A carbon negative off-grid energy transition

Most homes moving to electrification that we look at are grid-connected, where it’s easy to ditch carbon-intensive fuels, but what about off-grid homes? Erik Christiansen shares his off-grid carbon reduction journey.

Erik Christiansen

Have you been off-grid long? Just over 60 years now. We couldn’t afford it when the grid came through in the 1960s. And dad refused to clear a wide, nearly one kilometre long swathe through the on-farm two square kilometre forest for the power line. I’m also disinclined to wreak such havoc, especially given our climate future. Thankfully, the days of kerosene lanterns and candles are well behind us, and the thunderbox dunny isn’t missed either. Having to light a fire in the cast-iron stove, to make hot porridge before a dawn departure by car to the school bus-stop, was done by lamplight on stygian winter mornings, but having kindling prepared meant we could avoid having to go out into the frost in the dark. Recent decades with a 3kW…

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Renew (Digital) - 1 Issue, 170 / Jan-Mar 2025

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