Going off-grid and using natural resources like the sun or wind to power your home is one of the modern ways to rebel against the system, and designers are proving that you don't need to sacrifice comfort or style in order to do so. You don't have to spend your life in a tent or live in a hobbit house to be completely self-sufficient‚in fact, approximately 1.7 billion people are living off-grid worldwide at this very moment. Whether your goal is to reduce your carbon footprint, to save money, to prepare for the collapse of the oil economy, or just to be independent, check out this collection of off-grid retreats - including a sun-powered Alpine capsule and France's highest building!