@Laurelle3
I applaud your efforts and successes.
We actually have no choice but to do what we have done. We are off grid (not by choice) on top of a mountain, with no services. This is miles and miles of wilderness! We must haul all trash and recycling to town which is 15 miles away down a winding mountain road. Just lifting it all is a challenge for our aging bodies! We've been here 32 years, and were much younger when. we arrived! Next week Creek will be 77 years old...So, we live with making as little trash as possible. If we could persuade guests to take theirs with them, it would lighten the load.
All our electric power is by necessity from solar and backup generator. Our water heater uses rooftop solar for heating, when available. Our well is solar powered, water is pumped up over 500'. Being very conservative with any power use is a necessity.
Guests get an efficient space heater, we bundle up in layers, and use passive solar heat in winter. When temperatures are near freezing we use our own space heating in our part of the house.
LED lightbulbs are now finally available. In the beginning, we had to order special low draw lightbulbs (take 11 watts and output 75 watts) that cost us $35 each.
This has been a long learning experience for us about how to live a modern lifestyle successfully in the wilderness.