Many people dream of living off the grid, but doing so requires a lot of up-front capital as well as ongoing expenses. However, one couple has found a way to make the dream of off-grid power for their private island a reality.
Designers Aleksi Hautamaki and Milla Selkimaki have recently finished the first phase of their two-stage project on a remote island in southwest Finland. The 200 m by 100 m (656 ft by 328 ft) triangular island has already been transformed into a workshop, sauna and two self-sustaining off-grid cabins.
Hautamaki and Selkimaki spent five years searching for the right island to turn their dream into a reality. Once they found the perfect spot on the edge of the Archipelago National Park, they wasted no time in constructing their home.
The pair’s off-grid homes are powered by a mix of renewable energy sources. The cabins generate electricity from solar panels and backup battery storage, with a diesel generator providing back-up in the event of bad weather or equipment failure.
A private island is an ideal place to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, but it’s also a great location for renewable energy systems. Solar, wind and battery storage systems can provide enough electricity for a small home or even a larger resort. In fact, several famous private islands are already powered by clean energy.
For example, the tiny island of Eigg in Scotland is a model of sustainable, off-grid living. The island, which has 105 residents, gets its electricity from the water, the wind and the sun using an array of renewable energy sources. These include a 10-kW wind turbine that looks like a cartoon missile, three monster arrays of solar panels and a beefed-up version of a 193-year-old Stirling engine. The system’s peak energy production capacity is about 25 kW.
While renewable energy sources can be expensive, they can provide a significant savings over the cost of paying for electricity from the grid. And in the long run, they’re far better for the environment.
Solar, wind and battery energy systems are becoming increasingly affordable. For instance, a fully equipped system designed to power a modern home in Australia can cost as little as $13 per day.
The key is choosing the right site for your system. Ideally, it’s an unobstructed sunny area that receives an average of at least 6 hours of sunshine each day. The more sun your system gets, the more energy it can produce.
Another important consideration is figuring out how much electricity you actually need. Most people overestimate their electrical usage, which makes a careful assessment of your appliances and energy needs crucial to determining the size of a system.
Once you have your system in place, it’s important to monitor it regularly. If your system isn’t producing as much electricity as you need, you’ll need to either install more solar panels or consider other options for generating power, such as a backup generator.