How-To Articles

• lifestyle
• type: article

Foraging as a Way of Life + Pickled Onionweed Recipe

In my early 20s, while living in the Swiss/Italian Alps I fell headfirst into the wonderful wild world of foraging and folk herbalism. I was instantly drawn to the beautiful,...

• GridFree Connections
• type: video

GF Connections - Interview with Elite Tiny Homes

There's a whole lot more to living off grid than just setting up solar. So today we're starting a new series where we visit other off-grid friendly businesses that you might encounter in your...

• basics
• general
• planning: research and planning
• type: article

Living Off the Grid: 9 Surprises and Misconceptions

Thinking about going off the grid in New Zealand? We had a chat with some off-gridders to hear all about what surprised them most when they moved off grid, and...

• basics
• FAQ
• q+a
• type: article

What is a kilowatt hour?

If you’ve started looking into solar, kilowatt hours (kWh) is a term you’ve probably seen – but what does it mean and how do you use this term to find...

• basics
• planning: installation
• planning: maintenance/troubleshooting
• planning: research and planning
• solar panels
• type: article

Effects of Shadow on Solar Panels

Occasionally customers will call us wondering why they can’t seem to fully charge their batteries despite having plenty of sunshine - more often than not, there’s a shadow being cast...

• general
• type: article

Tips for Conserving Water Off-Grid Over Summer

With a much drier season expected this summer, it’s important to be prepared for the lack of rainfall we’ll have over the next several months, so here are some quick...

• appliances
• basics
• type: article

Best Appliances for Off Grid Living

Going off the grid and trying to work out what the best appliances will be? By choosing the most efficient appliances you can cut down on your electricity use quite...

• how to
• planning: maintenance/troubleshooting
• planning: purchasing
• sizing
• type: video
• usage

How to choose a backup generator

A generator is a key part of any off grid setup. If you run into a set of rainy days with no solar generation or you just use too much power,...

• type: article

What is Solar Pumping?

Solar water pumps are usually to replace on-demand pumps such as petrol or mains pumps - saving on bills and time.

• batteries
• type: article

How to Look After Off Grid Solar Batteries

Batteries are a key component in all our off grid solar kits. They are also your biggest investment, so it is very important to look after them to maximise their...

• basics
• general
• tiny living
• type: article

5 Things to Consider before Living Off Grid in NZ

Dreaming about escaping the rat race and living off the land? Here are five things to consider before making your big move towards living off grid in NZ. 

• general
• tiny house
• type: article

10 Things to do to Prepare to Live Off the Grid

In this article, we will cover 10 important things to think about so you know how to prepare to live off the grid.

• type: video

What are Peak Sun Hours?

What does '3 peak sun hours' mean? And how do you understand it in a way that helps you choose the right kit? Here’s a full explanation!

• basics
• batteries
• FAQ
• kits
• planning: maintenance/troubleshooting
• solar power
• type: article

How to Read Gel Battery Voltage

A common mistake new solar users will make with our kits is reading your Gel battery charge using the bars or percentage on screen, and misinterpreting charging voltage vs resting.

• kit: bach Kit
• kit: Freedom Kit
• kit: lifestyle kit
• kit: starter kit
• kit: tiny house kit
• kit: Weekend Warrior Kit
• kits
• planning: maintenance/troubleshooting
• solar power
• type: article

How to get the most out of your solar kit

An off grid solar kit is a significant investment, and with some careful planning and attention, you can maximise its output and longevity.

• self sufficiency
• type: article

10 Things to be aware of when buying bare land for off grid living

If you’re just starting the process of buying bare land in NZ, and you’ve not done it before, there’s a lot to think about! It’s important to do your due diligence when buying land, so to make things easier, we've listed ten things that...

• general
• how to
• planning: research and planning
• self sufficiency
• type: article

Top Tips from Off-Gridders

Our Facebook group, GridFree NZ, is full of off-gridders with plenty of knowledge about all the different areas of off-gridding, so we pulled together some of their advice to help you...

• general
• self sufficiency
• type: article

How to Prepare for Living Off-Grid in Winter

Getting ready for your first winter off-grid? It can be a bit daunting heading into it, so in this article we list some recommended tasks to complete before winter really sets in. 

• self sufficiency

Generators for Beginners - Basics + What to Buy

Are you going off grid, have never used a generator, and have no idea what to expect? Here’s a rundown of some generator basics to help you get a feel...

• self sufficiency
• tiny house
• type: article

Off Grid Toilet Options

Going off grid and trying to plan your toilet system? Here are some common plumbed and no-plumbing toilet options and considerations for each, so you can work out the best off grid...

Business Spotlight: Podlife

When we were at Fieldays in 2022 we had a chance to chat to some great off-grid related businesses, and one of our favourites was Podlife! Their modular pre-fabricated pods are...

• basics
• cost
• FAQ
• self sufficiency
• solar power
• tiny house
• type: video

Getting Power to a Rural Property NZ

Have you just purchased a lifestyle block? Maybe you’re moving onto family land that has no services? Getting power to a rural property is usually the first task, so that you can progress all...

• basics
• FAQ
• self sufficiency
• sizing
• tiny house
• type: video

How do I know how much solar power I need?

If you’re going off grid and asking yourself “How do I know how much solar power I need?,” this article is for you. We'll show you how to calculate how...

Meet Some Fieldays Exhibitors!

We're here at Fieldays today and there's lots of other really good off-grid businesses here, so what I thought is I'd take the camera along and we'd ask a bunch of...