Off-the-Grid Homes
- News Archive

Go to:

KEIN Home

NOTE: To locate "newer" articles, simply use your "find" function with the word "NEW". Also note that some of these links are dead.  Depending on individual newspapers archival systems, some links may be dead or require payment to read within one to two weeks. For those links that have been discovered to be dead are left in bold for your reference.

Midwestern U.S. Homes

Indiana

Living simple life takes work
(Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal, Jan. 16, 2005)

Iowa

Eco-friendly Iowans thrive off the grid
(Des Moines Register, Jan. 21, 2007)

Community in northeast Iowa is energy self-sufficient
(Mason City (IA) Globe-Gazette, Jan. 16, 2005)

Kansas

Living off the grid
(Topeka Capital-Journal, Feb. 27, 2006)
(Registration required)

Gridless Urban House Project - Urban Kansas Home that is off the grid
(Web-site sponsored by KCC Energy Program

Area couple has their own energy island
(Colby Free Press, December 2, 2002)

The simple life - off grid
(Hays Daily News, November 30, 2002)

Living off-grid explained
(Hays Daily News, November 30, 2002)

Michigan

NEW  Bangor couple's 'off-grid' home allows living lightly on the land
(Kalamazoo Gazette, April 22, 2007)

HOME SOLAR SYSTEM: Active, passive energy run Dexter Twp. house
(Detroit Free Press, October 1, 2006)

Minnesota

Building a new life — and taking it off the grid
(Preston (MN) Republican-Leader, Feb. 23, 2006)
Project web-site

'Off the grid' a way of life at Sawbill Outfitters
(Cook County (MN) News-Herald, April 15, 2005)

Missouri

At Missouri church, green movement gathers steam
(Kansas City Star, June 6, 2006)
(Registration Required to view)

Choosing a Great Life
(Mother Earth News, Issue #194, Oct./Nov. 2002)

Schafer Farms Natural Meats
(Company Web-site - Same couple featured in above article - see "About Us")

Wisconsin

Energy-efficient house moves off utility grid
(Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Oct. 18, 2006)

Energy-efficient house moves off utility grid
(Oshkosh (WI) Northwestern, Oct. 18, 2006)

A powerful feeling
(Wisconsin State Journal - Madison, Oct. 4, 2006)

Power From Above: Home Solar Installation One Of Area's Largest Ever
(Madison (Wis.) Capital Times, Sept. 24, 2005)

Wind power’s potential kicks up growing interest
(Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Feb. 13, 2005)

Low-impact living
Family chooses to live close to the earth
(Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Feb. 14, 2004)

Kennan couple builds energy-efficient home
Is only Price County structure featured Oct.4 in state tour of solar buildings
(The Phillips (Wis.) Bee, October 2, 2003)

French Island family is solar powered
(La Crosse (Wis.) Tribune, May 26, 2003)

Living Off the Grid
(Shepherd Express, Milwaukee, Wis., November 22, 2001)

Feeling empowered
(Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, July 29, 2001)

Eastern U.S. homes

Alabama

Love of nature luring people to energy-efficient lifestyle in Blount County
(Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, Sept. 29, 2004)

Connecticut

Going green: Design movement growing to build environmentally friendly buildings
(Danbury (CT) News-Times, Feb. 4, 2007)

Florida

One man's fight to become free of FPL
(Miami Herald, August 27, 2006)

Soaking up the rays
(Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, Oct. 1, 2005)

Georgia

Zero energy' homes are builder's pride
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 15, 2002)
Reprinted on Southface Energy Institute web-site.

