Off Grid Living Banned

Steven Lake
Steven Lake Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/03/09/florida-makes-off-grid-living-illegal-mandates-all-homes-must-be-connected-to-an-electricity-grid/?sf4538683=1

Apparently living off grid, even with solar power, is now becoming illegal in a number of states. What do you guys think about this? I would think that having solar water and electricity should be enough to allow you to live off grid and not connected to the grid. But apparently these nutjobs insist that you be connected to the corporate grid even if you don't want or need it. I'm hoping we don't have to deal with that when we get our house completely off grid.
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  • ILFE
    ILFE Solar Expert Posts: 364 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned

    I believe Big Brother is trying to control too much of our lives.

    A man ought to be able to do what he wants with, and live the way he chooses, concerning his own land.
    Paul
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  • PNjunction
    PNjunction Solar Expert Posts: 762 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned

    What you have are people trying to spin this story into something else entirely without knowing ALL the facts.

    Many are not really interested in solar whatsoever, but are using it as a stepping-stone to promote their anti-government agenda.

    What you have is a person not paying their bills for city services you are obliged to pay at a minimum to be part of the community upkeep of that infrastructure. In other words, even if I choose to go off-grid completely, I'm still obligated to pay a minimum service charge where I live, which for some might be a shock as that is the requirement PRIOR to moving in. Those in the boonies can do their own thing.

    When one investigates the story, you find that it encompasses FAR more than solar in a suburb. Services other than electrical are also disputed. So is the care of her dogs, which according to the latest I've read is singing George Michael songs to them to aid their physical ailments.

    Beware of those trying to use this person's lifestyle difficulties as leverage to gain attention and further their own agenda.

    Evaluate the spin put forth by the media distributor and see if it raises red-flags about the objectivity of what they are reporting. Are they trying to make a buck off a sales demographic prone to reactionary emotions when all of the story has not been revealed to their viewer / readership?
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  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned
    PNjunction wrote: »
    What you have are people trying to spin this story into something else entirely without knowing ALL the facts.

    Many are not really interested in solar whatsoever, but are using it as a stepping-stone to promote their anti-government agenda.

    What you have is a person not paying their bills for city services you are obliged to pay at a minimum to be part of the community upkeep of that infrastructure. In other words, even if I choose to go off-grid completely, I'm still obligated to pay a minimum service charge where I live, which for some might be a shock as that is the requirement PRIOR to moving in. Those in the boonies can do their own thing.

    When one investigates the story, you find that it encompasses FAR more than solar in a suburb. Services other than electrical are also disputed. So is the care of her dogs, which according to the latest I've read is singing George Michael songs to them to aid their physical ailments.

    Beware of those trying to use this person's lifestyle difficulties as leverage to gain attention and further their own agenda.

    Evaluate the spin put forth by the media distributor and see if it raises red-flags about the objectivity of what they are reporting. Are they trying to make a buck off a sales demographic prone to reactionary emotions when all of the story has not been revealed to their viewer / readership?

    Yeah we talked about this a few months ago (i actually posted the link). Turns out, it is a bunch of crap the media spun out of proportion.
    (Can't find the thread).
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #5
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned

    Jcheil's thread about off grid living in city:

    Interesting...

    Same link as the one at the top of this thread.

    Here is a more recent article (July 2014) about the ongoing saga:

    http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-10/off-the-grid-in-florida-robin-speronis-fights-municipal-code

    Very long article with lots of history... Not as simple as presented.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned

    -
    BB. wrote: »
    Jcheil's thread about off grid living in city:

    Interesting...

    Same link as the one at the top of this thread.

    Here is a more recent article (July 2014) about the ongoing saga:

    http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-10/off-the-grid-in-florida-robin-speronis-fights-municipal-code

    Very long article with lots of history... Not as simple as presented.

    -Bill

    Yeah, the bottom line is that she was using the city sewer system for free (because she was not paying a water bill and that is how they bill you for sewage usage). That part is against the law and anybody can agree she was wrong. Had she just stayed connected to the water, and only used it for her toilet, she would have only had a $10 water/sewer bill each month and nobody would have bothered her. But...some people...
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
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  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned

    Thanks for the businessweek link Bill
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
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  • Organic Farmer
    Organic Farmer Solar Expert Posts: 128 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Off Grid Living Banned
    Steven Lake wrote: »
    ... living off grid, even with solar power, is now becoming illegal in a number of states. ...

    The article did not say that it was illegal in any state.

    The Garden of Eden is in a city [Arlington, Texas]and they violated city ordinances. The article did not say what those ordinances were, or if they had any bearing on off-grid living.

    Robin Speronis has been in the news for a while, she has never been off-grid. She was using city water/sewer and she refused to pay for those services.
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