Off-grid residential

[earshavewalls]

We have someone asking about using generators to take homes "off-grid", and the code issues regarding being connected to an electrical utility. I can find NOTHING in any code that REQUIRES a person to connect their home to the local POCO utility. The way I am seeing it, as long as lighting, ventilation, sanitation, etc. are provided, it makes no difference where the electricity comes from............the only things that matter are that all required components are present and installed per code requirements. The electrical code has provisions for alternate power sources (PV, Geothermal, wind, etc.), and you CAN wire a house to use DC, it just has to be in metal conduit.

Is anyone aware of any ordinances, policies, or utility laws that would require a home to be connected to the local POCO? I cannot find them, and I would like to give these folks an answer, but it seems odd (even though a request to go off-grid with a fuel-powered generator is even more strange). I am leaning toward saying it's OK right now, as long as they can meet all other code requirements.

Help? Oh, and in case you haven't guessed already, we're in Southern California..........

 

[mtlogcabin]

If you don't pay your bill the electric company will gladly remove you from their grid.

There is nothing in our state that requires connection to any utility except public sewer if construct of the building is within 500 feet of an existing public sewer line

 

[Frank]

Is there a requirement in the new construction codes for any electrical devices other than the smoke and CO detectors?

I know there are Property maintenance provisions for 60 amp minimum service.

Lighting can be fuel powered

Heat can be non electric gravity system

Natural ventilation

Gravity water system fed by windmill.

Solar hot water

 

[BSSTG]

Greetings,

Approx. 25 years ago I was asked to look into the economics etc. of running a portion of our ice cream plant on our 600 kw gen. set we had. This was to be beyond the scope of a backup systems to keep vaults frozen in case of a hurricane power outage. What turned out to be a sticking point was that Tx law had requirements for a percentage of the heat generated by the systems had to be utilized. Obviously you don't need any heat to speak of in an ice cream plant to the issue was muted straight away. Now that was years ago but I would certainly look into ramifications such as that by the state. By the way, the numbers didn't look good either on the economic end.

Our city atty here is building his ranch house and will use wind gen sets for a good portion of his energy needs. We are seeing a lot of those here in Tx now. Gotta love those fed tax credits and so forth. Our tax dollars at work!

BS

 

[BSSTG]

I've got another one. Back in the sixties my dad had a friend who was an electrical engineer. He built a hydroelectric system for his house in New England. Don't remember where it was but I always thought that was pretty cool.

BS

 

[gbhammer]

I've got another one. Back in the sixties my dad had a friend who was an electrical engineer. He built a hydroelectric system for his house in New England. Don't remember where it was but I always thought that was pretty cool.BS

I want one. Along with the property that has a river/stream.

 

[Architect1281]

Hurricane Irene took my home off grid for 7 days. Ran on my 11HP 5K generator at 20$ a day for 12 hours of power that would be 600 + / month

my regular monthly power is around $120.00 so no saving there

But had a call from Local BO abot a residence that was so far behind on electric that they were running on generator and wondered like this thread

what are the issues. Noise SMoke CO and $$$$$

 

[karmann33]

In our jurisdiction we have a noise ordinance that would require anyone using a generator to shut it down at 11:00pm unless we are in a state of emergency. We had a complaint in a mobile home park this summer about a generator running all night and the police department was dispatched, a ticket was issued for the the noise ordinance. This was attributed to someone not paying their light bill and running a generator. They also had the generator exhaust facing the mobile which could have done more harm with all the windows open on the mobile home.