How did you set up your Bach Kit, and where have you got it installed?
I got an electrician friend to help install it. I have it installed in a separate shed to the tiny house.
What are you running on your kit? What are you not running?
We’re running a fridge and our water pump uses the most power. The blender too but we don’t use that too often. Also run two computers. We have a little fireplace as our heating.
What was it that appealed to you about living off-grid? Why did you choose this lifestyle?
The freedom and being self sufficient has always appealed to me.
Why did you choose to have a tiny home? Did you build it yourself or buy it?
Moving back to NZ we wanted to live in Waitakere but didn’t want to rent so putting a tiny house on the family farm solved that. We bought it second hand.
What challenges have you faced along the way?
We haven't had many challenges, other than running the gene a few times in winter.
Why did you choose solar over a generator or mains power?
The property doesn’t have mains power, it would cost a small fortune to get it installed so solar was the solution. Generators are noisy and emit CO2.
Why did you choose GridFree over another company? How did you find us?
GridFree are great! I highly recommend them. Choose them because I like the DIY aspect.
What’s been the best part of going solar?
No power bills!
What’s been the best part of being off-grid in general? How has your life changed?
Being self reliant/sufficient has always appealed to me. Also not having power cuts in winter is a plus.
What’s the next step in your off-grid journey?
Upgrade it one day when/if we decide to build a real house
Do you have any advice to other people that are planning to go off-grid?
My advice is to not have too many appliances. In summer its fine but come winter when you get back to back cloudy/foggy days then you start to notice the batteries aren’t charging as well.
Looking to power your own tiny house? Check out the Bach Kit or the Tiny House Kit!
