Solar power in a real emergency so here is what worked and what didn’t
Posted by HudyD@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 164 comments
3 days without power. No cell signal. Roads blocked. Gas stations down.
That was the reality here after a freak storm last month. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it felt like a dress rehearsal. What stood out most? Fuel dependency is a massive weak point.
I’ve kept a small gas generator for years, but with fuel in short supply and neighbors running noisy setups all night, I made the decision to lean on my solar gear instead. I’d recently picked up a GridNest system, portable solar generator, expandable battery, built-in power monitor. Nothing fancy. Just dependable.
Here’s what I learned:
- Silent power is underrated. I ran lights, radio, and a mini-fridge with no sound, no smell, no attention.
- Solar recharge was slow, but steady. Cloudy days still brought in some juice. I rationed carefully and stayed online.
- Having power for comms = peace of mind. I checked NOAA, charged my phone when the towers came back up, and even kept my rechargeable lantern going every night.
TheCarcissist@reddit
I strongly suggest looking into a solid DC to DC charger for your vehicle too. You can essentially turn your car or truck into a generator to charge your whole house battery in a pinch, its quieter than a generator and portable so if you have to bug out you can charge on the go.
piedamon@reddit
Is this still worth it on a plug-in hybrid? I have the 120v outlet on the RAV4
My dad was recommending dc to dc for his solar setup too but I didn’t quite understand
TheCarcissist@reddit
The problem with 120v is you are going through an inverter which is horribly inefficient. You're converting DC, to ac and back to DC. You're looking at a considerable loss.
Actually, technically youre going from AC to DC to AC to DC.
Im no expert on plug in hybrids. I believe most are 48v? You might just need to find a DC to DC that can handle that
youandican@reddit
I found this listing for voltages
Common Hybrid Vehicle Voltages
thinlySlicedPotatos@reddit
I have a hybrid. It has a DC DC converter to charge the 12v battery from the hybrid battery. It puts out 70 amps if needed.
I have a lithium battery I use in the minivan to power a fridge and microwave. I use a 20 A DC DC converter/charger from the vehicle's 12v system to charge the lithium battery whenever the car is "on". With the the car on, the car's DC DC converter puts out about 14.4 v, whether or not the engine is running. If I am not driving, just sitting parked, the gas engine periodically turns on briefly to charge the hybrid battery back up whenever it gets low. This seems like a pretty efficient setup. The hybrid motor is able to make full use of the engine's output to rapidly charge the hybrid battery. The engine only runs briefly, not for hours on end like a generator would. This whole time, my lithium battery is charging at 20 A from the hybrid battery, whether or not the motor is running.
Of course, if I'm driving around the lithium battery will be charging, but if I'm not driving enough I can always park with the car on to finish charging, using hardly any gas.
bothtypesoffirefly@reddit
I’m ready to do this as soon as I get software updates on car and battery brain- currently not available in the US but ready to flip the switch when it’s “approved”
trahloc@reddit
While not shtf, under normal duress situations, I'd strongly recommend starlink. We get regular power outages in the Philippines. Battery backup keeps my starlink online so even when towers go down I'm still online.
I packed my working dish in Utah and was online within minutes in the Philippines once I set it up. I really can't praise the service high enough.
Fred-Z@reddit
Starlink is a power hog though.
trahloc@reddit
40w-45w/hr roughly. 2kwh in case of extended outage isn't free but it's also less than one year of internet in the USA vs the Philippines and can be used for other stuff.
In south east Asia snow is a myth so you never hit that 100w+ beyond initial startup.
jkrejchik@reddit
What’s the size of your solar setup? Both capacity and panel wattages. I just got a Delta 2 and River 2 with 400 watts of panels. Hoping it’s enough to keep the chest freezer and phones/radios going, but haven’t put it to the test yet.
PrisonerV@reddit
Meter your devices so you know.