Private power to the people
(Atlanta Business Chronicle, March 16, 2001)

Solar-powered house makes light of utility bills
(CNN.com, April 28, 1996)

Kentucky

John F. Robbins' off-the-grid home office in Morningview, KY
Personal Web-site

Louisiana

 'Green' system keeps costs low
(Opelousas (LA) Daily World, Dec. 16, 2004)

Maine

Living off electric-power grid sates urge for self-sufficiency
(Seattle Times, March 7, 2005)

Living the good life — on their own terms
(Brunswick (ME) Times Record News, Dec. 2, 2004)

Monaco Leads the Way Off the Grid
(Lincoln County (ME) News, Sept. 1, 2004)

Off the Grid
(The Swarthmore College Bulletin, March 1998)

Massachusetts

Off the grid - Local man generates his own electricity
(Berkshire (MA) Eagle, October 7, 2006)

Vineyard Unplugged - Living off the grid
(The Martha's Vineyards Times, April 27, 2006)

Green Homes Open Houses Saturday
Cape Cod Area Participates in Green Buildings Open House
(Cape Cod Today, Sept. 27, 2005)

Maryland

Sun, wind, corn pare utility bills
(The Baltimore Sun, December 21, 2003)

New Hampshire

Sun can power homes, empower owners
(Portsmouth (NH) Herald, Feb. 11, 2007)

My turn: Being green is easier than it might seem
(Concord (NH) Monitor, September 27, 2006)

Beyond the Grid
(New Hampshire Magazine, May 19, 2006)

Not as off-the-grid as you you'd think
(Foster's Daily Democrat, Nov. 28, 2004)

New York

Couple's furnace offers double service: Heating home, cooking pizza
(Elmira (NY) Star-Gazette, Jan. 16, 2006)

Students Build Solar House
(Cornell (NY) Daily Sun, Oct. 13, 2005)

It's nice being green off the grid
(Albany (NY) Times-Union, Sept. 30, 2005)

Home, home off the grid
(Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal, Oct. 15, 2004)
(Available in newspaper archives - Purchase required to view)

A few cut the cord and live off the grid
(Albany (NY) Times-Union, Aug. 17, 2003)

Power Switch
(Ithaca (NY) Times, April 23, 2003)

Even under clouds, solar power shines
(Buffalo (NY) News, April 29, 2002)

Life off electric grid computes: Family in New York survives without energy dependence
(Salina Journal, August 14, 2001)

North Carolina

NEW  New home built completely 'green'
(Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times, March 29, 2007)

Another Way
(Washington Post Magazine, Nov. 19, 2006)
(Registration Required)

Chris Carter - Off the power grid completely
(Raleigh News-Observer, October 8, 2006)

New homeowner moves into North Carolina’s first Zero Energy Home
(Appalachian State University News, September 28, 2006)

Off the grid
(The (NC) Independent Weekly, July 20, 2006)

Off-the-grid living in 21st century
(Earth & Sky Radio Series, July 19, 2006)

Powerful attraction
(Greensboro (NC) News-Record, Feb. 4, 2005)

Off the grid provides powerful living
(Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times, April 9, 2003)

Going Off The Grid
(The Boone (NC) Mountain Times, June 6, 2002)

Some fight pollution by dropping off the grid
(Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times, Sept. 5, 2001)
(Available in newspaper archives - Purchase required to view)

Pennsylvania

Power for the people
(Allentown (PA) Morning Call, Sept. 24, 2006)

Living off the grid might be free, but it's not easy
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 28, 2006)

Modern-day homesteader leads 'green' life on University Park campus
(Penn State Live, Feb. 23, 2006)

Sustainablity advocates focus on life off the grid
((State College, Penn.) Centre Daily Times, Oct. 3, 2005)

Graduate 'sustains' home on PSU campus
(The Penn State Collegian, Dec. 10, 2004)

South Carolina

House in the Colleton County woods is all green
(The (Columbia, SC) State, September 3, 2006)

Life in the woods - unplugged
(The (Charleston, SC) Post & Courier, September 2, 2006)

Tennessee

Little Solar Houses for You and Me
Working to develop the Volkswagen of solar homes
(Grist Magazine, October 7, 2003)

Vermont

Energy Family - Power Pioneers: Part IV
(Popular Mechanics, January 2007)

Energy Family - Sun Showers: Part III
(Popular Mechanics, June 2006)

Off the grid or on, solar and wind power gain
(USA Today, April 12, 2006)

Energy Family - Cold Comfort, Part II
(Popular Mechanics, March 2006)

Energy Family - Living Unplugged, Part I
(Popular Mechanics, December 2005)

Solar Home Project: Blog
(Popular Mechanics, 2005-2006 (on-going))

