Is Self-sustaining, Off-grid Housing the Future of Sustainable Neighbourhoods?

Imagine a neighbourhood that can grow its own food, produce its own energy, and turn its waste system into a closed-loop regenerative system. Pretty far-fetched, eh? Maybe, but that’s what people thought just a few decades ago, when the first modern hybrids were being brought to market, and the idea of affordable and practical electric cars was starting to be pursued commercially.

But today, even just a quick look at the alternative transportation market, which includes everything from e-bikes to electric airplanes, reveals a quite different view, and while there are a number of kinks to work out, it’s starting to look a lot less like science fiction and a lot more like we’re living in the future right now.

With that in mind, a self-sustaining, off-grid housing, looks as if it’s got real potential for guiding the future of sustainable neighborhoods. It’s certainly not the first attempts to build self-sustaining communities, but it does seem as if the necessary technology is approaching the inflection point, where dropping costs and…