Off the Grid: Modern Homes + Alternative Energy

by Lori Ryker

Book Overview

Off the Grid confronts the ecological and cultural problems associated with the way we get and use energy, and explains how it is possible to live in a beautifully designed home using much less--no... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586855166
• ISBN13: 9781586855161
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith Publishers
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.6" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

Stunning and inspirational

This is a tremendous book that provides great food-for-thought for those interested in both quality design and off- or nearly-off grid living. Even if some of the houses might be out of range as noted by one commenter, there are still boat-loads of ideas around every corner. Great photos, too!

Inspiration for the earth-conscious homebuilder

My husband and I are looking into building an off-the-grid cabin, and Lori Ryker's book was really helpful for putting all the options in perspective. It is not a technical, in-depth how-to book; it is more of an overview of the different possibilities. The author, a working architect and a professor of architecture at Montana State University, looks at ten different homes that range from grid tied to completely independent for their energy needs. After reading Ryker's book we decided we could build a house that is entirely off the grid; in particular, I was inspired by the four entirely off the grid homes featured in the book, one of which was designed by the author. The homes were built for different environments and living situations--from a full-time 2620 square foot residence in a remote part of Australia, to a 620 square foot vacation cabin on an island in Minnesota, to a 2620 square foot vacation home that is open to the elements of the Texas Hill Country. Some of the energy solutions surveyed are relatively simple and inexpensive (collecting water in cisterns) and others are more high tech and expensive (solar electric panels). This book is a great starting place for someone who wants to see what the possibilities are.