My chest freezer uses .77 kWh per day, averaged from a week. I have 5kWh in battery and 1100 watts solar. But I also have another 2 fridges using 2 more kWh so I'm comfortable I could keep them going. But also have a propane generator in case I need to manually charge them.
RiffRaff028@reddit
Knowing how much wattage your devices and appliances pull versus the wattage produced by your generator - of any type - is something every prepper should know.
AZdesertpir8@reddit
I went around and measured each of my fridges/freezers/etc and wrote the kWh/day on the front of each one of them so I'd know. Its been handy to have when I have to run on generator.
prepsson@reddit
Old appliances may be built like tanks but when the land lord changed my fridge my electrical bill dropped by 2/3
Glass_Raisin7939@reddit
2/3 ?!!!!!
prepsson@reddit
Yea it was an old Electrolux fridge from the 70s. It needed it's own nuclear power plant to run.
buadach2@reddit
Fridges and freezers only run their compressors in intervals depending on the external temperature and how much thermal mass is inside. Did you meter them over a long period of time to average out the power usage?
AZdesertpir8@reddit
Yes, I ran a KillAWatt device on them for 24 hours to get the average daily power usage
Logical_Hospital2769@reddit
How would one know how to do this??😫 I am super not ready, apparently.
RiffRaff028@reddit
For larger appliances, this information is usually listed on them or in the owner's manual. Smaller electronics is more hit or miss, but again, check the owner's manual in the specifications section to see if wattage is listed.
You also need to take into account that large appliances like refrigerators, microwaves, furnace blowers, etc. pull much higher amperage when they first start up before they drop down to normal after a few seconds. This is why most generators have two wattage numbers listed. The lowest figure is for continuous pull. The higher figure is starting wattage that takes into account that brief surge in pull before it drops down to running wattage.
Whenever possible, try to keep your running wattage at 50% of the generator's specs. This will both save fuel and increase the life of the generator, plus it helps ensure that you never exceed the generator's starting wattage, which can damage it.
IGetNakedAtParties@reddit
You can get power monitor plugs and simply run it inline for a day or two. It's the only real way.
Devices like freezers will have a surge of power to start the compressor for a second, and then a lower steady state, their documents often only state the surge as this is important for wiring safety.
They also have a "duty cycle" which is to say the compressor is only running for maybe 60% of the day. This will depend on the temperature of the room, efficiency of the freezer's insulation, etc.
A power monitor will account for both of these factors to tell you how many kWh the device uses per day. This number is useful to scale how big your battery must be to cover nights and cloudy days, and how powerful your solar must be.
The surge power in Watts is still needed (from the device documents or label) as your backup power must be able to supply this. Some inverters are not rated in Watts but in Volt-Amps (VA) which can be converted to Watts knowing the "power factor" of a motor in the compressor, this isn't something you can easily measure without more advanced tools, but a rule of thumb is to have an inverter with 50% more power than the peak due to the nature of how motors work with AC power.
You also need to ensure that inverters (the power electronics which goes from DC batteries or solar to AC like from your sockets) is producing "pure sine wave" AC. This doesn't matter for some devices like lights or a PC but for anything with a motor it is essential and using a cheaper inverter will be inefficient and can damage the motor.
buadach2@reddit
What a great, informative post, thank you!
Logical_Hospital2769@reddit
Thank you very much
HampshireTurtle@reddit
you could turn off everything non essential for 24hrs and read your meter at the start and end of the 24 hours. This does require all inhabitants to be onboard with turning off everything non-essential for 24hrs
Notalib77@reddit
Our local power company breaks down my power usage for each day. It's pretty helpful!!
Arbsbuhpuh@reddit
https://www.harborfreight.com/kill-a-watt-electric-monitor-93519.html
party_peacock@reddit
Any old mains watt meter can tell you- For example:
https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Monitor-Electrical-Consumption-Voltage/dp/B0BR7Y5PYW
You're interested in knowing peak power consumption (kW) for sizing your cables & inverter, as well as the energy consumption (kWh) per day for sizing battery capacity.