Green Buildings Tour opens eyes to energy options
(Rutland (VT) Herald, Oct. 3, 2005)

Omega launches green campus
(Rutland (VT) Herald, Sept. 17, 2005)

Company opens new eco-friendly `campus'
(Boston Globe, Sept. 17, 2005)

Going green and off the grid in style
(Brattleboro (VT) Reformer, April 10, 2004)

Virginia

Builder goes boldly into solar power
(Loudon (VA) Times-Mirror, January 9, 2007)

Architecture students, faculty build solar house
(Virginia Tech Collegiate Times, Sept. 27, 2005)

West Virginia

A model home for the future
(Martinsburg (WV) Journal, August 28, 2006)

Non-U.S. Homes

Australia

A perfect fit
(Sydney Morning Herald, June 22, 2006)

Canada

NEW  House so green roof would need mowing
(Winnipeg Sun, April 23, 2007)

NEW  Off the grid - Fenwick’s Neil Ripley charged up by Ma Nature
(Amherst (NS) Daily News, March 30, 2007)

Getting off the grid
(Victoria Times Colonist, March 21, 2007)

Homeowners look to go off electrical grid
(Business Edge (Toronto, ON), January 12, 2007)

Live off the grid with wind power
(Canada.com (Don Mills, ON), September 7, 2006)

Energy heroes in our midst
(Caledon (ON) Citizen, May 24, 2006)

Solar and wind power works - Local man worry-free
(The (Grand Bend, ON) Lakeshore Advance, April 19, 2006)

Survivorman: 'I am really alone'
(Toronto Star, March 7, 2006)

Mother Nature leaves Green candidate in the dark
(CBC News, Jan. 17, 2006)

Cottage in a box: Modernist pre-fab cabin heading for Canadian hills
(Toronto Globe and Mail, Sept. 17, 2005)

Taking pressure off the grid by installing green power in their homes
(Parry Sound (ON) North Star, May 5, 2004)

Our Handmade Home: We cut our own lumber and built our off-the-grid home for only $5,000
(Mother Earth News, Feb./March 1994)

In Telkwa, Surviving Off the Grid
(The Tyee (B.C.), February 6, 2004)

Great Britain

Off The Grid And All The Comforts Of Home
(Green Building Press, March 16, 2006)

New Zealand

Harmony off the grid
(Hawkes Bay (NZ) Today, August 3, 2006)

South Africa

Solar Power Is Reaching Where Wires Can't
(New York Times, September 9, 2001)
Archived at Solar Electric Light Fund web-site

Western U.S. Homes

Arizona

East Phoenix couple live 'off the grid'
(East Valley (AZ) Tribune, Nov. 25, 2005)
(Archived - Purchase required to view)

East Phoenix couple live 'off the grid'
(KVOA - Tucson, Nov. 24, 2005)

Water in the Desert
(Mother Earth News, June/July 2004)

Home Alone--Living Off the Grid
(Home Energy Magazine Online, June 1993)

California

NEW  Off the grid spa
(San Francisco Chronicle, March 29, 2007)

O, pioneers in Pasadena
(Los Angeles Times, January 25, 2007)

• Path to Freedom, Dervais Institute - see above story

Natural resources a natural way for some to save
(Amador Ledger Dispatch (Jackson, CA), October 18, 2006)

Wind turbine adds to off-the-grid living
(Mount Shasta Herald, October 11, 2006)

Foothill publisher-historian and wife have long lived 'off the grid'
(Sacramento Bee, July 6, 2006)

Central Valley dairy farmer shows UN delegates how he got off the grid
((Stockton, CA) Central Valley Business Times, June 26, 2006)

Farm bursts with options
(The (Grass Valley, Cal.) Union, May 13, 2006)

Land trust to establish 'off-the-grid' nature center
(Contra Costa Times, May 10, 2006)

Venturing off the grid
(San Francisco Chronicle, February 21, 2006)

Local businesses light up on solar energy
(San Francisco Guardian, January 25, 2006)

Sun-fueled apartment complex is completed
(Pajaro Valley (CA) Register-Pajaronian, Feb. 27, 2005)

Power at Thunderhawk Ranch
(Mother Earth News, June/July 1998)

