Author Topic: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?  (Read 10154 times)

LurkingMustache

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I live in Texas, and for awhile now have been looking to purchase a home.  I've gotten to the point where I almost want to build my own, because I can't seem to find a "smart" house.  One that seems smart to me in not being overly large, using space efficiently, being highly energy efficient, and being able to use natural resources when possible (reclaimed rain water, solar, etc).

Has anyone looked into building their own house that might fit this description?  Not sure what type of resources are out there.  Ideally looking for a few acres of land not too far from the city since I have to work downtown.

Lepetitange3

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2017, 09:46:11 AM »
I haven't, but I'm in Florida.  We are similarly sunny so posting to follow if anyone has good tips :)

Lobo

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2017, 10:49:35 AM »
You might want to check out some Prepper forums or websites......there are usually a few resourceful ideas and individuals to be found.

redbird

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2017, 02:28:12 PM »
It's not available anywhere but California yet, but I'm pretty interested in the Tesla solar roof. My thinking was to just store the solar in the Powerwall and either completely rely on that, or just have a very low power bill from the local power company. My local power company won't buy back solar power, so I can't make $$ that way. I can only use solar to reduce or eliminate my power bill. I would also like to have a house that is 100% electric, no natural gas, so that's one less thing to rely on. The house will be built as energy efficient as possible.

That same house I'd like to have a decent sized vegetable garden, to make myself more self-reliant in that way too. I have a very small garden now and can't really expand too much thanks to the HOA I'm unfortunately under. The new house wouldn't be part of an HOA. I also plan to set up some sort of irrigation for the garden if I can. The land has both a creek and a lake that I could use.

I haven't looked into rainwater reclamation.


ixtap

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2017, 02:35:10 PM »
What size? Tiny home builders do this all the time.

Since I live on a boat, I have worked on all the systems, and since I have worked for Habitat for Humanity I have done a lot of building, but no, I have never built my own home from scratch.

ChrisLansing

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2017, 02:46:34 PM »
Not to discourage the use of solar/wind/geothermal etc., but, superinsulating (it's an actual term, not just a made up word) is more important than any alternative power sources.   If your going to build concentrate on double wall superinsulated buidling techniques.   This willl reduce your need for heating/cooling, no matter the power source.   

Chaplin

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2017, 03:28:54 PM »
I haven't yet, but boy would I ever like to! I completely agree with ChrisLansing about superinsulating. Start with needing the least energy then find the best way to get that little bit that you do need.

HumblePie

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2017, 07:23:04 AM »
Do you know about the Solar Decathlon? Universities design low-E houses and compete for top award.
https://www.solardecathlon.gov/

ck25

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2017, 08:15:41 AM »
Which part of Texas do you live in? If Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio, check out PSW builders. They offer spray foam insulation, solar panels, and energy efficient appliances in their new builds. Several of the neighborhoods they do are close to downtown.

Poeirenta

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2017, 10:48:00 PM »
Yes. Fully off the electrical grid, earth bermed, and no ac in a climate where we see 90's regularly and at least a week of triple digits in summer. PM me if you have questions.

Rural

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2017, 06:24:18 AM »
We built ours, also earth sheltered. Not off the electric grid, but primary heat is passive solar.

DarkandStormy

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2017, 09:50:38 AM »
It's not available anywhere but California yet, but I'm pretty interested in the Tesla solar roof. My thinking was to just store the solar in the Powerwall and either completely rely on that, or just have a very low power bill from the local power company. My local power company won't buy back solar power, so I can't make $$ that way. I can only use solar to reduce or eliminate my power bill. I would also like to have a house that is 100% electric, no natural gas, so that's one less thing to rely on. The house will be built as energy efficient as possible.

It's unfortunate that Tesla priced themselves out of the market except for the ultra rich.  I don't think it's a good investment unless you plan on living at the house for 25-30+ years.  Now, if you're motivated by environmental factors, then that's a different discussion.

