gel batteries Changing your life and going off the grid

Meet residents from a Victoria Centerthe-
After nearly 50 years of development, the grid community is still very strong.
In 1967, the two bought a piece of land in the jungle of central Victorian times, dreaming of creating an alternative way of life.
It is still strong after nearly 50 years;
In the Chewton jungle area near Castlemaine, more than 35 households on 121 hectares live outside the grid. Empty-
Nesters Kylie Groen and Jim kourkoullakos have been living in the area for the last five years and they joked that it is certain to live not far from the grid --
The way children move out of their families.
"Within six months, they will break the water pipes like rats because they can't cope with the environment," grron said with a smile . " MS.
She said in their first year of moving from the house
In search of affordable housing, two of their teenage boys hated it.
They called the old solar system an old truck battery capable of delivering 600 watts, and two community workers admitted that the first year was tough and electricity was often run out.
She still remembers the first night she woke up after a "mass panic attack" when she grabbed Jim tightly.
"Oh my God, what have we done?
"We live in a house that has no electricity, no water, mud bricks, very humble, just like it is really rural," she laughed . ".
Five years later, with a bigger and more powerful system, they all said they would not change their way of life for anything.
"We made a very good decision about the sense of community and place, the sense of belonging," MS Groen said . ". Their three-and-a-
Half-kilowatt solar system, 4 KW inverter and "whizz-
They use the bang "generator for about 15 days each winter, enabling them to run most appliances at the same time.
"This is almost a set --and-
Forget it, "said Mr. kourkoullakos.
But what they call a "considerable investment" is priced at $30,000.
But Mr kourkoullakos said it needed to be put in the background and he explained that people could buy a new car for $30,000 or a unit in Melbourne for $500,000.
"We are on six acres and we spend a lot less money than that," he said . ".
"[Our house is $365,000 plus a brand new solar system for $30,000," said Mr kourkoullakos . ".
"Less than $400,000, we will have a comfortable life for the next 20 years --
The solar system has been around for years. "Said Groen MS.
13-year-old Uma dinmans doesn't mind being one of the few children living in the quiet environment of the chewing jungle.
"I see all my friends at school every day, so I don't have any childhood contact," she said . ".
She also visited her father at nearby castleiman every other weekend, sitting in front of the heater, baking bread, using an electric kettle, and she enjoyed it.
"When I was at his house, I seemed to drink a lot of tea," she laughed . ".
She admitted that the first few years of living off the grid were "a little difficult" and had to live "a little strange" by candlelight without solar panels ".
"Reading is a challenge because you have to hold the candle and then you don't want your book to catch fire," she said . ".
But, six years later, Uma moved from the nearby town of castlehmann and liked to live not far from the grid.
"I really like it here.
"It's really beautiful and good," she said . ".
"It's really easy to get used to patience.
"It won't kill you.
"With solar panels, batteries and generators added later, life became easier, and Uma and her mother used portable gas cylinders to cook and hot water.
But unlike many properties that use a septic system, their toilets are compost systems located outside the house.
"I just avoid doing this at night and it's too cold," Uma said . ".
Despite the distance, the toilet and the amount of time it takes to wait for hot water to heat up, Uma says she has quickly adapted to a slower pace of life.
"I do like the environmental sustainability behind it. . .
"There are no poles everywhere," Uma said . ".
But her favorite thing is quiet.
Although she hopes to eventually move to Melbourne for further study, she says she can see herself living like this when she grows up.
"You don't get bombarded with news often --
Everything is happening.
"Traffic will not go through all the time," she said . ".
"You can really leave the world at night and relax here.
"After being unable to pay the internal house deposit --
In Melbourne City, Tim Purdy and Hannah Nicholas moved to the Mornington Peninsula and then went to the Chewton jungle to find some land with wildlife.
Initially, it was more the bush that attracted them to their house than the prospect of living off the grid.
"Looking back, we are very naive about other things that we really need to do at work and in life," Nicholas said . " MS.
They didn't realize that part of the deal was garbage collection.
But they have adapted, and after four years they have become accustomed to a slower, more sustainable lifestyle.
"You have to change your behavior," Nicholas said . " MS.
"For us, we had to get rid of the electric kettle, the electric toaster and the hairdryer.
Mr. Purdie recalled that when Hannah needed to dry her hair, she trudged out early in the morning and started the generator in sheepskin boots.
"Three degrees below zero in the morning, I'm still in my pajamas, and Hannah will say, 'I'm going to be late, I have to get my hair dryer done,' he said.
"Once we move here, we find that anything with elements is too much for our solar system and we have to turn on the generator," Mr Purdie said . ".
But people who are passionate about drinking coffee have made sure that the coffee machine is still there and that their system is being updated. Their "tiny" 1. 5 kilowatt-
Solar System and 14-year-
The old lead-acid batteries are supported by gas cylinders for cooking and a generator that works three to four hours a day, so that they can maintain power.
Since the average cost of the new system is $20,000-$30,000, the couple are considering replacing the new gel battery or lithium battery at a fraction of the cost.
Although Purdie MS has worked in the environment department for 10 years, she says they didn't realize how much electricity they used until they lived off the grid.
In addition to learning to change their lives and not taking things for granted, the couple also began to appreciate the diverse, creative and eco-friendly communities of their lives.
"People think, 'Oh, you're in a hippie community?
Mr Purdie said: "I think, 'No, we're not, everyone is actually very independent, but we all come together when we need it. '".
Occasional curry nights, movie nights, and annual Christmas parties bring together a sense of community;
People work together to provide each other's support, especially in the fire season, creating a community fire tree to help communicate.
"There is such a real sense of community, but it also respects people's privacy and independence," said Mr Purdie . ".
Theme: Sustainable development
Community lifeand-
Social chewton-