SIMPLE OFF-GRID PROJECTS TO REDUCE ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION

posted 3 years ago





You would be surprised how easy it is (and fun) to dramatically reduce or eliminate utility consumption and take yourself off-grid. With a little creativity and careful selection of parts and materials, these projects can be very inexpensive and extremely effective. You usually find what you need at the local hardware store or from other convenient sources.

We have provided some simple do-it-yourself projects below that can be done pretty quickly without putting too much of a dent in your wallet. In order to eliminate the need for external electricity we provide several sources of power (windmill, solar and bicycle powered generator). Combine power sources with some decent batteries and you can can be energy self-sustaining. A tutorial on batteries is also provided below.

Just for fun we also have a video on a bike powered washing machine.

Reducing energy consumption reduces overall electricity requirements so we have provided videos of projects for solar heated water (very cool and pretty quick) and wood/fuel burning ovens.

For reducing water dependence, there is a nice video on a very simple rain water collection system and another on a DIY Greywater system.

This collection of DIY projects will give you a great start on reducing electric and water consumption and moving to a more off-the-grid lifestyle. Take a look and enjoy!

Simple windmill project – under $200: Very easy to build and very low cost. It also works well and scale up in power generation with larger blades and different components.

Source: Youtube/MyShowMeaMovie

Bicycle Powered Generator: This is a very simple but effective design. The video is excellent and give a great overview of how it is constructed and the working principles behind it.

Source: YouTube/Leo W

DIY Bicycle Powered Washing Machine: Just another great way you can use a bike to generate working power in this case for a washing machine (and get a nice workout at the same time)

Source: YouTube/Fouch-o-matic Off-Grid

DIY Cheapest Solar System ($250): This is a very basic system providing 50 watts and definately scaleable if you want more. It’s short, but shows the whole system.

Source: YouTube/Green Power Farm