My name is Marcus Reid. I built OffGridSage because I spent years giving the same advice to friends, clients, and strangers on forums, and eventually realized the information needed to live off-grid safely and affordably was scattered across hundreds of books, forums, and trade publications — none of it organized for someone just starting out. This site is the resource I wish had existed when I started.
My Background
I grew up in rural Wisconsin, the son of a civil engineer and an elementary school teacher who kept a large vegetable garden and a small flock of chickens. Going off-grid was not a childhood dream — it was a slow accumulation of frustrations with the modern energy system and a growing conviction that genuine self-sufficiency was both possible and preferable.
After studying electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, I spent eight years as a solar energy installer and systems designer. I hold NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certification as a Solar PV Installation Professional — the industry’s most recognized credential for photovoltaic system design. During those eight years, I designed and installed over 340 residential and commercial solar systems, including approximately 60 off-grid and hybrid off-grid systems in rural Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
In 2018, my partner Ellie and I purchased 12 acres in northern Vermont — a mix of open south-facing land and mixed hardwood forest — and began the transition to full-time off-grid living. We converted an existing farmhouse, installed a 6.4kW solar system with 24kWh of LiFePO4 battery storage, drilled a 180-foot well, and built a root cellar. We have lived off-grid full-time since 2019.
What Off-Grid Looks Like for Us
I want to be honest about what « off-grid » means in our case, because the term gets used loosely. We are off the electrical grid — we produce 100% of our electricity from solar and wood (via a wood gasification generator for heavy workshop loads). We have a propane connection for cooking, water heating, and backup space heating — we purchase approximately 600–800 gallons per year. We are not food-independent; we grow roughly 50–60% of our calories and purchase the rest from local farms and a bulk grocery store trip to Burlington four times a year. True zero-input self-sufficiency is a multi-generational project. We are working toward it.
Our daughter, born in 2020, has grown up knowing how the solar system works, where water comes from, why we compost, and why the garden matters. That education — practical and grounded — is worth more to me than any curriculum.
What I Write About and Why
Every guide on OffGridSage is based on either my direct professional experience installing solar systems, our personal experience on the homestead, or both. When I recommend a product, it is because I have used it or installed it professionally and have an informed opinion about its real-world performance — not because of an affiliate commission (though I do use affiliate links to keep the site running, at no cost to you). When I describe a failure mode, it is because I have seen it happen.
I write about solar system design, water storage and quality, food preservation, off-grid legal issues, and the financial reality of homestead living. I do not write about topics where I lack genuine expertise — this is why OffGridSage does not have guides on livestock health, hunting, foraging, or alternative medicine. There are better resources for those topics written by people with real expertise in them.
The Site’s Mission
OffGridSage exists to give aspiring off-gridders the honest, technical, and practical information they need to make this transition successfully. Not the romanticized version. Not the version that glosses over the learning curve, the failed projects, and the expensive mistakes. The real version — complete with the numbers, the failures, and the things that actually work.
If you have a question about any of our guides, the best way to reach me is through the Contact page. I read every message and respond to most. If your question is about something I have not written about yet, your message might be the thing that prompts the next guide.
Credentials and Affiliations
- NABCEP Solar PV Installation Professional (certified since 2013)
- B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 8 years solar installation experience (residential and commercial)
- 6 years full-time off-grid homesteading (northern Vermont)
- Member, Vermont Natural Resources Council