As I attempt to go back off grid for the first time in decades, this time with a family in tow, I'm struck by just how much the solar, and by extension renewable energy, industry has changed.
What once was geared towards people living an alternative lifestyle is now centered around making yuppies in the suburbs believe that they're saving the world if they grid-tie some solar panels on their roof and charge their Tesla at home. It's populated by "business managers" who are only interested is seeing how many shoddily done jobs they can slap up in a short amount of time who mask that fact by pretending to care about the environment to their customers.
I have yet to have a positive interaction with anyone in the industry about actual self-sustainability. They just don't care. It's all so....corporate and phony now.
This is a real disappointment in my current life. Can't even drop out of society effectively anymore.
@BE I think self-sustainability is way beyond the means of most people. For example, I have 12 solar panels that completely fill the roof of my small house, and generate way too little power on dull days in winter (and we get a lot of them). Similarly, although my garden is above average size, no way is it big enough to provide sufficient crops for self-sufficiency.
So although it may be a noble aim, for too many of us it's just a fantasy. That shouldn't prevent us doing what we can, though.
@tramontana Totally agree and let me clarify my point, because I clearly didn't make it well enough!
Doing everything you can is good.
Being told that you're saving the world just because you spend $200,000 on solar panels, *despite not doing anything else to even try* is not all that good.
Unfortunately, the solar industry is catering to the wealthy because soothing their conscience is profitable.
Your 12 solar panels and garden sound lovely. Will I ever be 100% self-sufficient? Probably not. This is modern society. Should it be so hard to try? I don't think so.