Like a lot of new technology, I think the solar roof will be massively overpriced in the beginning and then competitors will jump on it and that will eventually force prices down.  There is the tax credit that is set to sunset starting in 2019 though.

Unfortunately, recent reports out of Buffalo, the site of the factory that would manufacture the roofs/shingles for Tesla, are saying that no one is even working at the factory.  It's all very bizarre stuff right now.  I read some estimates that the vast majority of those who put the $1k deposit down won't see their roofs until 2019 or 2020 (which calls into question the tax credit).

Greenback Reproduction Specialist

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2017, 10:08:19 AM »
Yes, we built our small offgrid cabin and lived in it for 2 years.

If you are looking to buy and build on a small parcel close to the city, expect to pay a lot for the land. Also, expect to pay more for cost per sqft than buying an older home unless you are more time rich than money rich. But if you have plenty of time, and can learn a few basic building skills, and can find and source some local materials, you can do it cheaply.

One mistake I made was underestimating how much time it takes to build the way I wanted to have things done. I didn't want to have to pay a premium for the work, but I paid with my time.

Check out the small cabins forum, there is some great info over on that site.

Prairie Stash

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2017, 11:24:07 AM »
Not to discourage the use of solar/wind/geothermal etc., but, superinsulating (it's an actual term, not just a made up word) is more important than any alternative power sources.   If your going to build concentrate on double wall superinsulated buidling techniques.   This willl reduce your need for heating/cooling, no matter the power source.
+1
The most valuable technique is to reduce the energy requirements.

In Canada what you're describing is called "Net-Zero." The link has a picture of the double thick walls used for increased insulation. T
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/grho/grho_020.cfm




LurkingMustache

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2017, 11:37:33 AM »
Yes, we built our small offgrid cabin and lived in it for 2 years.

If you are looking to buy and build on a small parcel close to the city, expect to pay a lot for the land. Also, expect to pay more for cost per sqft than buying an older home unless you are more time rich than money rich. But if you have plenty of time, and can learn a few basic building skills, and can find and source some local materials, you can do it cheaply.

One mistake I made was underestimating how much time it takes to build the way I wanted to have things done. I didn't want to have to pay a premium for the work, but I paid with my time.

Check out the small cabins forum, there is some great info over on that site.

Interesting!  I'm in the dallas area and looking about an hour commute out from work.  I'll have to look up that forum, I must have missed it as a category here.  Thanks for the input

specialkayme

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2017, 01:38:30 PM »

It's unfortunate that Tesla priced themselves out of the market except for the ultra rich.  I don't think it's a good investment unless you plan on living at the house for 25-30+ years.  Now, if you're motivated by environmental factors, then that's a different discussion.

Even if you are planning on living in the house for the next 30 years, I still don't think its a good investment. According to Tesla Solar Roof's website, "the out-of-pocket cost of a Solar Roof for a typical home in Maryland will be around $52,000" Yikes! That same roof will generate, again according to Tesla, $52,900 of energy over the next 30 years. If you add the cost of the powerwall ($7,000) and decrease the cost by the federal credits ($14,600) you'll net (again according to Tesla) $8,000 over the next 30 years. Or a 0.47% Annualized ROI!!!![/I]

I'm sorry, but that's just nuts. Even if you're doing it for environmental reasons, take the $59,000 you would spend on the system, invest it in the stock market, take the profits, pay your power bill, give yourself 0.47% ROI, and donate the rest to an environmental cleanup program. Assuming 7% annual return and an $80 a month power bill, you would be donating ~$242 a month, or $2904 a year, or $87,000 over the next 30 years.

I'm a big fan of the concept of solar, and I WISH it was a good deal. But I just can't make the math work like my mind wants it to. And that's solar in general.

