It means the sun and the ground do the work.
We put in solar panels and a geothermal loop, and between them they carry the electricity, the heating and the cooling for the whole place, all year. There is no gas line running to this property, and the electric meter runs on a net metering plan, so the utility acts as our storage instead of a wall of batteries.
We do take one load of propane a year. That is what heats the floors. On a cold January morning the floor under your feet is warm, and that is the part guests mention most.
The only utility bill we have received in 2026 came in February. It was $50.
Where the geothermal loop actually sits
At the bottom of the pond nearest the house, which is worth knowing if you plan to fish. Everything else in the ponds is fair game, and there are bluegill, crappie and bass in there worth your time.
We tried twice to drill a well and struck out both times. So no well, at least not yet. That is the kind of thing that goes on the list and stays there a while.
Off-grid does not mean roughing it
Every guest room has its own private bath with a heated bidet and 36-inch doorways. There is a full kitchen to share, a great room under the stone chimney, an eight-person hot tub on the covered patio, and a bonfire pit ringed with rustic limestone boulders down by the water.
Rooms are $125 to $175 a night, or $375 for all three.
What it does mean
Quiet. There is no television in the guest rooms and not much to plug into. Selah means pause and reflect. That is the whole idea, and it is the reason we built it this way instead of the easy way.