An Off Grid Cottage renovation
An Off Grid Cottage Renovation A little history:The original cottage began life entirely built of stone with two ground floor rooms, one with a hearth andchimney, and two small upstairs rooms with sloping ceilings.At some point in the mid 19th century possibly in the 1860s the cottage was enlarged in brick with anextension to the South to give an additional ground floor room and extra bedroom.In the first half of the 19th century the cottage was thatched, with payments in 1812 and 1815 for “5 1/2thrave of boltings” , the traditional units of thatching material, being recorded in the estate records.The off grid cottage today is still remote, lacking any services, and standing within a 350 acre mixedwoodland in Hereford. The remit from the client was to install a pure off grid electrical system to support lighting, sockets,white goods and high speed internet, to support a uniquely solar and wood powered eco-friendly holidayretreat which could offer the client’s a continuous holiday rental income .. with one caviat, it requiredvirtually invisible solar panels due to strict local planning requirements! From the initial consultation with Ian from Off Grid Engineering, a suitable off grid electrical system wasdesigned utilising premium Victron Energy products for power conversion, the latest battery technologyfor power storage, with an unique innovative solar slate product to be incorporated seamlessly within thenew traditional slate roof to harness the required power from the sun Within months of the initial consultation, followed by a site visit from our specialist off grid team, thesystem was up and running ..The completed renovation is now one of the most sort after off grid Eco-retreats in the UK producing asignificant income year after year for the client.