Prairie Stash

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2017, 05:07:38 PM »

It's unfortunate that Tesla priced themselves out of the market except for the ultra rich.  I don't think it's a good investment unless you plan on living at the house for 25-30+ years.  Now, if you're motivated by environmental factors, then that's a different discussion.

Even if you are planning on living in the house for the next 30 years, I still don't think its a good investment. According to Tesla Solar Roof's website, "the out-of-pocket cost of a Solar Roof for a typical home in Maryland will be around $52,000" Yikes! That same roof will generate, again according to Tesla, $52,900 of energy over the next 30 years. If you add the cost of the powerwall ($7,000) and decrease the cost by the federal credits ($14,600) you'll net (again according to Tesla) $8,000 over the next 30 years. Or a 0.47% Annualized ROI!!!![/I]

I'm sorry, but that's just nuts. Even if you're doing it for environmental reasons, take the $59,000 you would spend on the system, invest it in the stock market, take the profits, pay your power bill, give yourself 0.47% ROI, and donate the rest to an environmental cleanup program. Assuming 7% annual return and an $80 a month power bill, you would be donating ~$242 a month, or $2904 a year, or $87,000 over the next 30 years.

I'm a big fan of the concept of solar, and I WISH it was a good deal. But I just can't make the math work like my mind wants it to. And that's solar in general.
You missed the cost of bringing utilities to a site. It doesn't make it a great deal, I'm pointing out that in rural areas and other off grid situations the math is different. In some places (my area) the costs can be $15,000-25,000 to get a grid connection.

Food for thought, rural economics or acreage living can be expensive.


Rural

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2017, 05:55:51 PM »

It's unfortunate that Tesla priced themselves out of the market except for the ultra rich.  I don't think it's a good investment unless you plan on living at the house for 25-30+ years.  Now, if you're motivated by environmental factors, then that's a different discussion.

Even if you are planning on living in the house for the next 30 years, I still don't think its a good investment. According to Tesla Solar Roof's website, "the out-of-pocket cost of a Solar Roof for a typical home in Maryland will be around $52,000" Yikes! That same roof will generate, again according to Tesla, $52,900 of energy over the next 30 years. If you add the cost of the powerwall ($7,000) and decrease the cost by the federal credits ($14,600) you'll net (again according to Tesla) $8,000 over the next 30 years. Or a 0.47% Annualized ROI!!!![/I]

I'm sorry, but that's just nuts. Even if you're doing it for environmental reasons, take the $59,000 you would spend on the system, invest it in the stock market, take the profits, pay your power bill, give yourself 0.47% ROI, and donate the rest to an environmental cleanup program. Assuming 7% annual return and an $80 a month power bill, you would be donating ~$242 a month, or $2904 a year, or $87,000 over the next 30 years.

I'm a big fan of the concept of solar, and I WISH it was a good deal. But I just can't make the math work like my mind wants it to. And that's solar in general.
You missed the cost of bringing utilities to a site. It doesn't make it a great deal, I'm pointing out that in rural areas and other off grid situations the math is different. In some places (my area) the costs can be $15,000-25,000 to get a grid connection.

Food for thought, rural economics or acreage living can be expensive.


An engineer for the local EMC quoted us $32,000 to run electric to our place until I pointed out I'd priced full solar off grid for slightly less. Then he suddenly "remembered" that they could do it for $1,800. So it pays to know your options both ways.

specialkayme

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2017, 06:03:02 PM »
You missed the cost of bringing utilities to a site. . . . In some places (my area) the costs can be $15,000-25,000 to get a grid connection.

So lets look at it then:

Option A)
Buy a Tesla Solar Roof using the math I provided above.
Cost: $59,000
ROI: 0.47%
Monthly expense: $0
Monthly income: $0

Option B)
Pay $25,000 for a grid connection, and invest the rest of the amount you would have spent for the solar roof.
Cost:$25,000
Investment size: $34,000
Annual return (at 7%): $2,380
Monthly expense; $80
Monthly income: $198
Excess: $118
ROI over 30 years: 2.74%

You're still better off not doing Tesla's Solar Roof.

