Kurt Cehak is one of four people who live in Port Neville, B.C. He’s spent the past four years making his own electricity and living “off the grid” alone in his wood cabin. But he wants to point out he’s not a “hermit who hates people.”

Instead, he uses his lifestyle as an example: “I think more people could benefit from the idea of making do with what you need, rather than what you want.”

Cehak, 64, lives off the Johnstone Strait, nearly 22 kilometres from the nearest town (and 200 kilometres from the bright lights of Vancouver).

Using recycled materials, he built his cabin himself on 10 acres of land, about a kilometre away from his nearest neighbour. He relies on a collection of solar panels for energy.

With about eight hours of sunlight, the panels will fully charge the battery Cehak uses to power his home. A full battery could keep his lights on for about a week or two. But other devices, like his laptop and fridge, could drain it in just a few hours.

To keep things running smoothly — especially during the darker winter months — Cehak has learned to budget his light between things he needs and things he wants.

“To me, solar power isn’t a moral issue — it’s a creative issue,” he told The Huffington Post B.C. in a phone interview. “It’s living within your light means. What would you do with the sunlight you’ve got?

“I have to make those decisions all the time.”

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