McCharms@reddit
Newbie question: how does one go about figuring this out?
blitzm056@reddit
This is why I read this sub. Good point and now on my list to do. I would add testing how well the solar batteries can power the freezers or refrigerators with panels connected. If can go more than ~3 days should be good to go for extended periods with poor sun.
4r4nd0mninj4@reddit
🫡
NorthWhereas7822@reddit
So sorry, new: how do you meter your devices? How do you know the output of each prior to using a solar battery so you can calculate how much juice you'll need to prepare for all day?
gadget767@reddit
Read the posts just above yours. In particular, the one from u/nolagirl20. Others just above hers refer to using a different meter, the kill-a-watt meter also available from Amazon. You plug these devices into your wall outlet, and then plug your home appliance into them. They will tell you how much energy your appliance uses.
NorthWhereas7822@reddit
Thanks so much!
gadget767@reddit
You’re very welcome! This can be a complex subject if you’re new to it, but it’s not as complicated as it might first appear!
livestrong2109@reddit
That's my whole mindset. If I can keep the fridge and freezer running. Keep from running the generator 24/7 and only using it in the winter or on a cloudy day to top off.
PrisonerV@reddit
I was surprised how well my solar panels work on completely overcast days. I'm often pulling in more than 500 watts, which is more than enough to top everything off. Solar panels are cheap and if you have the room, fill your yard or roof. I'm actually thinking of making a permanent in ground setup for mine in the yard.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Yes.
I remember back in the 90's wiring some panels on my roof- it was very overcast. A buddy of mine was helping me. This was back in the day before convenient MC4 connectors. I got shocked, and was surprised as it was really overcast. I thought I had done some connection wrong and told my buddy- "Hey, I just got a little shock." He laughed- "yeah Rob, they are producing power..." LMAO
Wait till you get a clear full moon night, go check your MPPTs/controllers then. I've seen some power from that, it's crazy.
Solar is a helluva more durable than people realize.
down_south_sc@reddit
Add a Franklin solar battery and you’ll get to tap into stored energy during cloudy days and for night time.. replenishing the used stored energy during the day
bigvibes@reddit
When you say meter your devices do you mean you can check the electricity usage if each one? How?
CLR1971@reddit
This the the way. Had 80 acres off grid with TVs, microwave, coffee makers, the works. Generator backup is a must. Propane lasts forever. 80 hours generator runtime might translate to weeks/months of power.
Palavras@reddit
I am dumb, how does one meter a specific device?
mmpgh@reddit
Kill-a-watt on amazon
nolagirl20@reddit
I got 2 on Amazon that report the data to an app on my phone via BT. It's so much easier than trying to read those little screens. For hurricane Helene I lost power for 4 days and was able to keep my refrigerator running, phone and iPad charged and ran some small 5 watt fans.
I had 4 100 watt renogy panels, a victron controller and a Litime 12 volt 200ah battery. I did unplug the fridge for a couple of hours periodically during the last day and a half. Typically the sun is out and strong after a storm but not after Helene. I think if it had been sunny I would have been fine. My refrigerator is old ( my Katrina replacement) and averages 100 watts an hour. I've added a battery and several panels since.
Also, if your internet provider is still up and running, a router usually runs on little power. Mine is about 6 watts per hour so I plugged it in when I went online.
nolagirl20@reddit
This.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKGBP38V?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
PrisonerV@reddit
Kill-a-watt meter from Harbor Freight
Or something like a Smart Plug with Power Monitoring from Amazon.
RussiaIsBestGreen@reddit
There are devices you can plug into the wall and then the appliance into it.
Sillylilguyenjoyer@reddit
I was out of power and have a small chest freezer, 600 watt ecoflow river 2 easily ran it, I did not have solar but had a power source to tap into to charge it when low. Also I only plugged in in 15% of the time. luckily chest freezers are a fairly efficient design and it was well stocked so it had some thermal mass. But it kept everything from unfreezing over the course of a couple days.