Solar power is a smart investment
(Tulare (CA) Advance-Register, Sept. 30, 2004)

California Office Building Named Greenest in U.S.
(National Geographic News, May 24, 2004)

Greenest of Them All - Audubon Nature Center is Certified as Nation's Most Environmentally Friendly Building
(Environmental News Network, Jan. 13, 2004)

Get bright ideas about solar power on tour
(Alameda Times-Star, October 13, 2003)

Time to Escape From the Grid?
(Wired.com, August 19, 2003)

It's almost always greener living off the energy grid
(San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 16, 2002)

Solar: A costly route to energy autonomy
(Riverside Press-Enterprise, May 13, 2001)

Living off the grid
(Palo Alto on-line, February 21, 2001)

Living On And Off The Grid
(Lassen County News, February 15, 2001)

Batteries included: Enclave of adventurous families takes advantage of solar power, but it's hardly free
(San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 4, 2001)

Home-Grown Energy's Time to Shine
(New York Times, January 24, 2001)
Reprinted at a personal web-site.

Colorado

NEW  Energy matters: Living off the grid
(YourHub.com, March 12, 2007)

Green house raises questions about 'sustainable'
(Aspen (CO) Daily News, Feb. 4, 2007)

Energy conscious family relies on solar power to light their home
((Frisco, Co.) Summit Daily News, Oct. 29, 2006)

Household enjoys sun power
(Cortez Journal, August 26, 2006)

Living off the grid charges up writer
(Denver Post, May 4, 2005)

Day in the sun: 26 homes celebrated in annual Tour of Solar Homes
(Boulder County Daily Camera, Oct. 1, 2004)

A Simple Solar Solution
(Mother Earth News, Aug./Sept. 2003)

Wind and sun power homes, generate zero energy bills
(North Forty News (LaPorte, CO) , July 2003)

Local couple explain wind, sun energy
(North Forty News, July 2003)

The house of the rising sun
(Rocky Mountain News, May 30, 2003)

Canyon dream home hums without access to power-plant lines
(Denver Post, May 25, 2003)

Where the rubber meets the roof (Earthship home)
(Colorado Springs Gazette, July 27, 2001)

Idaho

Under the sun and off the grid
(The Idaho Mountain Express, July 12, 2006)

Montana

Solar independence
(The Helena Independent Record, August 30, 2006)

Off the grid, on the green: Event to showcase Earth-friendly buildings, materials
(The Missoula Missoulian, June 8, 2006)

Self-Empowered: Couple rely on sun, wind, ingenuity
(Billings (MT) Gazette, Dec. 4, 2004)

Empowered: Family embraces challenge of life off the grid
(Ravalli Republic, March 17, 2004)

Behold the power of the wind
(The Montana Standard, Butte, MT, May 31, 2002)

Power play: NCAT helps tap wind resources
(The Montana Standard, Butte, MT, February 4, 2002)

Walking the Walk: Pair strives to live lightly, help others do same
(The Montana Standard, Butte, MT, November 23, 2001)

Solar independence
(The Helena Independent Record, March 25, 2001)

Self-built home demonstrates green living
(The Missoula Missoulian, June 10, 2000)

Nevada

Off The Grid
(Popular Mechanics, March 2005)

Finding yourself lost at the Lost Trail Lodge
(N. Lake Tahoe (NV) Bonanza, Jan. 6, 2005)

Eco nest - Light straw clay home blends nature and art
(Nevada County (CA) Union, July 6, 2004)

Solar power beats the heat, high bills
(Pahrump Valley (NV) Times, April 28, 2004)

Harnessing the sun: Home draws comfort from earth and sky
(The Gardnerville (NV) Record Courier, September 19, 2003)

New Mexico

Harnessing hydrogen to fuel the future
(The Santa Fe New Mexican, Feb. 15, 2005)

Off the grid, out of sight
(Albuquerque (NM) Tribune, Jan. 14, 2005)

Cheap rural land lures Californians with homesteading spirit
(North County (CA) Times, Nov. 14, 2004)

New Mexico lures Californians with cheap rural land
(Amarillo (TX) Globe-News, Sept. 26, 2004)

