There is a simple yet powerful story on Off Grid about a Laramie, Wyoming man who is completely off the electric grid:

The nearest utilities to the property are far enough way that McGovern estimates that it would have cost him $25,000 to get service to his house. Instead of forking out that money, he spent time researching everything from small-scale wind turbines to solar panels, battery technology and energy efficiency.

Now, his house and commercial wood shop have all of the heat, light and power that McGovern and his girlfriend desire. They get none of it from the local utility company. Perhaps the only concession to the national utility system is a small propane tank that powers his stove and also powers an on-demand water heater that works in tandem with solar heating of the water.

His total yearly utility expenditures on the property are less than $400, he said.

For me there were two take-aways from this article:

1. Address Consumption First.

2. it is possible to have a modern lifestyle and live off-grid