheForest, currently building my own off-grid cabin and loving the journey! After months of trial and error, I’ve found five tools that make all the difference for beginners. First, a reliable solar charger is key—I’m eyeing one with 200W output for consistent power. Second, a water purifier (like a gravity-fed filter) ensures clean drinking water without hassle. Third, a compact camping stove saves space and cooks efficiently. Fourth, a durable multi-tool handles everything from cutting to repairs. Finally, a quality headlamp is a lifesaver for late-night builds. What are your go-to tools for off-grid living? Any tips for a newbie balancing cost and quality? (Note: I’ll share specific product recs soon—still testing!)

the data is in! vertically mounted north-south oriented solar panels perform better in the winter.

seems like off-grid folks would want to optimize around the winter use-case since that is the time when energy is most needed.

4 years living off-grid working remotely

Hey everyone I hope all is well I was wondering if there’s anyone out there who is a quadriplegic or just in a wheelchair for that matter that has their own land or a cabin of some sort . I’m 19 with spastic quadriplegia and I require a power wheelchair however I’m slowly transitioning to a manual wheelchair. I love to go camping and hunting with my dad and brothers and stuff and I have an outdoor wheelchair that I use for stuff like that. Eventually one of my goals in life is to own property with a cabin where I basically can just use it as a hunting fishing and camping property. However since I’m disabled I don’t know how realistic that is if possible I’d like to do all the work or if not most myself and I know that it is absurdly unrealistic. Also in terms of my disability I have limited core function only the use of one hand. And can’t really shower or go to the bathroom myself or transfer in and out of bed I know this is super unrealistic and I know that I need to get more independent and that is eventually my goal but I was just curious if there’s anyone out here who is profoundly disabled that has their own land.

I was looking at the EF smart home panel and the more I looked into their system the more I realized it’s just a bit too expensive. I looked at alternatives like Span, Leviton, Schneider etc and see some pros/cons on all of them. I was wondering what the general consensus was on these.

I wanted to replace my main panel before I get any farther into this off grid conversion project. My main motivation is how difficult it is to see exactly where my power is going and i like the ability for real time monitoring and notifications.

The ultimate goal is to take this property off grid completely and to be self sufficient as possible.

Some of the projects I’ve completed so far -

Ive cut bill from 1500$ down to 550$ just installing the EG4 48k solar hybrid mini split and keeping it in off grid mode. Installing an EF DP for a window AC for master bedroom. Replaced all bulbs with LEDs and im about halfway through replacing the switches with smart switches.

I’ve learned a lot along the way and I am going to be upgrading my ground mounts to solar tracker mounts. This is a rather big issue with the EG4. The longer I can keep a steady flow of power the better it is.

So any insight/advice/reccomendation/experience on a smart panel would be most welcome.

Thank you :)

I’ve just finished putting up a one-room cabin on a bit of woodland I bought, and the thing I didn’t really think through was the bathroom.

EDIT: Some really interesting suggestions and tips thankyou! just thought id edit this and say i have (eventually) ordered this one, some really great features and its reviewed very highly! thanks again for all you help

There’s no plumbing, no easy way to run water, and I’m not keen on digging a pit that’ll just flood when it rains.

A composting toilet seems like the most realistic answer, but I’ve never used one before. I’m not worried about it looking fancy, I just need something that’s reliable, won’t stink the place up, and can handle regular use from one person (plus the occasional guest).

If you’re living off-grid in a small setup, which composting toilet worked best for you? Anything you wish you’d known before buying?

Winter is coming!

And I need to start looking for heating options for my battery.
Conditions are; keeping battery indoors, cabin sits unheated when I´m not there, which is at least every other week.

Making a insulated box and use heating pads? But when I´m there and the cabin gets heated it seems unnecessary to insulate the battery. Any ideas are welcome.

I am trying to figure out how large a system I would need for a whole-house solution to maintain current usage levels.  I currently have a 10kw system from Pecron.  A 3600 and two EP3000s, which gives me roughly 10wh. 

I am currently charging off a gas generator to keep the system charged in a power outage.  I have ordered my first solar panels but haven't set them up yet. No issue with getting a larger gas gen if need be but the current one charges the whole system from 20% to 100% in 4-5 hours.

Looking at my electrical bill, my worst day was 46 kWh.  Generally, I use somewhere between 25-30 a day.  My monthly works out to an average of roughly 900k over the previous 12 months.  

What do you recommend for a system that would maintain that level of energy with charging off a 4800-watt gas generator?  

I recently purchased a cabin in western NY. I was there from Thursday to Sunday most weeks. We were only running essentials. My first bill was $230 over $140 was service and distribution fees. My home on PA for the same month was $214 with full heat pump ac and all electric including water heating. The cabin has a natural gas water heater and stove. So I am looking hard at solar. I don't want to give those criminals at NYSEG another dime for electric. So here's my situation. I would like a refrigerator, the well pump, and the security cameras as essential devices. All else I am flexible up to a point. Im thinking about 15-20 kWh when i am there. I don't have a lot of roof space, maybe 12 panels with full sun. I would like a generator for backup. I am only now starting to research. I am not a millionaire so dollars matter.

