Category: Solar / Power / Energy
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Power from Pond Water? Here’s How…
I thought this was a neat find from a prepping perspective. Most of us focus on solar power for off-grid needs, a few supplement with wind power, but only the rare few use water. In fact, I’ve never seen anyone utilize pond water to produce power enough to run power tools, charge a battery bank,…
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Can You Really Use a Bicycle and Alternator to Power Anything?
The following two videos detail one man’s attempt at powering his home with only a bicycle and a car alternator. The first video details the setup and his thinking, while the second video shows his improvements to the system. He even tried using a washing machine motor as some commenters suggested, but went back to…
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Parabolic Mirror Solar Cooking
Makes me want to do solar cooking again…and to have a grilled cheese sandwich, lol. Just be careful where you aim that mirror because it could start a fire!
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Tesla Solar Roof: The Future of Off Grid Power?
I’ve been slowly researching off-grid power solutions the past month or two again and I was immediately disheartened at how costly it all is, especially if you want to include a battery bank. Granted, there have been quite a few innovations in the solar power market lately with the wider use of lithium batteries, for…
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How to Go Off-Grid With Solar
Many people are working toward the shared goal of sustainability. Declaring independence from the power and water grid, becoming self-sufficient and reducing your reliance on others are all massive steps, especially if you’re accustomed to the creature comforts modern living provides. Generating enough power to keep your home running without having to rely on the…
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Adapters for Power Tools (to use different brand batteries in what you already own)
This was a pretty cool find to bring in the new year. And, to be honest, I had no idea these power tool battery adapters even existed. For somewhere around $20-25 each on average–he said they were about $12-18 in the video, although some of the adapters prices vary quite a bit–you can get adapters…
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Power Tools Every Prepper Needs
When considering tools, preppers often tend to gravitate towards manual or hand-powered tools due to their ease of use. The number one question that always arises when considering power tools for prepping is, “what if the grid goes down?” While that is a valid question, there may be some events where the grid is still…
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DIY Solar Water Heater
Last week I posted this solar water heater using glow plugs video and, while an interesting idea, it’s not very useful when it comes to making the best use of a precious resource: off-grid electricity. With that in mind, I thought it would be useful to show a different idea of how to heat water…
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DIY Solar Water Heater Using Glow Plugs?
Although there’s no verbal explanation given as the video plays, I think I generally get the idea: Use two glow plugs like a hot water heating element to generate a constant current using a small solar panel and battery. And, while it’s a relatively small water barrel–I’m guessing 15 gallons–he was able to get the…