Interesting thread. I would love to have been able to do this sort of thing when younger but now am simply too frail, aside from anything else.
My advice to anyone looking into this sort of thing though would be to consider carefully what your objectives are; is it to simply live in the countryside where utilities are not readily available, because you like the idea of living in the countryside? Is it to live in as ecologically sound a way as possible? And will you be starting from scratch with just some land, or will you be taking over a structure already in place?
Going the "as ecologically sound as possible" route can take more attention to detail than some might think - as the couple who didn't think about what the soil was like by their new home noted in one of the above videos. The more detail you look into beforehand the better, from architecture, to horticulture, through biochemistry and physics.
If you can get by on rainwater runoff from your roof, so much the better, although obviously you'll need to treat the water before use, as with groundwater. But don;t forget about waste water! Can you re-use it? Or at least return it to the local environment in a way that is non-damaging? If you're going to use groundwater, what are the local options? What will happen if you divert a spring for your own use? Is the local groundwater level stable, rising, or (as in states like California) dropping rapidly due to massive over-extraction? If you have enough land, waste water might be treatable by using it to form a small wetland area with willows and reedbeds, if those are native to the area. And what will you do with toilet waste?
Windpower generation doesnt have to use a propellor-like windmill, vertical rotors are possibilities too, and mechanically simpler. Check the pros and cons of each type. And having a multiplicity of power sources isn't a bad idea. Maybe include in your home an exercise bike that can drive a dynamo to turn workout sessions into usable power? Also, you can generate electricity from waste heat from cooking and heating (see
http://offgridpowerboom.com/thermoel...amping-stoves/ for an example of camping equipment that can do this). It's also worth considering whether solar concentrators allied with water passing through black piping might be sufficient to provide your hot water requirements, or at least reduce the amount you need to heat water by other means.
If building a home, it may be worth considering a design that uses a Trombe wall on the south side
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombe_wall. Depending on locale and availability of materials, it may be worth considering hay as an insulation material or even a building material; the walls can be plastered to give a smooth surface.
So much of it depends on locale, ecological factors and cost. I wish I were a youngster with the money to afford to buy a hectare of land permissible to build on, and with enough money in the bank to make a go of it. But I am delighted to see others looking into all of this, and showing that it IS possible to live without using such large amounts of energy usage as most of us use.
Good lucky, Kittygrrl! I so hope you manage to make your dream come true!
