Running a homestead is often about independence, for example, generating power, for a lot of people. With dreams of living more like your ancestors, you work hard to do as much as possible for yourself and your family. This is taking away your reliance on modern society to help you along.
This way of life is very satisfying and can provide you with a great sense of achievement when you look at what you are able to do. Of course, though, there is one area which is not quite as easy as all the rest; electricity. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best ways to start generating power for yourself.
How To Start Generating Power For Your Homestead
Geothermal:
While most people are aware that the world has a very hot core, this heat is not exactly the most obvious way to start generating power for yourself. In reality, though, this is one of the few options in this area that you can put together all by yourself.
A basic geothermal power generator consists of a set of pipes, some water or oil, and something to collect all of the energy you can get from the liquid changing states. There are loads of guides around the web which can be used to build an option like this. Though you may need something to accompany it if you find yourself using a lot of the sparkly stuff.
Solar:
The sun is always bombarding Earth with a huge amount of energy. Coming in the form of UV radiation, though, it isn’t always easy to find a way to harness this great power. Solar installation companies have been popping up across the globe in recent years. They offer the means to start collecting this resource, without having to rely on the main grid. Along with this, you can find some more creative ways to start using the sun to your advantage. By having water pipes within a direct light, for example, you can have your hot water powered by daylight. This can be effective throughout the year for generating power.
See also: How We Became Off-The-Grid Overnight for our personal story.
Also read: Quick and Easy Guide For Living Off-The Grid
Water:
This last option of generating power will only really work for those with access to a running water source on their property. If you have a river or spring which comes your way, you should be able to start collecting some electricity from it with the help of an inverted motor and a small turbine. Like using geothermal power, there are loads of guides around the web which have been made to give you the chance to do this for yourself. If you want to get the most out of it, though, it will be best to go with a company who know exactly what they are doing. This will make the whole process much simpler.
Hopefully, with all of this in mind, you will be ready to start finding ways of generating power. There are loads of other ways to make your home more independent, especially with the help of modern technology, making this area one worth exploring.
With our new extension we have plans for water heating solar panels on the roof and a woodburner with back boiler to heat the water in winter. We don’t have any running water and we did look into geothermal but it was way too expensive for us at the time … a wind turbine is another option we may consider.
I am currently looking into water heated solar panels also. However, I think I am going to wait until Spring and save then convert to be completely off the grid here on my homestead. I am adding another “section” to my tiny house soon and I plan on adding a wood burner to that area.
We did look at solar panels for all electricity when we first moved to France but they were just too expensive. However our main use for electricity is to heat water so we felt this was the next best thing! And enjoy your woodburner, you’ll love it. We also cook on top of ours and have a clothes drier over it.
I get the whole hot water thing. That makes a lot of sense. Solar panels are an investment upfront that the average homeowner really has to budget and save for! I can’t wait to have the wood burner! I cooked on one years ago and I loved it!
Great tips! I am really looking into getting solar set up! thanks for sharing on Homestead Blog Hop!
Thanks, Liz! Solar is so much better than traditional power. It is an investment up front that pays off in the long run! Make sure you do your homework!
Its excellent as your other articles :D, regards for posting.