Landon Taylor’s photography

Most people who have their power abruptly turned off by the electric company will do whatever they can to get it restored immediately. They’ll fight, beg, or borrow whatever sum of money it takes to get those electrical currents flowing again—and for good reason! After all, how can one turn on the lights, do laundry, refrigerate food, or even have heat if their power is turned off? The answer is to go Spartan and learn to live off the grid!

That’s exactly what northeast Wichita resident John Avit did when his local in-person payment location stopped accepting checks and his bill to the electric company had to be mailed but was received late. For violating a payment agreement, they turned off his power; he responded by turning on his innovation. Eight years later, Avit has constructed a living space that runs exclusively off of solar energy. He lives 100% free of gas or electric bills and his only utility is his cable internet connection. Nothing represents his guerilla-style, KG&E-free existence more than the dismantled power meter that hangs from the back of his house. Black and circular, it slumps forward dead, an ironic contrast to the white-painted house with loud, vibrant lime-green trim. It is a vestige of the past. The staple of the future is planted a few yards to the west.

Standing proud and tall, Avit’s entire home is powered from a 360 watt solar panel that tracks with the sun. The large, flat, black pane is held up by a metal pole lined with a dark green hose and tied with yellow string. According to Avit, this contraption actually provides 30% more power than electric meters. Step inside his home and descend down the winding stairs into his basement, and you’ll see the connection where the magic happens. A 2,500 watt battery pack, built on the back of the power panel installed when the house was constructed in the 1940s, gleans enough energy for microwaving, refrigerating, heating, lightning, computer powering, and even power tooling. While most people seem to believe the electric companies are the arbitrators of all things power, Avit understands that our solar system’s hottest star is a more natural and sustaining means of providing electricity.

It’s his passion for conservation and energy efficiency that drives him. A believer that we all need to do more to save our planet, he takes the good along with the challenging. Energy independence and freedom from up and down gas and electric bills provides an element of financial stability. However, while his solar panel is able to provide heating, he has no air conditioning. When asked how he handles those notoriously hot Kansas summers, Avit calmly and un-sarcastically replies, “When it gets hot, I enjoy the heat.” He implements some passive cooling techniques during those searing days, though, such as using bamboo curtains to cut down on the amount of light that hits the walls. While he is working to up the watts of his solar panel to 480 so that there will be enough energy to wash clothes on sunny days, currently he does his laundry at a near-by laundry mat. “It works out well, though. I feel fortunate to have one so close by,” he stated.

Avit believes that more people need to become aware of home energy saving options. Surrounded by a collection of ancient Egyptian art, statues, and sacred objects, a mobile demonstration board rests against his living room wall. It takes temperature readings and shows the power difference between compact fluorescent bulbs and conventional light bulbs. He uses it whenever he has an opportunity and a captive audience. Much of his passion for solar power is fueled by his dual interest in Egyptology. A civilization known for its innovative use of energy and power, he believes that we can find contemporary solutions for the environment by harkening back to many of the culture’s ancient practices. Old fashion solutions to modern day problems singularize the lifestyle of John Avit.

Perhaps nothing typifies his outlook on life more than the answer he gave when I inquired about what month was the most difficult for him living off the grid. Absent an air condition unit, I assumed he would reply June, July, or August. Instead, he said it is the mild month of October that is the most challenging. “I have elm trees out back and they don’t lose their leaves as early as the other trees do. This leaves only about 2-3 hours of good, solid light exposure.” When you’re living life grid-free, its sunlight, not the temperature the sun radiates, that matters most!