Coffeehaus I've had ~99% success with 3 strand solar electric fence for past 6 years. The middle strand is coated with peanut butter ~30 feet usually 3 or 4 times per year. The top strand is less than 5 feet high; I don't try to prevent the deer from jumping over it. Behavior modification is the key, you can see evidence of it when there is snow cover. I've used 4 volt and 6 volt Zareba units purchased at Tractor Supply. I like the 4 volt better; a 6 volt unit failed when water got inside it. We have very heavy deer pressure by the way.

Hi, Tesa. I'll start by saying that we have been off the grid for over 20 years. Do NOT be discouraged by naysayers because you'll run into a lot of them. We have found that most "on the grid" folks think that making your own power somehow is not as good as commercially produced electricity. Electricity is electricity whether it is produced by coal or the sun. Also, a lot of folks do not want to be responsible for their lives. They would rather call a repair man if something goes wrong whether it's the electric company or the plumber. Starting slowly is a good thing and helps with the learning experience. But take it from me that as you stay off the grid, what you thought you could get by with in the beginning grows. My husband started in 1975 with a one room building using his car battery to run his electric 12 volt light and a radio. He drove the car to charge up his battery. I came in 1986 with the stipulation that the shack had to be upgraded to a 3-bedroom house with a working blow dryer for my hair, a washer and dryer and a vacuum. We built a 16' x 30' garage showhorned ourselves into it with a couple of solar panels, a battery bank and 1200 watt dc inverter and a Sears generator. We tore down the house and rebuilt it. It took 18 months. By the time we moved into the house we had acquired 40 solar panels from an electric company in California. They were upgrading so the panels didn't cost much. We have no clue how old they are but they are still producing at 4 amps. They started at 6 amps when we first got them. Currently we run high voltage dc (one of the few alternative energy users in this country who run high voltage). We have 80 pv panels that produce 10 amps at 160 volts which at 5 hours a day equals 8 kilowatt hours times 30 days equals 240 kilowatt hours. We estimate that we use about 150 kilowatt hours a month. We have a 2-bedroom, 1 and 1/4 bath home, approximately 1,200 square feet not including the basement. We run a washer and dryer, 2 tv's, 2 computers and other small appliances. Out hot water, refrigerator and cook stove are propane. We dump our extra electicity into heating water. Our water source is super filtered pond water (sterilized by a sand filter, charcoal filter and UV light and pumped to a storage tank up on the ridge behind our house. The fall coming down from the tank gives us the water pressure we need.) We have a 1,000 watt wind charger, which contributes to our system. We live in the northern Missouri Ozarks. Windpower is not reliable here. We do have a generator which I think we used once in 2007 during a prolonged cloudy spell. During the summer when charging days are longer, we turn off some of our pv's so that we don't over charge our battery bank. Since 1988 we have gone through 2 battery banks. We are working on our third now. Also, our system has not cost even close to $25,000. Our last 40 panels were purchased off ebay. My husband drove to the east coast and picked them up. I've tried to keep this post short so sorry if it has gone on. Good luck Tesa and if we can help let us know. RW

A generator is the cheapest short term answer and the most expensive long term answer. How will you store enough fuel for the generator to keep running for more than a few hours? How much will that fuel cost? I have linked to maps showing the viability of both solar and wind power all over the US. Both of these, particularly solar, are becoming much less expensive. Both would require a battery system for cloudy/windless days. If you live in a heavily wooded area an outdoor woodburning furnace is an excellent heating option, as it can be hooked up to the existing forced air distribution system in your home. ChristopherH mentioned the Amish kerosene appliances. I am not familiar with those - the Amish near me use propane powered refrigerators and stoves. I know there is a natural gas powered generator available. It can be adapted to use propane. Is your home in an area where propane deliveries are available, and can you afford the propane? http://www.amazon.com/Generac-5882-Air-Cooled-Generator-Compliant/dp/B003IWYRWO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1381430052&sr=8-3&keywords=Natural+Gas+Generators Here is a link that might be useful: Wind and Solar Maps

I don't know that I get offended but I know what I mean when I say I built a house and I'm remodeling this one. In the first I designed it, borrowed a backhoe, graded the land, dug the foundation, built the foundation with some help, payed someone to pour the slab for the garage and the small part that was on a slab, framed it with some help, did all the electrical and all the plumbing, did all the exterior with some help, etc. I did hire somebody to do the roofing because part of it was 2-story and heights terrify me. I bought semi-custom cabinets. I paid somebody to dry-wall parts that weren't real wood, and paid somebody to lay the part that was wall-to-wall carpet. I did the hardwood flooring myself, installed all the doors and windows, etc. I paid somebody to install the garage doors. I bought pre made doors. 35 years later, I'm remodeling this one myself. EVERYTHING because the subs are way to much and/or incompetent. Everything, Including building the cabinets and much of the furniture. I'll have to pay somebody to do the roof because I'll be 70 by the time I get to that and it might just be too much work. I know I can find a competent drywall guy but finding a competent roofer worries me. I have lots of respect for someone that can design something that really works. I have lots of respect for somebody that can build something nice. Very little for somebody that pays for something to be built.