Category: Home Power

Backup Electric Power Design Considerations, by Duliskov – Part 2

Energy Storage The only practical way to store electric energy is in chemical form, in batteries. There is loss of energy while it is being deposited into batteries, converted into chemical energy, and then also while the battery sits in storage (self-discharge). The output will be DC current. Batteries are built from units of two volts each. Six of these units make a 12-Volt battery, et cetera. Physically larger batteries are more susceptible to damage from rough handling (drops, vibration) because they use larger plates. Some batteries are of sealed type and require no maintenance; some are of open type …


Backup Electric Power Design Considerations, by Duliskov – Part 1

This article covers a complex area, and to keep myself focused I will break it into three sections. In the following I would like to share what I learned while researching and building an emergency power station. The content below assumes that the reader understands the basics of electricity (AC and DC), batteries, and solar power. I have no affiliation with any of the sellers of products I provided links to; the links are for your convenience only. I have no engineering degree and reserve the right to be completely wrong. However, I did build everything that I am writing …


Home Power Systems: Photovoltaics by L.K.O.

[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series of feature articles by our Central Rockies Regional Editor about alternative/sustainable/renewable energy (RE) solutions for self-sufficiency. Previous related articles in SurvivalBlog that complement this one are: “Home Power Systems: Batteries,” “Home Inverter Comparison: Off Grid and Grid Tied,” “Home Power Systems: Micro Hydro”, and “Energy Efficiency and Conservation.” Upcoming article topics in this Home Power Systems series include: Wind Generators, Solar Water Distillers, Solar Ovens, and Solar Water Heating.] Photovoltaic History: Maturing technology and infrastructure Photovoltaics, or PV for short, is the technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity. PV has …


Letter Re: Generators And Their Proper Implementation During TEOTWAWKI/Disasters

HJL, I’ve passed this along many times to JWR when the subject of generators and transfer switches come up. It is a more versatile solution than a transfer switch. It is a product named Generlink. It installs at your pole and allows you to choose which circuits to power via your breaker box, instead of having to wire specific circuits with a transfer switch and is a less expensive solution than a transfer switch. Generlink has been approved by my electric co-op and many others. Check it out at generlink.com, I have no financial interest in it. Regards, Keith o …


Letter Re: Generators And Their Proper Implementation During TEOTWAWKI/Disasters

Excellent article about generator usage. I might mention that when using a portable generator there is a better option than running an extension cord to an outlet and then cutting off the main breaker. You can buy a manual transfer switch that will allow you to wire selected circuits in your breaker panel through the transfer switch. After plugging up and starting the generator, you flip breakers on the transfer switch. This transfers the selected circuits to the generator output and isolates them from the main incoming power. These switches are readily available at almost any home improvement store or …


Generators And Their Proper Implementation During TEOTWAWKI/Disasters, by RKM

I want to share useful generator information so that serious and possibly dangerous pitfalls can be avoided and tactical efficiencies can be realized. Outside Only: First, there is an important warning– generators MUST be run and exhausted OUTSIDE! Carbon monoxide can and will kill you with no warning. Carbon monoxide has no smell or taste. Of course there are things you can do to run one inside, but that involves technical issues not covered here. Be careful and plan accordingly! Our emergency implementation: On August 23rd of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck Southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi. Fortunately, I was living in …


Multi-Purpose Power Solution For Laying Low Or Bugging Out, by T.G.H.

