Look for housing locations that have good wind power capabilities throughout the year. Due to Vermont’s northern location, solar energy is not the preferred primary source of electricity, particularly during winter months.
Set up the home to generate electricity from 65 to 75 percent wind power and the remainder from solar panels.
Use a woodstove for heating the house during cold winter months. Outdoor woodstoves, when installed properly, keep the mess and fire risks outside and allow for heating outside buildings like barns and workshops.
Install propane gas as a backup heating system, in case you want to leave your home at all during the winter. Purchase propane in large storage tanks (several hundred gallons) kept in the yard filled by a propane service as needed.
Use propane gas for instant hot water that saves on energy costs used to heat a hot water tank.
Run the hot water line through the wood stove, if located nearby, to create a heating loop and bypass any hot water heater for double duty on the woodstove.
Insulate walls and attics well to protect against the cold and damp air in Vermont.
Plant a garden in the spring and grow as much of your own food as possible. Pick berries and fruit during proper ripening times. Hunt for wild game and fish for off the grid protein sources. Join a local food-buying club or store and order food in bulk.
Account for the winter sun--if using solar energy--as a primary electric source and install a backup energy source.
Join the "Northeast Sustainable Energy Association" located in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to learn all you can about off the grid lifestyles in the northeast through educational programs, tradeshows and workshops. Vermont’s local chapter, "Building for Social Responsibility," is located in Hinesburg, Vermont.