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In recent years the "extremes of Global Warming" are being felt on ever increasing basis. We at Home Energy Loss Professionals (H.E.L.P.) are connecting with other companies and groups to make these occurrences’ less troublesome. A normal home in a heavy snow storm, ice storm, hurricane, tornado or any natural disaster, that can take your home "off the grid (OTG)", can make for extreme discomfort for your family and yourself. For prolonged periods of time, being off the grid, could even be life threatening.
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This page is designed to give advice on the many ways that modern technology, advances in energy efficiency, and Federal & State Stimulus rebates and Utility incentives can all HELP to make being off the grid a reality. A truly (totally) off the grid (OTG) house can be expensive and with existing construction, maybe impossible, but there are many ways that this idea can be near reality. Whether your home be a condo, row-home, colonial or rancher construction, all homes can be improved upon.
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First and foremost, many searches on the internet do not include "weatherizing" your home for reasons of "emergency situations". True, many do not like to think of "worst case scenarios", but with Climate Change, we must begin to incorporate "self-sufficiency" in our everyday lives. Weatherizing your home has many facets, but the main ones are "Air Sealing" (see see air sealing) and "Insulation" (see insulation). These are the main ways that energy escapes from your home. Your homes supplier of energy also must be properly maintained, but the heating and cooling unit does not have to be new or replaced to work efficiently (LINK). H.E.L.P. has created Energy Guide Pages for this purpose (see home energy guide).
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A home "Green Energy Audit" is the best way to start this process. A good energy audit must at least include a blower-door test and even better would be an Infrared Scan jointly. As stated earlier, it is our intent to couple with other sustainable energy reduction groups to create a "total off the grid (OTG) package".
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An example of retrofits for OTG would be "air sealing" (see air sealing). Hot air is drawn to colds air in a vacuum in nature and you do not always have to feel a draft to be losing energy. A "Blower-Door" test reveals these losses. Sometime the loss can equal having a door open year round. In an emergency situation, having no energy being loss to the outdoors, if the energy cannot be produced, can be the difference between discomfort and comfort. The reverse of this is also true, if outdoor air becomes unhealthy to breath, and by being air tight, this air cannot enter the indoor environment.
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Another example of retrofits for OTG would be "insulation" (see insulation). Energy is absorbed through walls, floors, ceilings, water pipes (boiler also), hot water heaters, ducts, windows, doors and many other. If this absorption is stopped or at least slowed down, this will make the energy systems work less and in extreme cases, if the system is not working, the stored energy will last much longer. Again, can be the difference between discomfort and comfort.
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We intend to explore other avenues being OTG, such as solar energy, wind energy, wood heating, green roofs, and the much needed back-up electric generators. Back-up generators can be of many forms, such as: solar that feeds back to the grid and can be returned when needed, or battery cell storage (the best, but most expensive) and fuel fired (which must be vented or outdoors. With this back-up electric, anything from the bare necessities of light and refrigerators can be used, to some energy units being able to function. Some of these would work automatically and other would have to be started, but in all cases, being maintained is a necessity. We recommend drills or mock situations that HELP your family prepare for OTG times. Just as all families should have a plan for fire or carbon monoxide emergencies, in today’s changing climates, OTG drills should also be conducted.
For further information, please see the below links:
Home Energy Loss Professionals (H.E.L.P.) Energy Savings Guide
Maryland Energy Administrations Stimulus Rebates
GroSolar
Electric Back-up systems
Wind
Water
Red Cross Preparation Guide
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