We travel across the bottom of the sky the way a crab moves across the bottom of the sea. โ Rebecca Solnit
I live and work in northern New Mexico. I only design off-grid solar systems. I do not design grid-connected systems; there are plenty of companies who will happily do that for you โ for-profit. And I do not, ever, incorporate or accommodate fossil-based power generation, so if you want this, please look elsewhere. The life-destroying fossil fuel industry will provide for you โ to their immense profit. There is a better, liberating, life-affirming way.
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Design philosophy
They’re the two best words in the English language when you put them together, aren’t they? โ What if โ Ursula Todd
99% of all the (hundreds of) systems I ever designed and installed over 20 years were connected to the grid. But I learned something important over that time and it’s the reason I now design off-grid systems only.
It turned out that grid-tied solar ended up merely supplementing grid electricity, so even though utility bills decreased (as promised), clients often ended up using more electricity overall than they had before installing solar. This phenomenon, formally described in 1865, is called the Jevons Paradox and it taught me an important lesson. When one has an essentially unlimited supply of anything (like the electric grid or municipal water or even well water) one’s usage of it tends to increase; we take it for granted, we don’t appreciate or respect it as we should, there is no required balance.
In contrast, living off-grid enforces balance โ one has a finite amount of energy (or water) storage and only so many solar hours in a day (or rainfall in a year) to replenish it. It’s a closed cycle, subject to limits imposed by nature. It affects our choices, how we think, and how we live. What if . . . we had to live this way?
Just because your electrical panel is connected to the grid now doesn’t mean it has to stay that way even if you live in a city. Really.
[S]mall-scale solar is the ultimate tool of decolonialization and resistance. โ Bill McKibben
The homestead is a tactical site of resistance . . . When we harvest the sun for energy and the soil for sustenance, we strip power from the systems that use scarcity as a weapon. โ Jim Merkel
Sustainable off-grid living means that your loads must be chosen in a manner respectful of natural limits. Water and electricity are intimately related in our arid and fragile ecosystem. In my own case, this meant no well pump to extract water from a deep aquifer and choosing a composting instead of flush toilet. I think of rainwater harvesting and dew harvesting like solar energy โ precious, limited, yet constantly renewing gifts โ Water is Life | Mnรญ Wiฤรณni | Water is Love. Like roofs, solar panels turn out to be fabulous rainwater collectors (see photo).
Indigenous knowledge and Western science are both powerful ways of knowing . . . by using them together we can imagine a more just and joyful relationship with the Earth. โ Robin Wall Kimmerer
In an off-grid, regenerative building, the largest electric loads will typically be space and water heating, possibly reduced by a passive solar contribution. With good design, burning anything simply to make heat is completely unnecessary โ the abundant New Mexico sun can easily provide all we need. But sadly, using combustion fuels, adding to carbon pollution, and worsening global heating remain socially acceptable โ an utter failure on our part. Because of this intractable mindset it’s difficult for us to imagine a different path.
There are far less impactful ways to live and I’m happy to discuss how to get there with anyone willing to listen. In a challenging world, small is beautiful, the precautionary principle, collapse awareness and breaking together can be guiding principles, if we’re brave enough.
For those not building or retrofitting, but still grid-connected, here are some first steps towards getting off-grid. For off-gridders wanting to improve their systems, I’m your guy.
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Costs and benefits
My design fee is negotiable, based on complexity, location, social benefit, mutual understanding and other intangible considerations. I do this work because it is right and good, not for profit.
I find talented local builders and electricians and personally oversee projects wherever possible. I am uncompromising about quality materials and careful, diligent, skillful labor; I also like teaching people how to do this work safely and well. Frequently, I am able to obtain discounts on equipment which I pass on, in full, to clients; I don’t want to be a solar retailer, just a good designer. A full design includes: 1) a detailed CAD system schematic; 2) a complete Bill of Materials spreadsheet with approximate costs and suggestions on where to source everything; and 3) a shortlist of reputable tradespeople in your area. I encourage DIY.
In keeping with my highly flexible, anti-capitalist approach, I do not provide free design estimates or quotations for materials โ on the assumptions that most people: a) will do their own research, b) already know about how much things cost, and c) trust me to do my job with integrity. Because of parsimony in design, equipment I specify will frequently end up costing less than you expect, often much less, and almost always less than for-profit solar companies. I firmly believe that careful design and installation can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars for anyone who wishes to avoid overpriced materials and labor, poor system performance, adverse ecological impacts, and bad karma.
The meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose is to give it away. โ Pablo Picasso
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Contact me
Send me an email at arthur.jensen.weaver@gmail.com with a brief description of your project. I live off-grid without fossil fuels on the Taos Plateau volcanic field in northern New Mexico, am fully connected, and will reply to you promptly. I give preference to projects located within a reasonable EV driving distance. Thank you kindly.
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Updated: 23 July 2025