Off the Grid and on the Cloud - help our crowd-sourced doc

[damocsell]

Cant wait to watch it

[TheGraniteFlaneur]

I'm looking forward to seeing more!



[cdltpx]

UrbanFarmGuy is a yt channel you might want to check it out. Not quite off grid but a great idea to reduce dependance on food from big business.

[cdltpx]

IDK the lowest I can seem to go with my family is just under 1600KWH a month. If we just shut off the power I could make it I use to live on a shrmp boat we had the engine to provide some juice but mostly we were totally off grid I remmeber showering when the rain came. I would go on deck or in a parking lot anyplace where there was enough water and get clean. I liked being off grid back then I had more fun.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, wiw that's 3.5x higher australian average are you running pool filter 24/7 or something.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia I live in a trailer in jungle climate we have an all electric home. All cooking ,clothes washing , heating cooling 3 window units, of air and water done by electric. We wash a load of clothes a day at the least so those 2 machines are going every day. Then the wife has that hair dryer and curling iron every morning the kid rarely turns off her tv 1 computer 2 laptops and some security lighting and that is summer time use. Fall spring is around 900KWH All lights are CFs but one.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, I would get a watt meter and start listing where that energy gets lost so you have better idea your situation. Think the major problem might be insulation, some say product called thermo shield paint makes a huge difference. window insulation film should help minimizing loss though windows. Layers of bubblewrap in skylights etc and check not loosing excessive air from vents (but you still need fresh air). If you have three way fridge on electricity replace it with normal fridge.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia I know the home leaks badly insulation sucks its a 82 trailer soon it will be 30 years old they are designed to fail after 20 years. An electric clothes dryer is a lot of power so are 3 window units going all day. All the windows have foil it is just hot. Sure we could do things like turn up the temp and go to the library for the day then the pool but as I stated it isn't a problem it is just an expense. We can try to be a meiser bad enough I am in pain all day why be hot too?

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, I have small caravan same vintage, next to no insulation,so its terrible in heat/cold. Think you should strongly consider a repaint using ceramic paint (watch?v=FRq4UJLqLDI) but first join trailer/caravan forums on internet and ask their advice ... cost effectiveness brand etc. If its effective as they suggest, the compressors in your air conditioners may only need work 1/2 as hard, saving you money.

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx That is summer heat $4.31a day for total comfort. We have our place paid off only bill besides cable water garbage car home health insurance netflicks. We really have it made when you look at it wife is the only person working I have zero income. We are not rich but I compare how we live not to the man down the street but to the man 60 years ago. When it comes to education we can learn web/library free there is money to be made here I am in so much pain I barely ever even get out.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, Shouldn't need to trade comfort for electricity just need work out way to minimize wasted energy. Cloths dryers use lots energy so destroy it, so they have to hang cloths outside. Tv, laptops, wife's hair dryer arn't a real issue as they only be a small percentage of your total usage. Big issue is cooling/heating and that can be addressed reasonably cheaply. People have even pack bales straw outside the caravan covered with tarp - real effective. But the paint sounds the go-er.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia Oh i agree did you read the part where I am disabled and I am getting no money in. I was saving to buid a concrete dome home the most efficient indestrutable structure that is affordable to most people on the planet. See in USA you have a job you work big hours for bigger money they want you to fully feel the slave experience and when you are injured doing that work well they park you for 4-5 years draw your savings down then they kick in disability wouldnt want you to get ahead.

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx I want to be efficient they fight you every step of the way to get there.They would lend me the money to go solar they would lend me the $50k to cover just under 1/2 of my needs. But would not allow a loan to buy the dome home that cost about 1/4 of what the solar setup would. The dome home is a low tech safer way to reduce consumption our G is not about reducing consumption they are about providing jobs the opposite of what we want to do. Solar can be hurt dome cant build domes 1st.

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx When I was a kid I hung out the clothes ran out to collect them everytime the storms threatened the clothes. Many a day I go out there to take them in and was soaked by the time I got them all in. My dream home would have appliances where any heat produced by appliances would have the option of venting or warming home. Solar ovens would be used solar water heated but they want $6k just for water heater that is too damm high. I wish I could do but I can barely walk.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, I use to like concrete domes but now think they wasteful. I now prefer more temporary structures like yurts. They can be insulated fairly easily (using featherdown blankets etc) and can be packed up and moved when desired. Don't let your position get you down. I have traveled to Cambodia, we not know what poor is until we witness the poorest. So not look your neighbor, look your position, look for tiny ways to improve, before long you will be happy your result. All the best.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia According to CNN 2011 has been the costliest year for natural disasters EVER. So far 265 BILLIION dollars damage has been recorded and we are but half way through the year. The disasters have been earthquake tsunami wildfire flood TORNADO. We just entered hufficane season. We are already have economic unrest that usually has violence that accompanies the dome is also BULLET PROOF. I first chose the dome for STRENGTH. When you price the dome it cost same as traditional structures.

