With the ever rising cost of electricity and rising costs of every day living, more and more people are asking Can I Live Off Grid In Arizona ? And there are two answers that determine if you are able to take your home off grid.

The first thing to consider when thinking about going off grid is how well is your home insulated? The average home in southern Arizona requires a significant amount of air conditioning due to the excessive heat. Temperatures in southern Arizona cities like Yuma, Phoenix, Buckeye, Casa Grande and most other surrounding areas experience temperatures in excess of 105 degrees for more than 5 months out of the year. With  desert temperatures reaching 105-120 degrees during summer months its almost impossible to have a home that doesn’t require a significant amount of air conditioning power but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

The second biggest determining factor for going off grid is wether you’re willing to down size or minimize your life style . Cooling a 3000 square home takes a massive amount of energy but if your home was smaller and if it was built with off grid living in mind, then it could be possible possible.

So what do I need to do in order to Live Off Grid In Arizona ?  Building a home to spec that meets the demands go southern Arizona’s extreme heat might be easier than you think.  Have you ever looked at one of those really expensive Yeti ice chest coolers and asked yourself why is it so expensive and does it really work ? A Yeti cooler can keep a bag of ice for up to 5 days because of how well insulated it is compared to your typical fifty dollar coolers found at you local Walmart sporting good section.

The first step to successful off grid living in any location is energy efficiency. Most homes bleed energy worse that a hog on a butcher block.  But this doesn’t have to be that way.  Using the same technology as a yeti cooler is could be possible to have a home with very little energy loss if build correctly.  For starters, most homes today are build with 2×4 or 2×6 wall studs, but what if you doubled the thickness of your wall studs and ceiling. Joyce’s to 2×12’s and what if you filled your 2×12 walls and ceiling Joyce’s with solid foam insulation ? The same type of insulation found in expensive Yeti coolers ? We’re talking walls and ceilings that are a solid foot thick with foam insulation.  The ultimate energy saving home .  Next let’s talk energy efficient air conditioning. In our research we found a mini split air conditioning system that only requires 400 watts to operate . That literally one solar panel with of electricity during sunlight hours.  So with a small solar system and a small battery you could run this AC unit to add additional comfort to your extremely energy efficient home.

Next is another big energy bleed, yes we’re talking about windows and doors. windows and doors are another big energy leak in your home, this is why you would need to have the best windows and the best doors possible for your custom energy home build.  We recommend a pvc framed, double payne, gas charged window system with an additional layer of ceramic UV window tint to block out 99% of all UV rays and reflect heat back outside where you want it to stay.    The third part of an off grid home is appliances .. Today there are more off grid living systems than you would even believe. Everything from twelve volt, full size, compressor powered refrigerators, to miniature on demand hot water heaters. With a little ingenuity and a little extra work you could in fact build an off grid home capable of being extremely efficient even in the desert southwest extreme heat.

Ask us about how to build an off grid home that is not only energy efficient but is cost effective forever.
it is possible to live off grid in Arizona but it requires special attention to details and it requires living in a reasonable sized home that’s designed smaller and extremely efficient in order to meet the grueling heart of the desert south west.  Contact us today : https://www.48solar.com/request-an-evaluation/