Category: Solar / Power / Energy
No Air Conditioning AND No Power?
The temperatures here in the Midwest (we’re in Kansas City) have been a real pain of late. Fortunately, most of us are blessed with a true modern marvel: central air conditioning. I can only imagine what life must have been like before it existed because even spending a a few hours outdoors in the heat…
Solar Lights for SHTF
I used to not be a fan of solar powered equipment, like solar crank lights or radios, but I’m beginning to change my mind recently, especially when for off-grid or SHTF purposes. I just purchased some similar solar lights for my chicken coop, but I can’t speak to their effectiveness just yet. If interested, these…
Why Energy Efficiency is Critical for Your Homestead
Imagine riding an exercise bike that’s connected to a single lightbulb. With very little effort or time spent on the bike, you could light that bulb with no problem. Now imagine riding that same bike, but this time you’re trying to light 100 light bulbs at once. How much longer do you think it would…
Renewable Energy Solutions for Preppers
Being a prepper means preparing for any eventuality that could interfere with your day-to-day life, such as when natural disasters or other SHTF scenarios hit. And when things start to go pear-shaped, the first thing to fail is usually the power grid. So much of our everyday lives depend on electricity that without it, something…
10 Ways to Stay Warm During a Power Outage
Yes, winter really is coming, and sooner than you think. Given that utility prices are rising, especially natural gas, it might get more difficult to keep warm this coming winter if you’re not thinking ahead. With that in mind, consider the following ten tips in the video below. And, while it was intended for the…
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,…
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…
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!
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…
