It's been almost a year since I moved to upstate New York, and from a technology standpoint, going off the grid has seemed a lot like going back in time – just not very far. Maybe somewhere circa 2004.

I bought a radio the other day. AM and FM, very fancy. The last movie rental store in Washington D.C. closed two years ago, but I just got a membership at the shop in town. My TV has an antennae again. It's off-grid living but not too far off. Five HD channels, except in the wind, and I get average internet speeds by tethering my smartphone, as long as it's before 9 a.m.

So, there have been tradeoffs. But on whole it hasn't felt like I was giving anything up, just changing routines and expectations. I can't stream Netflix, and it's six miles back to return a movie, but on the other hand, there's no chance of a noise complaint and I spend more time reading with purpose than random web browsing. 

I used to picture off-grid living as inherently rustic and isolated – and it certainly can be – but technology has a way of blurring the lines. It is remarkable that just about anyone can produce their own power and stay connected today, using off-the-rack tools. It's not even particularly difficult, you just have to want to do it.

No, it doen't all work perfectly. Sometimes "the internet is down" means watching my phone cycle through networks I haven't used in years. But on the whole, what has been most surprising about this move is how little has changed. The view is trees, the road is dirt, but I'm still rocking a 202 area code and can't stop watching the presidential debates.

Can you go off the grid and still find cords to cut?

A shift for Solar Tompkins

I've spent a lot of time writing about the local solar industry here in the Finger Lakes. It's hard not to, when it seems there are projects on every country road, installers in every town, and solarize programs in each county. Solar has become a visible, regional success story here, as in many other states, which is why an announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) came as such a surprise.

There are 900 solar projects underway, through 26 community campaigns in New York. And the state will support another 31 solarize programs this spring. But Solar Tompkins, arguably the grandfather of the solarize programs in this area, had no active projects.

Why not?

"We've moved the needle,” said Matt Johnston, who now runs a home heating and insulation initiative for the group. Over the past few years the group helped more than double the solar capacity installed in Tompkins. “This year, we thought we'd change the focus. The solar market has been ramped up and is sustaining itself.”

The 2014-15 solarize campaign installed about 2.6 MW of solar capacity, dispersed among 353 families, he said.  When the program launched, Tompkins County had an installed 2.4 MW of solar in a county with roughly 100,000 residents.

As of October, the county has 6.6 MW of solar installed. And while Johnston said the solarize program can take some credit for the 2.6 MW it helped to contract, he said "the remaining 1.6 MW has occurred largely as a result of increased stimulation of the residential market." 

Rooftop solar has become so prolific, and the job additions now so stable with the extension of tax credits, that the community solar program is turning its focus towards insulation and home heating. The HeatSmart program will pair consumers with installers, bringing them together in ways that reduce the "soft costs" of marketing and outreach and allow the work to be done at below market rates.

Home heating and hot water consume roughly 75% of the county's energy use, Johnston said, meaning low-hanging efficiencies are easy to access.

While conventional wisdom says heat pumps won't warm a home in more northern climates, Johnston said that's a myth that has outlived its time. Modern heat pumps when paired with effective insulation, either ground- or air-sourced, can maintain comfortable temperatures down to about -15 degrees F. After that, supplemental sources of heat would be needed. Most of the heat pumps installed in the area are replacing heating oil and propane, but there is also gas and wood heat in the area.

And while most of the conversions are done to save money, Johnston also said there is some support for shifts to heat pumps away from natural gas heating, driven by residents looking to dump fossil fuels entirely.

But while solarize programs have become relatively common, a heat pump and insulation initiative – essential items which remain tucked away in homes – could represent a different sort of challenge.

“It's definitely an issue. You can see solar. Heat pumps aren't as sexy,” Johnston said.

“You drive around and you see solar everywhere, you know something is happening … solar has arrived in Tompkins. But when is the last time someone said, 'why don't you come down to my basement and check out my heat pump?'"

Despite that, the HeatSmart program is on track to meet its goals. The campaign targeted 300 signups that would eventually result in 100 contracts signed, and Johnston said it appears likely they will reach those levels around the county.

And while the HeatSmart program does not receive state funding, as do the solarize initiatives, Johnston said they have caught the attention of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which reached out to learn more about the program. Solar programs have also had the benefit of tax credits which bolstered installations. While there are some credits for heat pumps, Johnston said there is legislation being considered which could boost their visibility and the incentives.

"We're looking inside out, for efficiencies," Johnston said. "We've really broadened the program from just solar to insulation, air sealing and heat pump systems. And as far as we know, it's the first program of its kind, nationally."

Meanwhile, as Johnston waits for the legislation to come through, or not, I'm waiting for spring. 

Looking ahead to Spring

The first day of spring is in about two weeks, but I mentioned that the other day and someone just laughed. "You know that doesn't mean anything, right?"

Wishful thinking usually gets the better of me, but I can see the homestretch of winter. Yes, March will still be cold, but it looks like I might (just barely) have enough wood to make it through to warmer days. Stove experiments taught me you can heat with virtually any piece of wood from any kind of tree, but it's still easiest to just use chunks of cured hardwood. And supply is running low.

I've started sketching layouts for a garden, have been building a brick oven and chose a site for the shed I want to build. A stall at the farmer's market, a second cabin on the back of the land, experiments with wind power and one day maybe even a small pond. ... Winter left plenty of time for planning (read: daydreaming).

Back in October I wrote about a crazy statistic, that we spend 90% of our time inside of buildings. I've tried to embrace the season: took up snowshoeing, found it easier to clear land without all the growth, and in general just learned to dress for the weather. I think I beat the 10% this season, but my thoughts have been focused on warmer weather for weeks now.