When you think about living off the grid or solar power with connection to the grid, you have already made a basic decision to save planetary energy by using renewable energy resources. Off the grid means not being connected to a utility company that delivers electricity over a wide area which means you are self sufficient. But you could also use solar power and have a connection to a utility company.

To make it simple, a solar home has to be as efficient as it can be for things to work in a balanced manner. It should be built in a passive solar style. You probably live in a passive solar home right now and don't even know it. Passive solar homes use a room or another part of the structure as a solar thermal energy collector, and in fact, your home's windows, walls, and floors collect, store, and distribute solar energy every day. However, your home may not be very efficient at using the sun's energy. Your house should be sealed and insulated top, bottom, and sides. A passive solar home has three times as many windows as a normal home. In your home you might have one room that gets toasty while another is chilly. That's because the typical home isn't designed to use solar energy to its advantage.

So, when you plan your solar home, plan for the future. You want to consider designing a solar system that can constantly grow and change as your needs change and new solar technology becomes available. For instance, if you want to plan a 2,000 square foot independent family dwelling, you need to remember that a builder could make the mistake of placing the living room on the wrong side of the house, which may increase the heat in the house.

Planning especially involves your personal habits. If you are a morning person, have your living and or bedroom face towards the southeast so they warm up early with the morning sun. If you have a spectacular view to the north, and you must have your living room facing this direction, try to connect your north facing living room with a south facing sun room which is situated slightly lower than the living room. The warm air will rise into your living room.

For every situation, there are a number of different advantages. Compromises may have to be made in the design of your solar home, but the results are well worth it.