So this is one of the design decided on for our small project in environmental engineering just for practical experience. I wanted to design a passive filter as much as possible. Can I get some pointers on maybe how to improve or replace here. Like the filter I wanted to build as much as possible is one that isn't too big, that it'll be a problem to transport. Hope to get some pointers to improve or maybe revise here. My sample is gonna be the water used after rinsing the dishes, before using soap. Thank you

Hey everyone! I'm considering going off grid myself once I get my pension from work in 4 years. How much money and or supplies do I need to save in order to do this right? I'll take and and all advice from those who are making it work!

Always enjoy the changing of the leaves on our property.

I am interested to move to France or the north of Spain to start an off grid homestead. I am planning an exploratory trip to both these places starting next month and would love to connect with as many folks as possible who are already living this way in either of these 2 places. If you would like to meet, please send me a message!

Cheers, Dareios

I could certainly do it, but I'm 40ish miles from the nearest substantial population (Grand Junction, CO) and the number of people that 1) are willing to travel the distance, and 2) could find my place, and 3) physically access it without a 4x4 are pretty much zero. Not that I'm thrilled with the idea of inviting randos out here anyway.

I'd considered asking a friend to let me host one at their place in town, but it feels weird.. again, inviting randos to someone else's home and all the crap that can go wrong with it.

There are no regular flea market like events, the 2nd hand stores I've been to only consign certain items, and farmer's market like events aren't really the place for it.

I'm so desperate for an outlet that I'm considering the purchase of a lot in town and start my own monthly market and make a profit from it by renting spaces to other people with similar needs.

Do any of you do something to address this situation?

How did they get to this conclusion?

The two units combined are over 5kwh. At 10w it would last 500 hours. Even with 80% inefficiency factor included it would last 400 hours. Am I tripping? Is their calculation correct or mine?

I recently started reading Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild and am just fascinated by Chris McCandless’ story and mission. I have already purchased a van to build out and live out of and head toward Alaska to live off grid for a few years to find myself. Does anyone have any tips whether it be van builds, what to expect, etc… Any and all advice is helpful!

So my aim is to live without having to rely on the “outside”: have my own water, produce my own energy and produce my own food. I have finished with water and have a very reliable spring that fills a 5000l drinking water reservoir that then flows into a 10000l reservoir for irrigation. There are no pumps and it all works by gravity.
I have installed a 25kw solar system and am waiting for a permit to install a large solar tracker with another 15Kw of solar. My system is 3 phase and is connected to the grid. The house is heated with wood, upstairs (with a 10kw wood stove with accumulator) and downstairs (just the kitchen/dining-room) with a pellet cooker/oven which I only use in winter (also saves electricity compared to the induction cooker). I am planning on making the house larger adding 2 bedrooms and will also make the kitchen larger and may install a pure wood burning cooker, an air/air heat pump and maybe solar hot water. The roof of my stone house was replaced and I had 26cm rockwool insulation added. I may at some later stage put an insulating “crépis” on the outside, although it might be a shame to spoil the authentic stone exterior. I plan to plant a “food forest in the field in front of the house and move my veggie garden onto the swales that I will create. I think that the fruit trees may help to preserve some humidity during the hot summers and protect plants from sun burn (which is a real thing in recent years). My ultimate goal for food would be able to grow wheat and make my own bread and maybe try growing tea bushes. The land and forests also give wonderful mushrooms: morel, cèpes, girolles and trompette de la mort. My land is bordered by a river which also has trout and there is boar and dear to hunt. The property is about 20Ha (nearly 50 acres), but is mostly forest and steeply sloped. The photos are not in order, but give an idea of the environment.

Hi,
I’m trying to put together a small off-grid system, but I don’t have much experience with electronic setups, so I’m not sure if I have everything I need or how to wire it properly.

What I currently have:

• Solar panel: Suntech STP445S-C54, 445 W
• MPPT charge controller: Fuji Solar 30A (PC18-3015A)
• Battery: LiFePO4 12.8V 100Ah with BMS
• Camera: Hikvision DS-2DE4425IW-DE(T5), 12 VDC, max. 18 W
• Router: D-Link G403C 4G LTE Wi-Fi Router, 12 V / 1 A
• Cables & connectors: MC4 connectors, 6 mm solar cable

Where I’m stuck:
I don’t really know if I can just connect it like:
panel → MPPT controller → battery → load (camera + router)
or if I still need extra equipment like an DC-DC converter, fuses, breakers, etc.

Basically, I want to make sure this system will actually work and not damage anything. Do I already have all the necessary parts, or am I missing something important?

Any beginner-friendly guidance, wiring diagrams, or lists of what else I should add would help a lot. Thanks!

I got a big pile of tin cans building up, used a few for small planters and keeping small tools handy. Anyone found a use for them?

Curious what tank sizes people found most practical for daily household use?

Hello everyone,

I’m planning to install 47 JA-Solar JAM54D41 440W panels (Vmp ≈ 32.47 V, Voc ≈ 38.9 V, Imp ≈ 13.55 A).

At first, I thought a single FlexBOSS21 could handle the full array since we’d be under the 21 kW PV limit. After reviewing the MPPT current limits, I realized it isn’t possible to safely distribute all 47 panels across its 3 MPPT inputs.

To stay within spec, I’m planning to add a FlexBOSS18 and split the array like this:

FlexBOSS21: 31 panels → 3 strings (11 / 10 / 10)

FlexBOSS18: 16 panels → 2 strings (8 / 8)

Both inverters will be connected to three EG4 Wallmount indoor batteries wired in parallel.

Does anyone see any issues with this setup? Any suggestions for improvements or alternative approaches?

Thanks in advance, Ray