Going off grid

Explains what 'going off grid' actually means across the four utilities (electricity, gas, water, wastewater) and contrasts it with a net-zero, grid-connected design. Walks through the off-grid technology stack — solar PV, small wind, micro-hydro, battery storage and backup generators — with the strengths, limits and real trade-offs of each (seasonality, siting, maintenance, round-trip efficiency, days of autonomy, fuel logistics). Sets net-zero against off-grid: how a grid connection acts as a virtual seasonal battery, why net-zero is usually cheaper, simpler and greener. Lists the benefits (no grid fees, no supplier dependence, cost certainty) and downsides (oversized winter generation, no fallback on device failure, no path to share surplus). 
Concludes that off-grid rarely beats a smart grid-connected home unless connection costs are very high or consumption is very low.