Getting off the grid

Getting off the grid is a term that refers to a home not consuming any electricity from the local electric company's grid. That is exactly what Kaizer Talib is going to do with the help of alternative energy. As an architect by trade, Kaizer should have no problems completing this huge project. His two goals are to build a home that is extremely energy efficient and does very little harm to the environment. Since the 1973 oil crisis, he has had an interest in alternative energy, and this interest increased with Hurricane Wilma, which knocked out his power for two weeks. Building a home that exists solely on alternative energy can be a daunting task and very costly as well, but Mr. Talib is still moving forward. His hopes are that his state of Florida will start offering more incentives for installing these types of expensive alternative energy products.

Solar panels will heat his water, a stove that uses magnetic fields will be used for cooking, fiberglass tiles will heat his pool, and a 55 foot tall wind turbine will sit in front of his house. He also will have an extra layer of concrete insulate the home, an air conditioner that does not use freon, and white walls and a metal roof will reflect heat. All the extra energy that he produces will be sold to the electric company at half price. Let's hope that Mr. Talib is able to show the state of Florida, and the rest of our country, that we should be taking alternative energy a little more seriously. Alternative energy is not just about using solar power, it is also about environmental concern and preservation. When all is said and done, getting off the grid is more than producing your own energy, it is a state of mind.