The Off-Grid Systems Planner

Plan your land, power, water, and budget — before you build.

The most expensive off-grid mistakes happen on paper — or rather, they happen because there was no paper.

The Off-Grid Systems Planner is the worksheet companion to the Readiness Challenge: seven planning sections that turn "someday I'll go off-grid" into a documented, numbers-backed plan. Every worksheet runs on one rule: never write a number you didn't measure, read off a label, or get from a real quote.

What's inside:

• Land Evaluation Scorecard — 11 criteria (water, sun, access, zoning, drainage, flood risk, soil, timber, power potential, comms, neighbors) scored 1–5 with scoring bands, plus three dealbreaker checks: water, legal, access

• Power Load Audit — 12-device table using the watts × hours method, your total daily watt-hours, and a storage-sizing framework (your days of autonomy × your daily total)

• Water Needs Planner — daily use × reserve days = storage target; a 4-source comparison worksheet (well, rainwater, spring, hauled); a treatment plan worksheet

• Shelter Options Comparison — name your three real options and score them on 7 criteria (cost, climate fit, DIY-friendliness, permit complexity, mobility, lifespan), then a decision worksheet

• Realistic Budget Builder — 9 categories × 3 quote columns, with the one rule printed at the top: blanks are honest, guesses are expensive

• Emergency Preparedness — 10-item 72-hour kit checklist, fire/evacuation plan, water and power backups, comms plan, meeting point

• 90-Day Action Plan, Research Log, and a One-Page Plan summary — the whole plan distilled to a single page you tape to the wall

• 231 fillable fields — every worksheet is interactive; type straight into the PDF or print it

Who this is for:

• Anyone seriously considering buying land or building off-grid in the next 1–3 years

• People who want to avoid the classic expensive mistakes (wrong land, wrong system size, fantasy budget)

• Couples or families planning together — the worksheets force the real conversations early

Who this is NOT for: anyone looking for done-for-you system designs, product recommendations, or engineering drawings. This planner teaches the planning method — and explicitly points you to licensed professionals for electrical, structural, water, and gas work.

Format: Instant-download PDF. Fully interactive — 231 fillable text fields and checkboxes: complete it digitally or print it and use a pen.

Less than a tank of gas — for the plan that keeps a five-figure mistake from happening.

Q: Does this tell me which solar panels, batteries, or tanks to buy?

A: No — deliberately. Instead it teaches you the sizing methods (watts × hours for power, daily use × reserve days for water) and gives you quote-comparison worksheets, so any product or bid you get can be checked against your own numbers.

Q: Does it cover zoning, permits, and water rights?

A: It gives you the research framework — what to check, where to check it, and a log to record what you find with dates. Rules vary by county and state, so rather than printing rules that could be wrong for you, it tells you exactly what to verify locally.

Q: I already own land. Is this still useful?

A: Yes — skip the scorecard (or use it to audit what you bought) and work the power, water, shelter, and budget sections. Most buyers size their systems after buying; this lets you do it right.

Q: Is this professional engineering or legal advice?

A: No. It's a planning method, not a substitute for licensed professionals. For electrical work, structural decisions, drinking water, and gas, the planner explicitly directs you to qualified pros — that's part of the method, not a disclaimer afterthought.