off-grid

American  

[awf-grid, of‐] / ˈɔfˌgrɪd, ˈɒf‐ /

off-the-grid, or off grid

adjective

1. not connected to or using one or more public utilities, as for electricity or water: Our farm is off grid and works on solar panels.

   Well over a billion people live in off-grid areas.

   Our farm is off grid and works on solar panels.

2. not connected to or using one or more public communications networks, as for cellular service.

   They live off grid with no internet access.

3. not having communication with the outside world; not participating in society.

   I sometimes fantasize about a solitary, off-grid life, far away from humanity.

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off-grid British  

adjective

1. not involving or requiring the use of mainstream sources of energy

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Etymology

Origin of off-grid

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

The only way to escape is to "drift"- which means hiding from a thousand algorithms by living off-grid, constantly moving and suppressing maddening paranoia that your thoughts are not your own.

From BBC

Many of the off-grid homes are a long way from the nearest poles and in protected landscapes, so new lines would have to be buried.

From BBC

While there is increased interest in California to move off the grid with solar panels and batteries — especially as utilities expand the use of power shutoffs to prevent fire starts — completely off-grid homes remain rare.

From Los Angeles Times

In areas with frequent rain, the technology could offer a distributed source of clean power for local grids or act as a resource for off-grid needs.

From Science Daily

The project is expected to provide 2.5 gigawatts of off-grid power—enough to power almost two million homes—with the ability to expand from there if demand warrants.

From The Wall Street Journal