Free fast facts for your off-grid project

These fact sheets contain a mix of specific project facts, general design principles, some product and technology comparisons as well as legal and technical information.  

There are links to other fact sheets and resources on other websites I run - one for cooling cities by cooling streets, and another site selling a product designed to cool down car parks, school yards, streets and open spaces, called coolseats.

I’m delighted to receive new information on projects, products and ideas and welcome your feedback which is focussed on improving the conservation of energy, water, soil, food, land and farming. If you have any suggestions for additional fact sheets, please share your ideas with me (michael@sustainablehouse.com.au).

From pools to ponds - how to avoid pumps, chlorine:  

This fact sheet has examples of swimming pools converted to ponds which are cleaned by plants instead of pumps and chlorine.  For more facts and examples from Ku-ring-gai Council here's a link to its pools to ponds programme.


OFF-GRID PROJECTs

  • Simple streetgarden outside off-grid house:

    I share the basic principles and staggering figures about the drain garden I designed to divert rainwater runoff and harvest it to water plants and trees. 

  • Is city rainwater safe to drink?:

    I explain the rainwater tank system designed for my house, and for another house and how tests have shown how clean rain water is.

  • Estimating energy and water usage:

    Using knowledge about general behaviours and the appliances, I estimate the amount of water and electricity that can be used every year and show you how much that would cost every year if a householder weren't off-grid.


Product and technology comparisons

  • Lead acid vs lithium-ion batteries:

    A comparison of two popular battery types by categories like life cycle and performance, environmental impact and safety as well as comments from colleagues at Off-Grid Energy


Cooling your street and reducing your energy bills


oTHER fact sheets coming soon

  • Off-grid costs

  • Reducing waste

  • Future plumbing to disconnect from sewage

  • Efficient appliances

  • Off-grid solar

  • Low energy hot water system

  • Red tape

  • Off-grid solutions

  • Materials