Can solar technology fuel modern life? For this video series,
American Experience is traveling to three different climate zones
across the United States to find out how and why people live off the grid. A twenty-five acre
homestead in New Mexico. Being here in the middle of nowhere,
it gives you a feeling of freedom. A one-bedroom cabin in Minnesota. For me, it was about being
as self-sufficient as we can. And an off grid family run farm
in northeastern Vermont. We just hope to move the world
in a better direction. My name is Zani. I'm Yaseen. I'm Khari. We moved out here in June of 2020. We got a truck. We purchased this 26 foot travel trailer and we loaded up with everything we could. It took us about a month
to get here from Atlanta. I had been planning to go off grid
for more than ten years. I was doing a ton of research. And then when the pandemic hit,
we just came out here on an adventure and I loved it. I felt like I was home. So many people think that living off grid means
you have absolutely no technology. You're living like a caveman
and you're running from the government. We still pay income taxes and people will say, ‘you
have a cell phone, you're not off grid’. And we're like,
that's not what off grid means! You know, it just means you're supplying
your own utilities. We're rewriting the book
for this modern style living in an off grid setting. You know, because here
we still have high speed Internet. We've got electric. We have a very nice two-bedroom trailer with a regular bathroom, hot
water, regular shower. We have a full kitchen. You can still be off grid and have comfort and amenities in luxury. There's an illusion of what
you should be doing, how you should be doing it,
and the path that you should take in life. And I think as a society,
we have gotten away from the basic principles and reasons for life. Growing your own food. Of raising your own animals. Of taking care of yourself. And we really need to get back to that. That's the whole purpose of doing
this, is to have more time freedom. Which is the most valuable thing
that you could ever have in your life. The way that we get our electricity
starts from the sun. We have 18 solar panels. So you got nine. You got nine on this side
and nine on the other side that collects the energy from the sun and it goes through the system
that will change it from AC to DC and then we'll also store most of that
energy for the day in our battery bank. In the summer, when you have longer days, it'll store up to 12 to 24 hours. It just depends on how much you use
throughout the day. Having kids is a big factor
in off grid living because you have to think about
their well-being, their social well-being, their physical well-being,
and you have to keep them entertained. We got him a trampoline,
we got him a bow and arrow. We got him a B.B. gun. We had the ATV's. I was really excited when she said, we're moving here,
I was like... Homeschooling has been really easy because we use an
online homeschooling program. Khari learns
so much, he learns mechanical things and plumbing and carpentry
and animal husbandry. Just so many things out here
that he wouldn't have learned in the city. So, some people move off grid and it doesn't work out. Mostly, I think
because they weren't financially prepared. And if you go off grid without the money
you need to do your infrastructure, it is very uncomfortable
and it can be dangerous. So it's best to prioritize,
to make a plan and take it slowly. Make plans and schedules. Because it's a constant project. Starting from scratch,
you're doing everything and it takes time. It takes money, it takes labor. The only thing I miss about our on grid
life is my friends and family. Anything else? Oh, the beauty supply store. I miss the beauty supply store. Do you miss anything? Me? No, I don't. This is home. This is where I belong. Of course, we want to have a low carbon footprint,
and we just want to be able to grow our own food and supply everything
that we need ourselves. The thing that keeps me inspired
is just seeing what this place is going to end up
being like in five years. Once we build the house,
once we have a food forest going, once we have our greenhouses
really running year round. Once we have more animals. It's exciting to think about what
we could do in the fact that we've taken this bare canvas and we're turning it
into a beautiful masterpiece. I actually own this place, you know,
and that's an awesome feeling. Because we'll still look at each other and be like,
Babe, can you believe we did this? We are living our dream life.
