August 2013 • FREE SEE OUR CENTER SPREAD
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By Lisa Knorr
When I met my client Chloe, I was fascinated with her unique “off the grid” home she built in 2007 in Wolf Creek, Montana. I wanted to know more about the impact her home was NOT having. She wanted a self-sustaining log home that captured the incredible mountain views of the Wolf Creek area, while blending in with nature on her 320 acres and living with modern comforts while still being off the grid. Chloe says, “I love all the peace and quiet I have around my home. Nature just moves around, doing its own thing without any interference from my living there. I’ve seen newborn fawns with their mothers, elk bugling on a crisp fall morning, eagles floating on updrafts of warm air, and an occasional bear going about his ‘bear business.’ Not to mention looking out the window on a beautiful full moon-lit night and spotting deer so clearly you can see them blink!” Chloe lives very comfortably without relying on municipal services, such as water, sewer, natural gas, power, or garbage. Her home has running water, flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, internet service, cell service, and even a security system—courtesy of the family dogs! When others are without electricity because of a storm, she’s still doing
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Off the Grid
fine. No glitches or outages, and best of all… no bills! With solar panels that draw energy from the sun and store it in batteries, how much cleaner and independent could she get? To maximize exposure to the sun for solar panels to power your home, you have to be cognizant of how your home is situated—the long axis of your home needs to have an east-west orientation. The solar panels connect to a series of batteries, which then store and convert the energy collected from the direct current (DC) to the alternating current (AC) used by lights and appliances. Chloe’s home has 18 solar panels, which feed 12 batteries that occupy a space about the size of a small chest freezer in a corner of her garage. A propane-powered back-up generator supplements those times when the weather hasn’t been conducive to recharging the batteries—this is recommended for those living off the grid but don’t really want to “rough it.” You need to make adjustments to be truly off the grid, and some may find it challenging—but it seems “un-pluggers” find benefits in being self-sufficient. For example, read the weather and do laundry on a sunny day, and then hang your clothes to dry. Like Chloe says, “you can go without a dishwasher. Instead, just situate your sink under a window
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so you can see all of the beauty outside while doing a chore that’s not that bad anyway.” Having the southern orientation for the solar panels also sets you up with ideal conditions for gardening, and there are a variety of systems that collect rainwater. You can have fresh veggies, herbs, and flowers to enjoy now and also to store for the winter months. At least for another year or so, another bonus is the benefits from the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which allows homeowners with Energy Star–approved solar systems to claim a percentage of the cost of the system as a tax credit in the year the system is installed. Check with your tax consultant before starting your project to make sure your project qualifies. We can all do our part and be more conservative with water, energy, and other natural resources even when we’re tethered to municipal services. Remember: don’t blow it—good planets are hard to find. The Wolf Creek Homestead is currently offered at $999,000. Find out more about the property (WEB ID: 190157) at bigskysothebysrealty.com.
EST. 1997
87 Lone Peak Dr Big Sky, Mt 59716 | 406.995.3670 | bigskybuild.com