Cape Town - As load shedding continues to frustrate South Africans, many fed-up South Africans are contemplating “going off the grid”.
But how does it work? What does ’going off the grid’ entail? And how expensive is it?
Before deciding to rely less (or not at all) on the national or municipality’s energy provider, there are factors you have to consider.
First decide on what your source of power will be. You can pick from gas power or battery power, but the go-to is solar energy. You can also opt to use multiple alternative sources of power, so you might have a gas stove but make use of batteries for other appliances.
However, if you decide to go for solar power, check how much space you have in your house and take note of the lights and appliances.
You will need to convert or replace your lights with LED light bulbs and get rid of your stove and heater for gas appliances.
You will need about 20 solar panels, and you’ll need space inside to store the batteries. Depending on the size of your installation, this could be up to 30 batteries.
A solar panel ranges between R1600 and R2500. The Lithium-Ion batteries can set you back from R23k to R80k.
However, ’going off the grid’ is not just electricity. It also means finding another source of water.
For water, you can use grey water which is water left over from showering or washing clothes or opt for rain water. You can use grey water for activities that do not require fresh water, such as flushing the toilet. Rain water can also be used for most day-to-day activities and it’s completely free.
To capture rain water, you can either use buckets and pots or invest in cisterns and other devices.
Energy independence and self-sufficiency go hand-in-hand. If you can, grow your own fruit, vegetables and herbs and consider developing energy-independent forms of cooking, such as a DIY grill or a fire pit.
IOL