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Off grid living is the new craze that is sweeping through America? This environmentally friendly and cost effective way of self sufficiently producing electricity abolishes the constraints of being tied to utility “grid” demands.

This revolutionary way of life is in no way reflective of the previously common “hippie lifestyle” envisioned by urbanized Americans. Images of relying on ecologically friendly veggie patches and a free water system from the nearby stream are a pre historic myth of the past. Americans are now aware that the principles of off grid living may be applied to any house throughout the country, including those presently ‘on’ the grid. New Yorkers, Californians, Texans, are all looking into these ‘free’ methods of energy production, from solar panels to personal wind generators the curiosity surrounding off grid living is constantly heightening. So why it is only now American citizens are ready to break this ‘ball and chain’ relationship with government and corporate establishments?

At USD$800 for a 170 watt solar panel many of us are scared at the cost of buying enough solar panels to power our home. Well, for a home that uses 3Kwh/day it’s around USD$14,000; however, we have a secret that can cut down that cost significantly. It happened by “accident” actually. (forgive the pun)

We were driving down Highway 401(Canada’s busiest divided highway) and noticed an accident ahead. The driver had crashed into one of those mobile signs which indicate to change lanes. The sign was completely ruined, but the panel which was ON TOP didn’t seem to be damaged. We called the company up the following Monday and the receptionist answered “Yes, the signs get hit all the time, and yes, we could probably have the cracked panels after the insurance company looked at them.”

With today’s rising energy costs, and no relief in sight, many consumers are looking to live “off the grid.” Even with an initial investment that can be steep, the benefits make it much more economical in the long run.

There are small and some not so small ways why off the grid living is a good alternative today. Even though the economical outlay can be steep at first, in the long run it definitely makes more sense for the environment.

Raising your own food is a good way to begin living off the grid. This way, you eat organically while being secure in the knowledge that no dangerous hormones or chemicals are being introduced into your animals.

But what’s with those numbers? The sun protection factor, or the SPF, ranges from a low of 2 to a high of 50 and sometimes higher. Most of us understand that the SPF has something to do with providing protection from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. But beyond that, the number is shrouded in mystery.

What does SPF mean?

The SPF is a comparison of the time it takes before the skin will start to redden with and without sun protection. In addition, SPF pertains only to UVB rays, the ones that cause tanning but also sunburns.

As with any purchase, buyers need to choose their offsets carefully, particularly as the voluntary offset market is largely unregulated.

One issue to consider is the offset project type. For example, although quite popular, offsets from tree-planting projects are problematic for a number of reasons, including their lack of permanence and the fact that these projects do not address our dependence on fossil fuels. Similarly, offset projects involving the destruction of halocarbon gases such as HFC-23 have sustained numerous criticisms, including the fact that they actually result in a perverse incentive (due to the sheer volume of offsets - and profits - that they generate) for more of the ozone-depleting gas to be created. The price of offsets from these projects is also so low (due to the very high global warming potential of the gas) that they tend to flood the market and squeeze out more sustainable offset projects, like solar and wind.