If the grid tied system came in at $50,000, that might be different.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2017, 06:06:27 PM by specialkayme »

Prairie Stash

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2017, 08:43:05 AM »
You missed the cost of bringing utilities to a site. . . . In some places (my area) the costs can be $15,000-25,000 to get a grid connection.

So lets look at it then:

Option A)
Buy a Tesla Solar Roof using the math I provided above.
Cost: $59,000
ROI: 0.47%
Monthly expense: $0
Monthly income: $0

Option B)
Pay $25,000 for a grid connection, and invest the rest of the amount you would have spent for the solar roof.
Cost:$25,000
Investment size: $34,000
Annual return (at 7%): $2,380
Monthly expense; $80
Monthly income: $198
Excess: $118
ROI over 30 years: 2.74%

You're still better off not doing Tesla's Solar Roof.

If the grid tied system came in at $50,000, that might be different.
The off-grid can probably be done for less than $50k, In dallas texas a typical grid tie system is under $20K (Dallas average is $16K), off grid will add another $10-15k.
http://news.energysage.com/solar-panel-cost-texas-top-cities-dallas-fort-worth-el-paso/

Right there the off grid might be $25-30k total. Theres still a 30% federal credit to consider (I'm not american, I could be mistaken). You left that out in this analysis, was that on purpose?

In this link a 2500sq. ft house was off grid for $40k before any incentives. If the OP builds a smaller unit, they will have smaller costs, connection costs remain constant.
http://www.greenhomeguide.com/askapro/question/how-much-will-it-cost-to-get-solar-panels-on-our-2200-sq-ft-dallas-home-will-we-be-able-to-eliminate-our-energy-bills

Poeirenta

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #20 on: July 04, 2017, 10:23:16 AM »
For our 1000 sq. ft. house, our off grid system (3 kw) cost 26k, and we got almost 9k back in tax credits. Cost to bring power in 1 mile from the county road would have been roughly 50k. Our system has to power a deep well pump; without that load it could've been a smaller, less expensive system. We also saved a little with WA State solar incentives, which I suspect don't exist in Texas.

specialkayme

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #21 on: July 04, 2017, 10:46:21 AM »
Right there the off grid might be $25-30k total. Theres still a 30% federal credit to consider (I'm not american, I could be mistaken). You left that out in this analysis, was that on purpose?

The math that I did was of Tesla's Solar Roof, not of all solar systems.

And yes, it did include the federal tax credit. Re-read my first post:

According to Tesla Solar Roof's website, "the out-of-pocket cost of a Solar Roof for a typical home in Maryland will be around $52,000" Yikes! That same roof will generate, again according to Tesla, $52,900 of energy over the next 30 years. If you add the cost of the powerwall ($7,000) and decrease the cost by the federal credits ($14,600) you'll net (again according to Tesla) $8,000 over the next 30 years. Or a 0.47% Annualized ROI!!!![/I]

Other solar options are significantly cheaper. But that's not what I was talking about :)

bobechs

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #22 on: July 04, 2017, 12:28:47 PM »
As far as structure, you are in the right place.

Go see these people:

http://www.monolithic.org


And by go see them, I mean visit with them in person, don't just peruse the website.  Italy TX is right by the side of I-35E between Hillsboro and Waxahatchie. Whatever off-grid energy source you use, using it efficiently is of equal importance, unless you decide to go nukular or with some other poorly-scalable power source.

Papa bear

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #23 on: July 04, 2017, 12:58:05 PM »
You missed the cost of bringing utilities to a site. . . . In some places (my area) the costs can be $15,000-25,000 to get a grid connection.

