If you make your own solar panels on your home, can you go “off grid” and never have to deal with the electric company again?  Being totally independent is an attractive idea. No more costly power bills. No more hassle with the power companies for any reason. Can you make this happen for your family? Should you? The answer will very much rely upon the type of weather in your location and how much money you’re able to invest maintaining your own energy system.

You’ll Wish You Had Looked at Going Off-Grid Sooner

First of all, consider the dominant weather in your region.  Solar panels are only able to produce energy when sunlight is hitting them.  As a result, you will need batteries for storing electricity to use at night and on cloudy days.

That’s where costs begin to add up.  You’ll have to buy and maintain enough large DC (direct current) batteries to save enough electricity to last through one to three days of cloudy weather.  You’ll need plenty of storage space for all of those batteries, and you’ll have to plan for the expense of getting new ones every so often.

The Domestic Off-Grid Solution to Power

It’s also wise to keep a backup generator in the event that you have an extended period of overcast weather that depletes your battery supply.  A generator will need fuel and you’ll need to store that also. Usually generators use gas or diesel fuel.  But these types of fuels are inconsistent with a green lifestyle, so you’ll probably want to use biodiesel. So, yes, it is possible to go “off grid”, but it’s not an easy or inexpensive project.

For the majority, it makes more sense to consider “net metering”.  You can check to determine if your local utility company offers this program. With net metering you can significantly reduce your electric bill, and have all the power you need at night and during extended sunless periods.  Net metering allows you to get credits back from the power company for excess electricity that your solar panels generate during the day. Then you simply use the electricity from your local power company at night and on days when there is not enough direct sunlight. And you wouldn’t have to find somewhere to store stacks of batteries. Although you won’t be living “off grid”, you’ll save a significant amount of money on your monthly bill.  Some months you may owe nothing!

The Off-Grid Solution To The Energy Crises

So if you live in a very sunny region, with lots of extra room to store batteries, living “off grid” could be possible for you. But if you live in a subdivision, have no large storage space, and your part of world gets little sun, “net metering” will probably be your best bet.