Imagine heating your home without relying on the local power plant.As challenging as it may be to live off the grid, most off-gridders feel that the benefits far outweigh the difficuities Jorge and Ella Alvarez, off-gridders in Northern Arizona say, "We love being off-grid. It's definitely hard work, but it puts everything in life into perspective. It's surprising to find just how much you can do without Many people think we have a harsh and depressing lifestyle. Nothing could be further from the truth. We see living off the grid as a gift that has allowed us to be more in touch with nature and each other."As a result, people living off the grid avoid the environmental and financial costs that come with on-grid The key to getting off the grid is replacing electricity supplied by a power plant with a renewable energy source, like solar power.What exactly is "the grid?