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Have you always dreamed of being self sufficient, being able to live off the grid and supply your own energy? If you’re like most of us, you’ve at least thought about it before. It once was that just about the only way to do this was to live in an area so remote that no existing electrical grid would reach. Now, the choice to live off the gridis something which is available to an increasing number of people, most concerned more with saving on their electric bill than with living off the land. However, if you’ve found some remote property, you may have to learn to live off the grid out of necessity rather than choice.

If you’d like to purchase property specifically for the purpose of living off the grid and you need to build a home there, you’re going to have to decide what type of energy source to use to power your home.

If you want to use solar energy, then the important thing is that your property will get enough direct sunlight to generate the power you need. You’ll get the best results from your solar power system by installing it to face south. Before you install this system, you’ll also want to know how much power you’ll need to generate to supply your home with electricity and provide hot water.

If you happen to live in an area which gets a lot of wind, then you may be able to meet your energy needs by using wind turbines as well as solar power systems. Together, the two should be able to supply all of the power you’ll need.

Now you will also need to think how you are going to support yourself, if you are so far off the grid, that you have to quit your job to live there. This means often times developing new talents or ones that have been dormant for years.

For example, if you were raised on a farm, you may be able to support yourself with a small organic farm. This is a lifestyle which meshes perfectly with the idea of living off the grid using only clean, sustainable energy sources.

Artists and writers are also good candidates for off the grid living. You can have a quiet, isolated place to work and sell your work over the web; make sure that the area you’re interested in moving to can receive cell phone and internet service, however so you can stay in touch with the outside world.

So does living off the grid appeal to you? Just remember that you will have to use conservation methods too along with the solar and/or wind energy to make it successfully. You cannot be an energy hog and live off the grid too.