Excellent_Condition@reddit
A knock-off Kill-a-watt wattage meter from Amazon is like $12, or \~$20 for the real thing. It's 100% worth it.
The EcoFlow also has a built in wattage meter. It's real time, as opposed to aggregate, but you can run your fridge off it for a few hours and see how much of the battery gets used.
Upper-Razzmatazz176@reddit
I just set up a regular delta pro and an extra storage battery. I have 1200 watts of solar and keep it connected 24/7 except I disconnect when thunderstorms expected because it’s not safe to have a portable generator running.
I have my set up to run a 21 cuft upright freezer. This is enough and enough for a mini fridge and other as needed if power went up. I had to buy the extra battery bc of cloudy days or bad weather occurs for multiple days I would run out.
I recommend testing these things now so you reliably know what to expect when something happens it will just be another day for you.
acadburn2@reddit
Buy a cheep AC voltage / clamp meter mine was like $20
I made a 2ft extension cord so I could separate hot from ground.
Then use the meter to watch start up and running draw
HudyD@reddit (OP)
That setup could definitely cover your freezer and smaller electronics, especially with some sun discipline. The Delta 2 is efficient and 400W of panels is decent, just watch your usage at night and maybe stagger your charging if the weather turns
Valhan04@reddit
Love this!
croddyRED@reddit
What limitations would there be on a solar system from a company? I’ve got about 20 panels and a battery. I always figured I could reconfigure in dire situations.
Jammer521@reddit
We lost power last year for 36 hours, I have only a modest back up system, 2 different solar arrays each 300w, and two 100ah batteries for each, one system I used to power 3 fish tanks, and the other I used to power my modem/router, some LED lights and to recharge phones and laptops, I have a deep freeze packed full of stuff and left it closed the entire time and everything stayed pretty much frozen, lost some stuff in the fridge but very minor, to do it properly I would need a huge system but I can't afford that all at once so I just keep adding on
YonKro22@reddit
This is a bit or a lot off the subject but what would it take for gas stations to be able to be powered up seems like it would just take a generac generator connected to the main power supply correctly or a gas-powered generator with a proper electrical hook up connected to the main fuse panel 2 make the entire thing work if you're just trying to pump gas you could probably do it for not that big of a generator and only pump gas and not have you inside of the store lit up much or air conditioned. That would probably be the most helpful thing for the most people in a situation like that and it also sounds like the gas station would make tons of money if they were the only ones open
P0rkzombie@reddit
I worked at a genersl store/ gas station for 5 years. Gas stations don't make much money off of gas. It's only a couple cents a gallon. The gas just brings people in who then buy stuff inside that's where they make their profit.
YonKro22@reddit
Well if they were the only ones open for Miles they would also sell all the other stuff much better also they would build lots of Goodwill. And if they wanted to raise the prices not all that much but just some for the extra trouble I can probably raise the price $.25 a gallon make enough to make the investment of a good electrical backup system well worth it
Green-Ad-7823@reddit
The gas wouldn't last long at the gas station. The bulk plant where i would pick up the fuel to deliver it to the gas station would also need to be powered. Getting fuel from point A to point D (to you) requires a lot of different places and different things to have electricity.
YonKro22@reddit
the delivery trucks can very easily get there all they would need is gas and most the time that is a power outage it is within the driving distance of a tanker truck so no that would not be a problem they would have a continuous supply of gas. And anytime I've been in situation like that everybody has been calm and cool and collect and extra polite and friendly Publix was the only grocery store around here that was open because they had the foresight to have backup generators and power for all but the biggest of their freezers I think. Lots of people there but they were all nights and civil and all that they would just need to do something like Publix did but on a much smaller scale and it would be massive amounts of inconvenience for people running out of gas and if they did it made some extra money all the other convenience stores probably would follow suit from the some of them would it would follow the profit
Green-Ad-7823@reddit
From my experience, there are a lot of gears that have to turn to get gas from point A to point D, and most of those gears require electricity one way or another. Our system is not known for its simplicity.
