We've drafted a map of our future homestead to help us to use our space effectively and to guide our construction projects. It has given us a vision to work towards and is also helping us to prioritize and budget. Within a few years we plan to have a homestead that is completely powered by alternative energy sources. In addition, we hope to be producing food from our green house and garden, and eggs from our chickens.

Our 2.25 acres of land is located in Concho, AZ within the boundaries of the Painted Desert. It is accessible from a non-maintained county road and has no power lines running to the property. In the future we hope to fence off the perimeter of the property to deter free range cattle and protect the native plant growth. We've also set aside one corner of our acreage as a “preserve” to protect indigenous medicinal plants and to experiment with wildcrafting.

We will have a fresh water well and DC powered pump, as well as a septic system. Where feasible and permitted we will use gray water techniques for irrigation and toilet flushing. In the future we would also like to experiment with composting toilets. We will rely on a solar panel system to provide electricity and we will use batteries for power storage. Methane gas will be created in our digester and burned to heat our home and operate our stove.

Click here to download a PDF version of the map which can be viewed in detail.

"Mobile" Homestead

Our primary living space will be created in a single wide mobile home. We are hoping to acquire a 14' by 70' trailer that we can use as the foundation of our passive solar house. On the south side of the single wide, we will build an attached greenhouse to help warm the house and to provide year round gardening. In the winter, the greenhouse temperature will be maintained by a wood stove located in our main living space. On the north side of our home, we will have a partially covered deck providing summer shade and spectacular views.

Stucco Exterior

Once we've refinished the interior, added the greenhouse and porches, and made necessary roof repairs we will add a "second skin" of Styrofoam and stucco. The stucco will not only blend with the surrounding landscape, but will increase the overall thermal mass of the structure. With increased mass, we will be able to reduce our heating needs and will enjoy cooler indoor temperatures during the summer.

Solar Power System

Our solar panels will be mounted on our south facing roof, angled at 45 degrees for winter months and positioned flat during the summer. Sealed AGM batteries will be stored under the trailer and will be easily accessible for maintenance from outside our home. The main power system will be 12 volt DC that is inverted to AC for its primary use. We are also considering a secondary solar power system that will operate at 24 volts DC to solely power the well pump and pressure pumps. Because we have chosen to use a DC powered well pump, we will locate the well as close to the power utility room as possible in order to reduce voltage drop.

To learn more about our current power system, click here.

To learn about the seasonal shift of the sun, click here.

Heating with Methane

The passive solar structures on our homestead will be designed to maintain comfortable temperatures in most weather. In addition to a wood stove, we plan to use methane to heat our home. When we eventually acquire a generator, we will also power it with the methane gas that is produced in our methane digester. We are also anxious to cook with alternative fuel, and will be experimenting with a methane or hydrogen stove.

Hot Water

We love solar hot water and we will be expanding our batch collector system along the south side of the greenhouse. Our hot water storage tank will be located within the house and will be super insulated. By the time we can afford to install a tankless water heater, we hope to be producing enough methane to operate an “on demand” back up system for heating water.

Read more about our batch water heater project.

Learn about supplementing a solar water system with a tankless water heater.

Cold Room and Water Storage

Our well will also feed directly into a water storage tank on the shady, north side of the house. The 3000 gallon storage tank will be enclosed in an insulated room that will be kept chill by the cold water flowing out of the ground and into the tank. This space is designed to function as a cold storage room as well.

Rain Catch

All structures on our land will be engineered for rain catch. During monsoon season rain will be channeled from roofs into above ground holding tanks for irrigation, animal water, and clothes washing. With rain catch to supplement the water pumped from our well, we hope to store up to 10,000 gallons of water above ground.

Homestead Utilities

• PV generated 12 volt DC power
• Inverted AC power
• Pressurized well water
• Solar powered hot water
• Methane gas
• Phone
• Satellite Internet
• Septic system
• Gray water system
• Rain catch

Off Grid Farm

Our small animal farm, outdoor growing space, compost and methane digester will be located in the same vicinity. Eventually the outdoor garden area will be fenced to keep dogs and other predators out. The layout of the farm and garden areas has been designed to be as efficient as possible and to streamline our daily chores.

Trees and Vegetables

We are looking forward to growing vegetables and fruits in our organic gardens! We will focus our efforts first on the indoor greenhouse that will be attached to our home. Though we may expand to outdoor beds, our greenhouses will offer superior protection from critters and a stabilized growing climate for year round production. For growing small trees, we plan to experiment with geodesic shelters that will offer protection from wind and freezing temperatures without entirely blocking sunlight.

Small Animals

On our farm we plan to keep a half dozen chickens for eggs and to raise rabbits for meat. The chicken coop will be protected within the barn structure, but will open into a geodesic dome chicken yard. The chickens will only be fed inside the barn, in hopes that migratory birds will not be attracted to the chicken yard. Plans for a solar brooder are also in the works.

Our barn will also have an enclosed space and an outdoor pen suitable for larger animals, such as a pig or milk goats. The large animal pen will be added on to the barn at a later date, and will have an access door from the outside.

Eventually we hope to produce most if not all of our own animal feed. Indigenous plants such as the buffalo gourd, can be harvested for seeds to make a protein-rich chicken mash. The manure produced by our animals will be fed into the digester to make methane to fulfill our fuel needs.

Farm and Garden Utilities

• Inverted AC power
• Running well water
• Phone
• Methane digester
• Compost
• Gray water system
• Rain catch

Business Off the Grid

Our business is going green! When we move up the hill we will continue to power our home office with solar. Patrick and I both work at home and love the fact that our computers, printer, and Internet connection are powered solely by alternative energy. Our Internet service is provided via satellite, and we are hoping to upgrade our speed when we move into our new off grid office. We are also very excited to be exploring a line of solar powered web hosting that we plan to offer through Cyberian Frontier.

Our jewelry studio will also be powered with alternative energy. Studio equipment will rely on the main solar power system, while a soldering torch will be engineered to run off of hydrogen.

To learn more about our communications set up, click here.

Office and Studio Utilities

• PV generated 12 volt DC power
• Inverted AC power
• Pressurized well water
• Phone
• Satellite Internet
• Hydrogen torch
• Methane gas
• Gray water system
• Rain catch

Green Campsites and Guest Cabins

Friends and family are always welcome to visit. Our new homestead will have two RV campsites and two guest cabins. The campsites will have access to Inverted AC power, running water, and phone, as well as septic hookups. The cabins will be heated with methane and will also have access to AC power, telephone, and running water.

Many of our close friends and family members have expressed interest in helping us to build our solar homestead. Without a doubt, we had you in mind when we designed our fully-equipped, off-the-grid guest accommodations!

Make plans to join us for our next SolarFire Festival! This homebrewed event attracted many of our friends who camped under the stars by night and participated in our solar lifestyle by day.

RV Camping and Guest Cabin Utilities

• Inverted AC power
• Pressurized well water
• Phone
• Septic hookup at campsites
• Methane gas to cabins
• Gray water system
• Rain catch

Click here to view an updated homestead map that includes a floor plan for our passive solar home.