We live in an area known for food storage. I’m a real estate broker and am in and out of people’s homes all over happy valley. I have firsthand knowledge of who’s prepared and who’s not. Although many have buckets of grains and a few shelves of canned goods, the vast majority are not really prepared for a true disaster lending itself to long-term survival and recovery. Believe it or not, most couldn’t survive a prolonged power outage in the middle of winter. As the readers of this blog know, there is a lot more to it than a wheat …


Letter: Another Option for Emergency Power

Hugh, Having worked on a seasonal farm with large power demands and five back up generators, I have yet to see a pto generator that outputs modified sine wave power. Also the stator and rotor windings are all spread equally through out the machine, so even if one 120 volt leg is loaded a little more, the bearings carry the same load all the time. – Solar Guy Hugh Replies: I would have to agree with this statement. I like my pto generator because it simply means one less gas/diesel engine that I have to maintain, and it produces a …


Guest Article: How to Set Up a Solar Electric Survival System, by LaMar

The majority of the U.S. population lives in a city or suburbs connected to a city and is completely reliant on grid power from coal, hydro, or natural gas power plants. In the event of a national or local disaster, regardless of the cause, the electricity system is the weakest link. Without power almost nothing else in a city or town will work. These disasters may be of short- or long-term duration, but depending on the weather and medical needs of your family going without power for even a short time could cause great hardship and even death. In this …


Letter: Rechargeable Batteries and a Solar Charger

Hello HJL and JWR, I was wondering if you could review and recommend the latest generation of rechargeable batteries available and a solar charger as well. I am leaning towards stocking up on rechargeable AA and AAA and the spacer packs that allow these sizes be used as C and D cell batteries. The vast array of options is overwhelming, and I am hoping someone with the expertise required can help. Thanks for all you do. Take care. – J.W. HJL Replies: I have chosen to use a modular route so that I have the flexibility to charge whatever I …


Letter Re: Off-Grid Electronics

James, EBook readers and many other small electronic devices can be charged/powered by AA batteries using external power packs like these, available at Amazon and from other Internet sellers. [JWR Adds: And of course there are a plethora of photovoltaic AA battery chargers available. Well-prepared families should have the ability to charge size AA, CR-123, and 9-volt NiMH batteries without grid power. Those batteries will all prove crucial for operating short-range communications, night vision, smoke detectors, intrusion detection, and other gear.] Also, the DIYBookscanner web site has some resources for book scanning using inexpensive digital cameras and free software. Regards, …


Off-Grid Electronics, by D. Smith

When I am looking for electronics for my cabin that is so far back in the woods it is cost-prohibitive to get grid power, I look for certain things: Low energy use, flexibility of use,and a long service life. I don’t have a lot of extra room in my cabin but I love to read, so I have an e-book reader. Several years ago, I bought a book scanner and scanned in most of my books to make them e-books. Some people say this is a legal gray area but I have no moral qualms about format shifting an item …


Letter Re: Anderson Powerpoles: The Legos of DC Electronics

Jim, While it’s true that Anderson Powerpole connectors can be soldered, this is usually not a good idea, for several reasons: 1) Soldering is weaker than crimping because it interposes a soft metal– and possible air voids– between the copper of the wire and the copper of the terminal. A properly crimped connection places the wire in compression and the surrounding terminal in tension, ensuring a mechanically strong joint. 2) Soldering adds resistance to the connection. In a properly crimped connection, there are no gaps at all between the wire and the terminal. However low the resistance of solder, it’s …


Anderson Powerpoles: The Legos of DC Electronics, by Dan in Alaska

To say that I’m a neophyte in the electrical world, or as we say here in Alaska a “Cheechako”, is making a big understatement.  So, a couple years back my co-worker and friend got me into Amateur Radio, also affectedly known as Ham Radio.  I studied my ARRL Technician book and passed my test, but it just barely rattled what I had in my head 20 years ago from my only electronics class I had back in High School where we studied Ohm’s law, identified a resistor, and made a strobe light.  So, I’m on a big learning curve.  I …


Letter Re: More Bureaucratic Over-Reach

Sir, The faceless “bureaucratocracy” strikes yet again, threatening to condemn an off-grid homeowner for allegedly violating an “international property maintenance code” due to lack of running water and electricity – even though neither utility is specified in said international property maintenance code.  How does an international code apply within the confines of an incorporated entity like the City of Cape Coral (which has its own building codes adopted pursuant to its own ordinance procedures)?  And now the city has graciously indicated that, if the homeowner can prove she can “sustain herself” without these utilities, they “might be able to reach …