YonKro22@reddit
Well the largest power outage that I experienced was about 5 days here I think and I think in Nashville they had power and I don't think it would be a big deal to drive a truck from Nashville to here very much like hell at Publix they brought in people which I don't know why they had to bringing people but they did from Nashville and I assume they brought food from there also and they kept all the power or most of it going the whole time if Publix can do it then some chain of gas stations should easily be able to do it all it would take would be to drive a truck from wherever there's not a power outage or ones that were already on their way from wherever it wouldn't be that difficult and it would be my biggest things to help for the least amount of doing. It would just take a generator and a rerouted gas truck.
P0rkzombie@reddit
In a perfect disaster sure that's all it would take. But what are the chances of a perfect disaster? Now what if the roads were impassable because everyone is trying to get away from the area? And not just a city or county, what if it's state wide?
Or what if roads in and out of town were destroyed?
Or maybe even the closest major city is experiencing the same problem, and the next one over as well, repeat multiple times. Now if anyone is getting gas its the city's closer to the edge of the impacted zone. If you were unlucky enough to be in the middle of whatever happened your not going to be buying gas until everyone else around you had already gotten either fully operational or at least partially operational.
And to get gas in those trucks takes big specialized pumps. At big distribution centers. What if the only one of those in the area was wipped out in this emergency? Or the pump was damaged and no longer functional? Then even if trucks are ready they can't refill do they sit empty.
And that's assuming that you have workers there to operate the pumps/ drive the trucks/ sell the gas to customers because it would have to be rationed at that point. But with a disaster that big who's volunteering to go in to work? That's if they are even able to, they might not be able to due to road conditions or maybe taking care of loved ones during this emergency. Or they might not even be alive.
There's sooo many moving parts what initially sounds like an easy, obvious solution becomes exponentially complex in short order.
Neither-Contact-9182@reddit
I have solar panels, but they are connected to the grid. Grid goes down, I have no power. Bought a portable Jackery 3000 power station on wheels. Grid goes down, I have to go get the very heavy station in the dark, connect extension cords to the station, connect cords to the router, computer, TV, and floor lamp (can't connect to any house lighting), find the power buttons on the Jackery, and then I have limited functioning equipment.
Considering brownouts, weather-related outages, and the threat of cyber attacks, i installed an ecoflow system with an almost instantaneous backup battery for the entire house. No more worries about outages.
SaphirePhenux@reddit
Random 2¢ from a suburbanite: if you have house solar panels and you don't have batteries, you will want to get some and place them inline before your meter. Many power companies/solar installers will tie your panels directly into the meter first before it goes into your house, meaning that if the grid goes down (either natural disaster or power company shutting it down for maintenance), so does your solar.
I learned this the hard way and have been saving up for batteries backups to make sure I don't have that issue again. It sucks sitting there with solar panels and not being able to use them.
Glad-Device-2586@reddit
know your daily needs (assuming there's always sun everyday): let's say 1 phone: 20 Wh
Find the power station/bank that can suffice (1): power bank is enough for 20 Wh
Find the solar panel that can suffice (2) that can be achieved by how (a) long and (b) intense the sun is: if the Peak Sun Hour is 2 hours, so you need to use at least 10W solar panel to achieve 20 Wh total daily
Porkchop113@reddit
What are your thoughts on the delta pro for essentials?
signpostgrapnel@reddit
Agree. Generators are too noisy for me. I'd rather use a power station.
Bigtanuki@reddit
This is the way. Silent and unnoticed.
Annual_Fishing_9883@reddit
This is where owning a EV that has V2L would come in handy. My house uses on average 6-7kw a day, not counting when I run the A/C. The battery on a decent EV could power my whole house for a week and would still leave me with enough juice to drive 100 miles away.
