This winter in Finland was (still is at the time of writing this) the coldest in 20 years. Temperatures down to and below -40C (-40F, yeah they’re the same) in some places, and all the way to -33C (-27F) where I am. Even here in Finland, these cold temperatures can be challenging, especially when they are sustained for weeks at a time… How do we keep warm off-grid with this kind of weather? Early winter — we had no idea at this time how cold it would get… Obviously since we’re in the middle of winter, I can’t rely on solar power for heating. That means the heat-pump isn’t even in the ..read more

Over the years since I started planning this project and discussing it with others (both online and offline) I’ve had a myriad of questions pop up. I’ve also had people commenting on what I was doing in both constructive and, let’s say, not so constructive ways. In this entry I want to summarize some of the most common questions and comments I’ve received and my responses to them. I hope that these topics will not only help for you to understand my thought process behind the project better, but that it can also help you understand yours better if you want to do something similar. I don’t have ..read more

After my previous entries on water, heating and power, I think it’s time to go back to the house and reflect on some of the details involved in the building process. I already discussed the foundation and some of the design decisions, but in this entry I want to go over things like insulation, roof design, and other aspects that are crucial for this project. At the end, I also briefly discuss some updates to the power system. The Roof The roof construction is more involved than one might think. For one, the eaves have to be far enough out from the wall to help protect the wall from water ..read more

This entry took me longer to write than I hoped. Spring and summer here means there is a lot of work in a short time, and that leads to other things being placed on the back-burner. Writing was one of them… Water: everyone takes it for granted. It is a key resource to have access to when going off-grid. In many ways, it’s more important than electricity. I know that there are several methods to become independent of the public water works, but only a few of those make real practical sense in a northern climate. In addition, water doesn’t just entail the clear stuff for drinking, washing a ..read more

#5 Let’s Make Electricity — Part 2: Components and Costs In part one I analyzed the electricity requirements, so now let’s start putting this in terms of components, and what it all costs. The components that make up the entire system are: the solar panels, the battery, solar charge controller and the inverter (to make 230V AC). My goal for this system was to do it as cost effective as possible. Note: I said cost effective, not cheapest. I wanted to make sure that the equipment could handle the needs, and could deal with the power I wanted without under-sizing or cutting costs when it com ..read more

#4 Let’s Make Electricity — Part 1: Sizing the System When someone mentions off-grid, one of the first things that come to mind is not being connected to the electricity grid so it deserves some extra attention. This is probably going to be the longest and most involved blog entry I’m writing in the entire series, and I will have to split it into two parts. The reasons for this are the overall scope of the topic, ranging from solar panels, batteries, the choices to be made and how much it costs. It can be quite an involved and very technical process. Starting with power audits and analyzi ..read more

In many countries the foundation of a house is a matter of pouring a slab of concrete on grade, or putting up some pillars, and calling it a day. Here in Finland, the latter is popular for summer cottages that are not year round in use, since it is a low cost and effective way to build a foundation for buildings that don’t have strict requirements for winter. Slab on grade is often used in warmer climates, but even there insulation of the slab is becoming more important to prevent energy losses through the floor. The end result, with the first logs being placed. You can imagine that ..read more

Before I began writing this text, I asked for some feedback on the previous posts. One of the things that has become clear to me thanks to the feedback is that I’ve been writing too many scientific papers: whereas these are full of passive voice, this might not be the best for a blog. I didn’t realize I was doing that until it was pointed out to me: thanks for that! Therefor, I’m going to try to change — starting with this entry — let’s see if it works out… It took some time to get to this… When I started this project I often thought about what the house would look like in the end. T ..read more

After having compiled a wish-list and a set of goals, the next step in the adventure is trying to find the right plot of land to build on. Take your time with this. It took me around five years to find the right spot. Taking hasty decisions during this process makes it just more regrettable when you come to the conclusion you made the wrong choice. During the search, you can also use the time available to flesh out the details on the building itself, the power system, etc. — all things you won’t have time for once you start the building process. It took me 5 years to find this spot ..read more

… there was an idea. The idea to build a modern, comfortable, family home but off grid, in Finland. It took many years developing this idea into something that was realistically possible. Technological advancements have recently reached the point where it is, and in a cost effective way. The first general step towards building any kind of off-grid place anywhere, is to set out the goals you want to achieve, and formulate why you want to achieve them, and the difficulties and challenges you anticipate in how to achieve them. It is important to identify potential issues early on so you can plan ..read more