Living 'Off the Grid'
(Mountain View Journal, December 16, 1999)

One county’s misgivings over not-so-ordinary housing
(High Country News, September 1, 1997)

Oregon

Oregon community opts off the grid
(Seattle Times, September 11, 2006)

No electricity, no problem
(Bend (OR) Bulletin, September 4, 2006)

Living on 'green energy'
(Medford (OR) Mail Tribune, Oct. 2, 2004)

South Dakota

Hills couple gives up the grid
(Rapid City (SD) Journal, August 7, 2004)

Texas

Meanwhile, back at the Bush ranch
(Off-grid.com, February 18, 2007)

More consumers turn to wind, solar power
(Galveston Daily News, September 17, 2006)

Opinion: How to live off, and on, the grid in America
((Tucson) Arizona Daily Star, Jan. 17, 2006)

Completely Off the Grid
(Environmental Design and Construction Magazine, January 25, 2001)

Utah

Alternative energy not just for greens anymore
(Salt Lake Tribune, August 4, 2003)

USU student living 'off the grid' misses toasted bagels, but not utility bills
(Hard News Cafe, Utah State University, November 29, 2001)

Washington

Castle Rock artist enjoys 'earth-friendly' lifestyle
(Longview (WA) Daily News, Jan. 9, 2007)

Living the green lifestyle
(North Kitsap (Wash.) Herald, March 25, 2006)

Getting their power from the sun
(Skagit Valley (Wash.) Herald, Sept. 29, 2005)

Grid-Free FOREVER
(Mother Earth News, Issue #186, June/July 2001)

Solar power advocate Mike Nelson exhibits tireless energy
(Puget Sound Business Journal, November 19, 2001)

Opinion: Brave new backyard
(Christian Science Monitor, Boston, MA, February 5, 2001)

Wyoming

Sun, wind power carpenter's life
(Casper Star-Tribune, November 27, 2005)

Group hears of solar success
((Cheyenne) Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Sept. 13, 2005)

Getting off the grid
(Casper Star-Tribune, August 17, 2003)

Cowboy Enterprise: Getting off the grid
(Casper Star-Tribune, September 15, 2001)

General Stories

Hybrid Living Home Almost Complete
(Treehugger.com, March 1, 2006)

Editorial: A chance to take advantage of sunshine
(Great Falls (MT) Tribune, April 16, 2004)

Solar electric systems can provide reliable power
(Sebastian (FL) Sun, October 17, 2003)

Trapped Inside the Grid
(Metropolis Magazine, October 2003)

Companies and homeowners leave the power grid
(Wichita Falls (TX) Times Record News, Aug. 21, 2003)

Blackouts will lead consumer charge for energy alternatives, say power experts
(Canadian Press, August 17, 2003)

Living off the grid, Part IV: Catching the Wind
(Mother Earth News, Oct./Nov. 1994)

Living off the Grid, Part III: A New Era in Home-Owner Hydro
(Mother Earth News, April/May 1994)

Living off the Grid, Part II: Northern Exposure
(Mother Earth News, Feb./March 1994)

Living Off the Grid: 1994 Guide to Solar Power for Home Owners
(Mother Earth News, Dec./Jan. 1994)

Resources

HOMER - The Optimization Model for Distributed Power - "a computer model that simplifies the task of evaluating design options for both off-grid and grid-connected power systems for remote, stand-alone, and distributed generation (DG) applications." - by NREL

Off the Grid Living - Web-site provides resources, testimonials, products, and more.

KEIN Home | Energy News | Biofuels | Climate Change | Coal | Coalbed Methane | Electricity | Efficiency/Conservation | Energy Directory | Energy - General/Policy | Ethanol | Green Homes | Hydropower | Hydrogen/Fuel Cells | Legislation | Natural Gas | Nuclear - Wolf Creek | Off-the-Grid Homes | Petroleum | Renewable Energy | Solar | Terms & Definitions | Transportation Alternatives | Wind |

The Kansas Energy Information Network is not responsible for the content on external web-sites.

Comments to whites@kgs.ku.edu
Last modified: 04/24/2007
The current URL is www.kansasenergy.org/offthegrid.htm