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx That is the dome with the superior insulation. If you just want a ECO dome you can build one of them for abouut ~3K and reuse the airform up to 100 times you can connect your domes making it very affordable to the DIY that wishes to build his home one room at a time. They rather you get MDI domes since they save so much energy. If I build an ECO dome I would place a carport structure over it for shade and to provide something for the solar panels to anchor to. There are ways to insilate.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, concrete itself needs a lot of energy so its costs will go up. But you not need a dome there are alternatives, Look internet for "A low impact woodland home" built for ~5k. if your heart is set on dome, perhaps calearth (watch?v=WMNzoWkXTtc) is better alternative. Lots of people out of work will gladly work for a bit of money.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia I have studied them all Cal earth, AI domes, MDI domes,Cob homes, straw bale, earth ships, cord wood, shipping container,adobe, I am sure I am missing a few I am not concerned with the energy invested I am concerned with the amount of money it will take and how STRONG the building is going to be. If I go with cal earth in Louisiana I have to have the earth trucked in cal earth is for places with material ready here we have mud that fire ants love to build nest in. They stucco CE homes?

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx All is moot if I haven't the health to build my own or the funding to have it built. I see my trailer breaking down that is certian. IF I get disability I can buy another trailer I probably will not live to see it break down totlly but a storm can take it ANY night. That is why I want the dome you can calculate all you want of other forms if it doesn't have the ability to survive (earthquake wildfire tornado lightening strike termite rot ) then your calculations are not accurate.

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx You look at the energy it cost to build the dome but are not taking into consideration the fact that the dome will not have to be rebuilt for about 500 years how many structures will have to be rebuilt over that period of time? It looks like the others are a good deal and they are if you are lucky but I have titanium and stainless steel in my back because of Tornado I have lost my home to fire in my life already hurricane damage already what about fuel evacuating that is energy too.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, there will be more and more homeless people that need food, they will work for minimum cost. Don't let negatives block your path, find a way.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia Right and I get the homeless to bring the material to my land with a caravan of bicycles hire a professional the first time? I hire local people to work on my home they screw it up every time I check references do all my home work and still they suck. I want to build a concrete home use stainless steel industrial kitchen I want everything indestructable. Domes you build it and there is little maintence the structure has lo load bearing walls. HL can do their thing I just glad I not HL

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, what you want and what you can afford seems to be the issue. But you also need ask yourself if unrealistic goals of a dome is just another scapegoat for not moving forward. A wise man once said if we believed our word could move a mountain then that mountain would move. You need start believing in yourself again.

[cdltpx]

@0urGaia A dome cost ~the same as traditional housing the parish has no issue with my building a dome. Problem is getting a loan for the home I could not get the loan even though my credit is great I decided we were going to pay off our place save the money to build a dome ourselves. Then I began having health issues good thing we paid off all our debts. We were on a good path to having saved enough with over $20k saved. I REFUSE to build anything LESS than a dome it has to be tornado proof

[cdltpx]

@cdltpx If it were just housing I would have have a trailer swap after Katrina. We spent 10K in repairs so we could have the additional time to save to build a dome. Then I was injured I gave up. Now we are considering possibly having a smaller dome built. I hate to get another trailer thay are just a revolving payment you never get ahead with them and the homes you can get loans for are just not worth the trip you migh as well buy a trailer they are presswood garbage.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, I am not trying to sway you into aiming for something you don't want. I just don't see point aiming for something that is beyond our means. cal-earth is a dome, is earthquake/tornado resistant, and is made of earth cement if not mistaken. Its not for everyone because they are small. And they not need tradespeople to build. But you are your own man, you need do what you think best. I wish you luck.

[0urGaia]

@cdltpx, ants shouldn't be a problem as earth is incased in thick plastic tubes which you can buy online (some mix dirt with percentage of concrete). Yes I believe they use stucco for weathering . Cal earth is labor intensive but you could advertise for free labor that just want experience in building their own cal-earth home. cal-earth is a beautiful home at many levels.