So lets look at it then:

Option A)
Buy a Tesla Solar Roof using the math I provided above.
Cost: $59,000
ROI: 0.47%
Monthly expense: $0
Monthly income: $0

Option B)
Pay $25,000 for a grid connection, and invest the rest of the amount you would have spent for the solar roof.
Cost:$25,000
Investment size: $34,000
Annual return (at 7%): $2,380
Monthly expense; $80
Monthly income: $198
Excess: $118
ROI over 30 years: 2.74%

You're still better off not doing Tesla's Solar Roof.

If the grid tied system came in at $50,000, that might be different.

You are forgetting in your calculations that you still need a roof.  To really make it apples to apples from an investment standpoint, re run the numbers with the a negative cash flow for a traditional asphalt roof, metal, or fancy clay or slate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

specialkayme

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #24 on: July 04, 2017, 01:40:10 PM »
You are forgetting in your calculations that you still need a roof. 

If you're building your own home, as the OP is considering, yes you are correct. I was analyzing it as if I were to replace my current roof (which is fine), which probably isn't a completely fair comparison.

inline five

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #25 on: July 04, 2017, 01:55:52 PM »
I've read some pretty good articles lately on the subject.

It boils down to this:

  • A smaller two story, square house works best
  • HVAC is electric heat pumps, run with mini-splits. Just two - one up and one down
  • Significant insulation is the key, R40 walls and R60 attic
  • The cost to run gas to the house is cost prohibitive because of the low use of it. The service fees typically cost more than the actual usage.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/just-two-minisplits-heat-and-cool-whole-house

DarkandStormy

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #26 on: July 05, 2017, 07:19:05 AM »

It's unfortunate that Tesla priced themselves out of the market except for the ultra rich.  I don't think it's a good investment unless you plan on living at the house for 25-30+ years.  Now, if you're motivated by environmental factors, then that's a different discussion.

Even if you are planning on living in the house for the next 30 years, I still don't think its a good investment. According to Tesla Solar Roof's website, "the out-of-pocket cost of a Solar Roof for a typical home in Maryland will be around $52,000" Yikes! That same roof will generate, again according to Tesla, $52,900 of energy over the next 30 years. If you add the cost of the powerwall ($7,000) and decrease the cost by the federal credits ($14,600) you'll net (again according to Tesla) $8,000 over the next 30 years. Or a 0.47% Annualized ROI!!!![/I]

I'm sorry, but that's just nuts. Even if you're doing it for environmental reasons, take the $59,000 you would spend on the system, invest it in the stock market, take the profits, pay your power bill, give yourself 0.47% ROI, and donate the rest to an environmental cleanup program. Assuming 7% annual return and an $80 a month power bill, you would be donating ~$242 a month, or $2904 a year, or $87,000 over the next 30 years.

I'm a big fan of the concept of solar, and I WISH it was a good deal. But I just can't make the math work like my mind wants it to. And that's solar in general.

There are only two upsides I see to Tesla's Solar Roof - 1) Aesthetics.  You can get cheaper solar panels which have greater output efficiency.  2) Powerwall to store your generated electricity.  The 14 (or really 13 usable) Kwh is pretty big.  Many comparable models are under 9Kwh, which may not sustain you if you happen to have a rainy day the following day or something like that.

Other than that, just put in panels.

Abe

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #27 on: July 05, 2017, 09:35:43 PM »
Search for contractors that specialize in Passive houses. The standards for a true passive house are pretty strict but even doing 90% of that building method will provide big savings in energy costs. Germany now requires all new residential construction to meet that standard and its working very well. It does add about 20% to the cost of a house on average.

specialkayme

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #28 on: July 06, 2017, 08:55:08 AM »
I live in Texas, and for awhile now have been looking to purchase a home.  I've gotten to the point where I almost want to build my own, because I can't seem to find a "smart" house. 

Before you decide to build or not, I'd suggest reading "The Millionaire Mind" by Thomas J. Stanley. The information is a little bit dated based on today's economic situation, but it devotes almost an entire chapter to deciding whether or not to build or buy a home.

