Living off the grid
1. First of all, if you have a big house, sell it. Then buy a smaller house that will suit your needs.
2. Use double insulated walls. You should use 2×6 exterior walls with R20. This will help you use less energy for heating the house. You can also install a vapor barrier and an interior 2×4 wall.
3. Use wood to heat your home, or you can use geothermal heat sources, if that’s available. Hire a professional for this job. It may not be an easy one. You can also use a special stove that can heat your home while you’re cooking.
4. Purchase only appliances that are energy efficient, like refrigerators. If you want to install appliances that can provide you solar and wind energy, than you will need to have a 10% consumption of what you’re using right now.
5. You can buy solar power kits for $3000 (with 600W), but only if your consumption is very low. If not, the return on investment will be too low.
6. Wind kits are cheaper that solar ones. You can buy a kit of 400W for about $800.