Many people are attracted to remote living because of the freedom, connectivity and grounding they experience. There is a certain sense of gratification that comes with self-sufficiency. There is no denying the fact that correct remote living can save you money, allow you to spend more time with yourself or family, and provide you with a closer connection to nature. Nova can help you to make the transition from city life to your ideal remote home by providing the critical systems needed for independence. As leaders in the renewable energy sector, we have helped many people by providing the best off-grid solutions for their needs.
Living remotely has many benefits but requires careful planning and preparation. In order to have a comfortable life in a remote environment, you need to cover the following: Land and Housing, Waste Management, Food, Power Supply and Water Supply.
Land and Housing
The perfect location will depend on your lifestyle preference, whether you need open land for farming, rolling hills for roaming and exploring, or just a simple plot with enough privacy for you to feel free. Similarly, you have many housing options to suit your taste including log cabins, prefabricated houses, tiny homes and modular units. Whatever style you choose can work for your off-grid application.
Contact us for recommendations, to discuss housing options and to learn how to integrate other essentials into remote living.
Tiny Homes
Tiny homes are becoming increasingly popular throughout Canada, the U.S. and worldwide. Tiny homes, with solar panels, are a great way to save money without sacrificing comfort. According to this article by Tiny Society, 60% of tiny home owners have no credit card debt at all, while 50% of tiny home owners have more savings in the bank than the average homeowner. Although these are US statistics, they could be just as true for tiny home owners in Canada. Tiny homes take much less time to build than traditional homes. You can also live in a remote location or you can live on the go. Since power consumption is less in a tiny home, solar panels would easily offset any power needs, saving homeowners money.
Off-Grid Cabins
Off-Grid cabins are perfect for summer vacation or for living all year-round. They offer privacy and a sense of peace that a home in the city does not. Living off-grid can be challenging, especially when there is no power but this can easily be solved by installing a solar system that will meet your needs. Living remotely does not mean that you have to give up all the comforts that living in a city provides, but it is great to be comfortable while being energy independent. A backup generator would also be helpful for days when there is not much sunlight or when extra power is needed.
Waste Management
Waste disposal is essential for remote living, and should be done in an eco-friendly way, which supports your codependent relationship with the environment. Composting Toilets are popular for managing human waste because:
-They are relatively inexpensive
-Require little or no plumbing
-Easy to install and operate with low maintenance
-No water required and can operate without electrical power
-Replaces the outhouse / pit latrine
The end product is literally dirt!
So how do composting toilets work? Aerobic microbes convert human waste back to nature through decomposition and evaporation. This is done in the presence of moisture and air, as air is constantly being drawn in and up the vent stack causing about 95% of the starting material to be evaporated.
Sun-Mar composting toilets are the safest and most environmentally friendly method of waste treatment and they provide a cost-effective alternative to conventional toilets. As Sun-Mar dealers, we can provide a composting toilet that can fulfil your demand, even if you have a large family. Sun-Mar has been protecting the environment for over 25 years and their products are well designed to cater to your everyday needs. You can shop for the most common models here, or contact us regarding any specific Sun-Mar unit you may be interested in.
You can also browse Sun-Mar directly: http://sun-mar.com
Food
A lot of people are learning how to provide enough food for themselves and their family through homesteading. In these remote areas, it is almost impossible to benefit from grid-tied power and so solar panels are used to provide power for their homes and farms. Homesteaders need power for refrigeration, heating, power tools and air conditioning.
A solar system can take care of all those needs. It is great to be able to provide for the electricity needs of your family without having to worry about a monthly bill. It is also important to have a back up generator to charge your battery bank on the days when there is not much sunlight or for activities that require extra power.
Power Supply
We have power options for all applications. Contact us directly to discuss your power needs, or click here for more information on off-grid power systems.
Water Supply
Quite likely you will need to source water from a well to meet your domestic requirements. An electrical pump is used in almost all applications and will be powered from your main power supply for your home, or supported by a small power system if needed. Solar Water pumps are popular choices for sourcing water for cattle and agriculture. Click here for more information.
For more information and ideas on remote living, please visit our Pinterest page.