In the end, it describes how most millionaires buy rather than build, because there are often a number of hidden costs (many unexpected) that can bite you if you build. Essentially, when choosing to build you are getting into the construction industry, which most don't know anything about. Better to leave that to the professionals, let them take the risks and buy what they've finished.

Aegishjalmur

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #29 on: July 06, 2017, 09:51:58 AM »
Agree that superinsulating is going to give you your biggest energy saving both in Heating and cooling so no matter where you decide to build is worth knowing about. I am a big fan of passive heating/cooling and simplifying this as much as possible.

If you live in a colder area, I would definitely look at something like this:

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/12/tile-stoves.html
 
This site is a lot of fun for the low tech options.

My wife and I plan to do something like this once we have decided to sit still for awhile and buy some land.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/12/reinventing-the-greenhouse.html
 

Aegishjalmur

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #30 on: July 06, 2017, 09:59:13 AM »
Also, we plan on building something similar to this for in the greenhouse, which will help stabilize temperatures a bit more, and give us a fresh fish source.

http://www.frostyfish.com/2014/05/15/new-product-freezer-to-fish-tank-conversion-kits/

BrandNewPapa

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #31 on: July 06, 2017, 10:47:12 AM »
Dream of building one some day.

Honda built a "smart home" in California and made the plans available to the public:
http://www.hondasmarthome.com/post/91252016822/open-sourcing-honda-smart-home

Click downloads at the top and you can get everything under resources. Its an extremely efficient home and would do well in Texas. I toured it about 3 years ago and personally know the lead designer (I used to work for Honda). They did a great job.

Prairie Stash

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #32 on: July 06, 2017, 02:49:26 PM »
Right there the off grid might be $25-30k total. Theres still a 30% federal credit to consider (I'm not american, I could be mistaken). You left that out in this analysis, was that on purpose?

The math that I did was of Tesla's Solar Roof, not of all solar systems.

And yes, it did include the federal tax credit. Re-read my first post:

According to Tesla Solar Roof's website, "the out-of-pocket cost of a Solar Roof for a typical home in Maryland will be around $52,000" Yikes! That same roof will generate, again according to Tesla, $52,900 of energy over the next 30 years. If you add the cost of the powerwall ($7,000) and decrease the cost by the federal credits ($14,600) you'll net (again according to Tesla) $8,000 over the next 30 years. Or a 0.47% Annualized ROI!!!![/I]

Other solar options are significantly cheaper. But that's not what I was talking about :)
The second post showed an investment of$34,000+$25000=59,000 which happened to be the same price, before credit, as your first ROI equation. I was suggesting you should compare it against $19,400 invested if you wanted to do the comparison, since you get $14.6k back.

You then said "If the grid tied system came in at $50,000, that might be different." to which I was replying when I supplied the alternate system information.

kimmarg

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #33 on: July 08, 2017, 07:33:07 PM »
look into the passive house standard. It's basically super insulating and net zero combined as I understand it. If you insulate enough you need very little energy to heat/cool and thus a small solar panel will do the trick.

DebtFreeinPhilly

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #34 on: July 14, 2017, 06:50:09 AM »
I recently sold a farm about an hour outside of Philadelphia, PA. I researched about going the self-sufficient route, not off grid, just producing 90% or more of my own energy. I also contemplated buying acreage and building a house. Here's what I found out:

1) Insulation, like reducing your expenses, provides a bigger benefit than increases your power production. I used a combo of spray foam and mineral wool. Spray foam filled in all of the leaks/cracks in the house. Mineral wool provided the cheapest R-value while discouraging rodents.

2) Have more than one source of power. I had a big barn roof & 1/4 acre of south facing land that I planned to put solar panels on. Plus, a small hydro generator from year round creek. And finally, a small wind turbine. Yes these are all costly upfront, but my plan was to stay at the farm for 30+ years.  (separation & job relocation caused me to sell after only one year)

3) It is expensive to renovate an existing home, but more costly to build. The cheapest quote I got to build on empty land was $125/sqft. That house was basically a two story box with the cheapest materials possible built by a builder friend who cut me a deal. Also, new construction has to conform with all of the new building codes (water run off plan, electrical codes, septic plans, etc.) while old homes usually are grandfathered in...usually.

