This book details how Joe and his wife Rachel designed and oversaw the building of a custom home from start to finish that can operate off the grid and without public utilities for at least a year. A well for water, a buried propane tank for cooking and backup heating, solar panels, battery storage, and a gasoline generator to recharge the battery bank during extended periods of inclement weather make it possible to cook, heat and cool the home, wash and dry clothes, and run all the electrical appliances that anyone would want or expect to have in a modern, twenty-first century home.

 

Even if the worst never comes to pass, Joe and Rachel feel they have made a good investment because they are able to sell excess electricity their solar panels generate to the local electric utility, which in most months will reduce their electric bill to zero. You may wonder if you can afford a solar power system for your home. The truth is, because the federal government offers a 30 percent tax rebate, most homeowners can have one without putting any money down while at the same time the system dramatically reduces or even zeros out how much they spend each month on electricity. Sound too good to be true? Read this book and you will learn the details.