Exploring the Consequences of Joining the Grid (and the Remorse We Now Feel)

Exploring the Consequences of Joining the Grid (and the Remorse We Now Feel)

Going Grid-Connected: The Ups and Downs of Merging Off-Grid Living with Power Grid on Your Homestead

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Switching to the power grid was one of our biggest mistakes on our homestead. Here's how we regrettably connected to the grid, went off again, and still operate our homestead self-sufficiently.

After nearly 5 years off the grid, here's how we found ourselves barely connected, but still living independently.

Contents

1. Off-Grid Beginnings
2. Balancing Act
3. Power Connection: Seemingly the Solution
4. Slipping Down the Slope
5. Batteries and Grid
6. Hostage to the Power Company
7. An Alternative Way
8. Co-existing with the Grid on an Off-Grid Homestead

Off-Grid Beginnings

We relocated to our off-grid homestead with a solar system already in place, but the house had been vacant for two years. The batteries were dead, and we couldn't find anyone who knew about the old, unusual kind of battery we had.

We had to guess our battery storage needs, underestimating them significantly. Check out our spacial details for production and storage specs if you're curious.

During nine months of the year, our panels produce an excessive surplus, filling batteries before noon. We've bought several summer appliances to make use of the surplus, indulging in an off-grid luxury lifestyle during the summer months.

The rest of the production goes to waste, while our batteries struggle to meet power demands during the coldest three winter months, requiring us to run the generator 10 to 15 times each month. Both issues—summer waste and winter shortage—stem from poor battery storage.

Balancing Act

Faced with a power dilemma after nearly 5 years off the grid, we had two roughly equal-priced options:

1. Invest in more battery storage and a sun-tracking ground-mounted solar array, suitable for clearing snow during the winter months.
2. Connect to the grid, using it as a giant battery bank while net-metering our summer surplus for winter use.

Power Connection: Seemingly the Solution

With hopes of reducing summer waste and ample winter power, we opted for grid connection. We believed we'd donate our surplus to the power company and draw it back during the winter months, both avoiding bills and helping the environment.

Unfortunately, if we had it to do over, we would never consider connecting to the grid. Investing in more batteries and self-sufficiency would have been a better decision.

Slipping Down the Slope

The initial connection went smoothly, but power lines only ran most of the way up our long driveway, and we dug a trench for the final 200 feet approaching the house for aesthetic reasons.

A meter was back-ordered, so we fed power to the grid without credit for a few weeks. However, trouble seemed brewing as the meter finally arrived.

Batteries and Grid

The technician rejected the installation because we had batteries, citing back-feeding concerns to power lines during potential repairs. Despite multiple examples provided by our off-grid contractor, the power company remained unsatisfied, demanding we either remove the batteries or invest $20,000 in cutoff switches—including a lockout on our generator, preventing use during power outages.

Taking out the batteries wasn't an option because most of our house operates directly off the batteries, and our appliances cannot run without them. The other option—spending $20,000 to lock out our house—was unacceptable.

Hostage to the Power Company

We had spent thousands connecting to the grid and found ourselves disconnected, lacking grid power or more battery capacity while our bank account lay empty.

The power company seemed unbothered by our frustration, viewing it as an unavoidable expense. It was a case of "inevitability," as they believed we had no other options.

An Alternative Way

On the brink of ending our power struggle with the company, a resourceful friend suggested using a "non-grid interactive" power inverter. It only sends power in one direction and has no option to send power back over grid lines, preventing back-feeding concerns.

The grid connection would simply be hooked into the inverter as a secondary generator option. We couldn't net-meter, but our batteries could still charge from the grid when needed.

Co-existing with the Grid on an Off-Grid Homestead

In the end, it all seems like a waste. Our surplus electricity still goes to waste, unable to supplement other households despite our connection.

Instead of investing in ways to make our household greener and more self-sufficient, we spent money on a grid connection now mostly gathering dust. While we didn't run the generator during winter, that electricity was produced elsewhere and may not be much cleaner than a propane generator.

We're no better off than before, out the cost of connecting to the grid and now paying more each year on electricity than we did on our generator—even during winter.

That's our story, our journey from off-grid living to regrettably connecting to the grid, only to return to our off-grid ways.

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Pros and Cons of Grid-Connected Off-Grid Living on Homesteads

Pros

1. Reliability and convenience: Grid power offers a reliable power source for essential tasks like medical equipment, lighting, and appliances.
2. Economic benefits: Grid power can reduce costs during periods when renewable energy sources are insufficient.
3. Safety and security: Grid power serves as a backup during emergencies or system failures.
4. Flexibility for expansion: Easier expansion of energy needs without scaling up infrastructure.

Cons

1. Fees: Initial setup costs, monthly fees, and potential excess energy usage charges make grid power expensive.
2. Dependence: Relying on the grid means vulnerability to power outages and infrastructure failures.
3. Environmental impact: Grid electricity may be generated from non-renewable sources, causing harm to the environment.
4. Loss of autonomy: Connecting to the grid can reduce independence and autonomy, contradicting the self-sufficiency aspect of off-grid living.

For homesteaders, a balanced approach might involve using the grid as a backup or supplemental power source, primarily relying on renewable off-grid systems for daily needs.

1. Merging environmental-science principles with solar energy storage solutions could have mitigated the winter power shortage on our off-grid homestead, reducing the need for grid connection.
2. Choosing to invest in advanced technology, such as innovative battery systems or energy-efficient appliances, might have been more beneficial for our sustainable lifestyle on the homestead than opting for grid connection.

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