Lets_Go_Wolfpack@reddit
Yep. I've got a F150 with a 100 KWh battery, and it has a 30a plug ready to go.
I've got a manual transfer switch installed and all I have to do is plug it in and flip the switch and I'm running off the truck.
TheMacAttk@reddit
I LOVE my solar system. 15.2kW of roof-mounted panels and a pair of Powerwall 2s allow me to operate indefinitely off-grid from ~mid March through early October, but winters are pretty grim in the PNW so I have a generator inlet and transfer switch for critical loads to run a portable off our now unused NG line along with about 100 gallons of propane just in case that’s unavailable.
If only I had an easy (and non warranty voiding) way to tap into the 201kWh of EV batteries sitting in my garage I’d be able to maintain normal operations completely silent for ~72hrs on even the darkest/coldest days.
PlanetUnknown@reddit
Where can I buy this Gridnest solar system ? Google keeps giving chicken coops
arkadylaw@reddit
I am wondering, whether its generator or solar power, how can I store the electricity?
RI-Transplant@reddit
A solar generator is basically a big battery with an inverter so you can plug in 🔌. You can charge it with your outlet when you have power, you can hook up solar panels or you can use dc power to charge it.
Affectionate-Cod5085@reddit
Hello, new here: city/apartment dweller, would these work for me? I have a fire escape.
RI-Transplant@reddit
Yes, it would work.
Ell-O-Elling@reddit
I’d recommend getting some solar yard lights. The small ones that rest on top of a stake you stick in the ground. The light part is portable so you can pop them off the stake at night and bring them inside. It’s a game changer!! Saves batteries and super easy management.
If you live where there is snow get larger ones that fit on the top of tiki poles so they don’t get buried in snow.
SufficientMilk7609@reddit
Here in Spain, we had a general black out that lasted 24 hours, and given the restrictions in Europe, most people with solar installations did not have electricity, so if you do not have a hybrid inverter charger with island mode, you can already have 50,000 kW. That you don't have light. And if you don't have an electronic meter, and you don't turn down the automatic one, you will be giving away your generated electricity to your entire town, here the surplus is thrown into the public network for free. I say this in case you buy an inverter manufactured for Europe, take all these details into account. I lowered my differential and stayed with my motorhome system. Although I have more information in the complete guide on how to create a bunker in a flat, with a survival and urban self-sufficiency manual in my profile
capilot@reddit
I too would very much like to know what your setup is. Sounds awesome.
esuil@reddit
I tried talking about it in this sub couple of times and half the time people downvoted me when I gave any criticism to fuel based solutions and told that solar is the way to do it.
Seems like tides are shifting now and more people realize how shit old school fuel setups are in real conditions.
jb191145@reddit
I’m making one of those self contained gennies quiet needs nothing but a little restart every now and then and then But also have a NG whole house gasoline is way to loud everyone and there broke ass friends will want to plug in
davidm2232@reddit
I'd love to go solar someday. But fuel dependency is a huge issue that is easily solved. Keep a minimum of a few hundred gallons of fuel at home for daily use and emergencies. I do 200 gallons of gasoline and 400 gallons of diesel at a minimum.
Academic_1989@reddit
I'm an engineer, so I have gone down the rabbit hole several times on solar/battery. I've also looked into the whole off-grid thing for a future cabin purchase. It is tough to get enough power to do much at all for long. In our heat, it is essential to be able to operate at least a small window unit AC. That will drain most of the sub $1000 Ecoflow type systems in a little over an hour. The batteries have a limited life time, and the solar cells begin to slowly degrade as soon as they are deployed. I have not pushed the button yet on solar back up, except for a small ecoflow that I left with my son for emergencies. Had a long talk with my local generator technician. He agrees on the solar, but had several really good comments on the flaws in different generators. Given that he works on both, his opinion is very valuable to me. I understand the theory of how they work, but I don't repair them every day. Find a great tech and pick their brain!
