5 Homes that Make Going Off-the-Grid Look Good

Created by students at the Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, this prefab home concept features an energy-efficient insulated envelope, and systems to collect rainwater and solar energy—details that helped earn it first prize in Electrical Energy Balance competition at the 2014 Solar Decathlon Europe in Versailles.

Image courtesy of Jason Flakes.

Living off the grid doesn't have to mean doing without—unless, of course, that's exactly what you're after. From a tiny powerless writer's shed to a chic prefab family getaway in these five structures show, it's completely possible to cut the utility cord in style thanks to clever green technology like solar panels, rainwater catchment systems, and energy-efficient insulation.