4) The smaller a house you can live in the more cost and energy you will save...in all aspects. A family of four can comfortably live in 1500 sqft. or less vs. the common 2000 sqft house. Thats less space you have to clean and maintain (increase in time, personal energy, happiness). Less costly to build or renovate. Less energy to operate & heat/cool. 

5) I learned so much from renovating. Plumbing, electrical, tiling, roofing, painting, etc. that now I can tackle almost any project in a home. Life skills...

Just my two cents...

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #35 on: July 30, 2017, 06:21:29 AM »
We're currently saving up for a down payment on a home in the mountains just outside the city. We have a large family and there's not a lot of 4- or 5-bedroom homes available for sale so we're considering building our own. Those 4-bedroom+ homes that are available are generally priced around $300k or higher which is outside our price range right now as I don't want to take on any more debt than is absolutely necessary. A lot will cost anywhere from $20-50k plus site improvements (i.e. utilities, grading, driveway, fencing, etc.) and I'm not too sure about construction costs for the improvements yet. It would be nice to have something very energy efficient as it can be over 90 in the summer but a couple of feet of snow in the winter. It may turn out to be too expensive for new construction but I'd certainly rather having something built that I know was done right than buying a regular house where the builder may have cut corners or not done a great job.

Goldielocks

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #36 on: July 30, 2017, 01:42:31 PM »
Not to discourage the use of solar/wind/geothermal etc., but, superinsulating (it's an actual term, not just a made up word) is more important than any alternative power sources.   If your going to build concentrate on double wall superinsulated buidling techniques.   This willl reduce your need for heating/cooling, no matter the power source.

Yes!  this!  My heating costs average about $70 per month, for natural gas.  No A/C needed (I live in a temperate climate).  The hot water tank and fixed portion of the natural gas account for $50 of that.   This is due to ok insulation but more importantly -- awesome vapour barrier.

BUT.  Electricity -- I need it for the oven, lights, internet, workshop, fridge, etc.   DH is looking at solar panels and it is still a long payback, but maybe this year if we install ourselves...

retiringearly

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #37 on: July 30, 2017, 02:30:05 PM »
Yes. Fully off the electrical grid, earth bermed, and no ac in a climate where we see 90's regularly and at least a week of triple digits in summer. PM me if you have questions.
You NEED to start a blog.  A lot of us will be very interested.

Poeirenta

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #38 on: July 30, 2017, 03:03:45 PM »
Yes. Fully off the electrical grid, earth bermed, and no ac in a climate where we see 90's regularly and at least a week of triple digits in summer. PM me if you have questions.
You NEED to start a blog.  A lot of us will be very interested.

Hmm, I might actually have time now that the majority of the house is done (damn you last bits of trim! why must you be so easy to ignore?). Thanks for the suggestion, I'll think about it!

Rural

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Re: Has anyone built their own efficient / slightly off grid home?
« Reply #39 on: July 30, 2017, 03:50:30 PM »
Yes. Fully off the electrical grid, earth bermed, and no ac in a climate where we see 90's regularly and at least a week of triple digits in summer. PM me if you have questions.
You NEED to start a blog.  A lot of us will be very interested.

Hmm, I might actually have time now that the majority of the house is done (damn you last bits of trim! why must you be so easy to ignore?). Thanks for the suggestion, I'll think about it!


This is my world. We have baseboards in random isolated areas, and have had for four years now. Did finish the walls in the last room this week, though - it had been tool storage, is meant in the plans to be a library, and will house a roommate for the next few years. If the one coming to look at the place doesn't care about baseboards, anyway...

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!