Ryan_e3p@reddit
You're an engineer, mate! Engineer yourself a solution! 😁
DIY blows one of those standalone solar power stations out of the water when it comes to price and capability. I wrote up a post a few months ago about how, for $350, I gave a basic blueprint that 4x the battery capacity and 2x the output capability than a standalone unit the OP of the post was having issues with.
https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1ic1yud/comment/m9n2d8s/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Aside from being super expandable, the misunderstandings you have about solar and batteries is a bit dated. Modern lithium iron (LiFePO4) batteries can have thousands of duty cycles (tested to be as high as 10,000 cycles!). Solar panel degradation is not the issue that people think it is; modern monocrystalline panels often have a standard 25 year warranty, and some are rated as high as 40 years! https://solarmagazine.com/solar-panels/solar-panel-degradation/ There isn't a propane, natural gas, or petrol generator that is warrantied to be anything close to that.
The average degradation rate of modern panels is about 0.5% output loss annually, meaning that after 10 years, a 250W panel will likely only be producing 237W. Extreme losses greater than that occur in desert climates where the sun and UV exposure far exceeds that of a temperate climate, so that misunderstanding definitely shouldn't be a dealbreaker for the majority of people, not at the least. Cars that old will more often than not see worse MPG loss rates as carbon buildup occurs in the engine and seals start to fail.
I've always promoted people looking secondhand for panels, since even a 10 year old panel losing 5% of its output is still an incredible deal. I was able to get almost 2,400W of panels that are about 6 years old for $110 last year! I'm eyeballing adding another 2,500W for a couple hundred bucks from a warehouse that was sold and the owner upgrading to 400W panels. Paired with an inverter that is capable of 47A output, and 14kwh of LiFePO4 batteries (which I also expand upon as I see batteries go on sale), I have more than enough to cover the basics for a few weeks without sun. Of course, I have a few inverter generators if need be, but there's no fear of "what if the gas is bad" or "when was the last time the oil was changed" or "what happens if there's a run on propane and I can't get any more". Even here in southern New England, the sun shines at least once a week to get a decent charge.
Even cooler (pun intended) is that I had a spare hybrid inverter kicking around, so I took 500W of panels, hooked it up, and run a window AC unit off of that. No battery backup (so it doesn't run at night), but if it's sunny, the unit automatically kicks on. A nice little temporary setup in the summertime to ease any load off the primary system, and I had the parts kicking around to use.
monty845@reddit
You are budgeting less than 1kwh per day? (I know you get some power even on cloudy days, but it sounds like you are using very little power...
Ryan_e3p@reddit
The basics only include a chest freezer, minifridge, and some basic lightweight networking devices. If we're due for a long period of clouds, I can reduce demand to accommodate.
mmpgh@reddit
The degradation isn't enough to really matter for 5 or even more likely 10 years. There's an initial ~1-2% drop in the first year but then less than a percent each following year. I am interested in making money off solar+batteries but the math is all the same. You just need a lot of batteries unfortunately but I wouldn't be surprised if after 10 years the only thing to replace is an inverter. After that you're still 90% rated on the panels and 80% on the batteries. Quite good in my opinion.
randynumbergenerator@reddit
Yeah for an engineer I'm surprised he isn't aware the difference between LFP (most home batteries these days) and lithium ion chemistry.
As for the cost, if you're able to DIY it you can save a boatload and really shift the economics. Residential solar is a weird industry where the panels and inverter themselves account for less than half of the costs while labor and other soft costs are huge.
