When I decided to get myself a whole lot more self sustaining, I got a lot of jokes at my expense.
I heard all the hippie jokes and that I’d be living in a hut with chickens all around.
Well, I do have chickens but they’re pretty good about staying where they supposed to. But I also have quality heating and air where I live and wifi and all the rest. Just because I chose being self sufficient and turning away from the grid, retail and all that stuff doesn’t mean that I’m a cave man. It took the better part of 6 years for me to fully fund and construct the situation where I now live. It took finding the right property and then building in the infrastructure myself. Of course I had help with building my 2 bedroom house and putting in the solar array. But largely, I did most of the work myself. When it came to the residential HVAC, I turned to the HVAC professionals for guidance and understanding. They suggested that my best bet would be to use a pair of ductless heat pumps in my house. The solar energy I use allows for that. I really don’t use the ductless heat pumps during the winter as I have a wood stove. But I do use the ductless heat pump in the summer. It can get hot here and I like having air conditioning for that purpose. It’s funny when people come to visit and see that I live much the way they do. It’s just that I don’t have to be at the mercy of corporations or utilities to enjoy where I live.