Then join a pack of industrious DIY-ers who have figured out ways to create their own home battery systems with three or four times the storage capacity of the Tesla Powerwall at a fraction of the cost. All it takes are a few YouTube videos and a whole lot of discarded laptop batteries.

DIY culture is taking on Tesla.

The alternative energy crowd has been experimenting with homemade, self-sufficiency for ages. Rocket mass heater stoves, wire-your-own solar setups, DIY air conditioners: The sky’s the limit when it comes to getting off-grid without the help of Big Brother.

But making your own powerwall can be pricey. Buying bare-knuckles laptop batteries individually (and new) can cost around $5 a pop, and may wind up costing you significantly more than one of Elon Musk’s creations. So why not kill two birds with one stone and upcycle discarded batteries while also achieving energy independence?

That’s exactly the kind of thinking driving the DIY-powerwall movement; found on every corner of the internet from Facebook and YouTube to forums and websites. There, you can troubleshoot with fellow enthusiasts, download free plans, follow step-by-step videos, or lay out your own ideas for the perfect home battery pack that can cost as little as $300 and can store far more power than Tesla’s pack.