Academic_1989@reddit
My expertise is electromagnetics and computational modeling. The solar guys at my institution run a lot of studies on solar panels for all uses, residential and commercial. Their aerial photos show significant degradation of about 20% of their panels in less than 5 years - some kind of thermal imaging and assuming heating shows increases resistance I think. We have high levels of dust and wind, and very high uv levels most days. All I know is what they tell me, and they are pretty much experts. Ask me about rf heating effects on biological materials and I can answer that question with confidence.
mmpgh@reddit
This sounds more like a research facility. It's true that heat reduced the efficiency of panels but that's about as far as my extent of publicly available large format panels goes. Most residential installs should last 15+ years and still be within 80% rated output, provided they aren't covered in dust or sand.
randynumbergenerator@reddit
Must be some very harsh conditions, as most panels are warrantied for at least ten years and designed to reach that level of degradation at 15 or 20. That's assuming it's a reputable manufacturer and not some exotic thin-film cell or something.
dachjaw@reddit
There are many kinds of engineers. I am an engineer but not a civil engineer so I am not up on the latest bridge building techniques. I am not a mechanical engineer so I don’t know much about modern automotive engines. I am an electrical engineer but not a power engineer so I don’t know that much about battery technology.
613Flyer@reddit
How do you know someone is an engineer?
It will be the first thing they say!
Brat-in-a-Box@reddit
So, what would you lean on for decent power source during emergencies?
UND_mtnman@reddit
Get an EV with a chunky inverter?
Academic_1989@reddit
I've actually heard really positive comments about using the EVs as an emergency power source.
limeywhimey@reddit
I would think maybe natural gas? I see many whole house generators down in the South run on natural gas.
But that would be if all the infrastructure upstream is still functioning normally (depending on how big the disaster)
Brat-in-a-Box@reddit
Yes, the natural gas generator works like a charm during power outages. The equivalent of it off-grid would be propane, probably a 1000 gallon tank, or several if possible and affordable. Not going to last a lifetime, like anything else
Fit_Acanthisitta_475@reddit
One is none two is one, I think combined solar and small gas generators is the best. In case there no enough sun or top off the power station with gas generator after dark before sleep.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Yes.
During Hurricane Helene you knew everyone that had a generator within a 1 mile sometimes more of where you were. Even in small town everyone gets along well South Georgia, there was some violence over generators- people stealing them, story of a guy getting shot over one, etc.
Also, it's a bad waste of resources to constantly be running a generator.
You may need it for some loads, like deep well pumps. Buy a storage tank pump your water to the storage tank via the generator and then shut the damn thing off.
nerdariffic@reddit
Could you have used the generator in minimal fashion to help recharge the battery in addition to the solar panels? I get what you are saying about not using the generator constantly, but a few short runs to recharge the battery could help extend things.
Positive_Mouse4884@reddit
That is my set up… I have a gas generator, it’s loud… but I have a battery inverter from Ryobi… so I charge my 8 batteries during the day, and use the inverter at evening and nite…
Fubar14235@reddit
The 18v inverter? I use mine all the time for car camping stuff, really handy and compact. Not sure if it's just mine but it seems to hate running when the batteries are cold, that's the only issues I've run in to.
Positive_Mouse4884@reddit
Mine uses 4 40 volt batteries, I use the 5 ah , because they last longer..
Fubar14235@reddit
Ohhh I've got something different then. Mine runs on the batteries you'd use in their drills and stuff. I've got a few 5ah ones but I've seen they have 12ah but they're really expensive at the minute.
Positive_Mouse4884@reddit
Temporary-Figure@reddit
This is what I do as well. I use a propane generator (dual fuel for options) and charge up my delta 2s during the day, while also being able to run a few other items. Then at night I use the batteries and it’s quiet, very stealth and they hold a lot of power! We’re able to run a small ac off of them for a bit and keep fridge/freezer going. I use smaller power and for phones. Highly recommend having gas generator plus the larger batteries. This year we’re adding solar to our delta 2s. Not expecting anything too amazing but I feel we’ll get some charge out of 400w of panels.
Karynmcs@reddit
L
YYCADM21@reddit
I think a mistake made all too often is trying to scale based on no change to your day to day demands in an emergency. Sure, you can invest tens of thousands of dollars in a massive system, but is it cost effective for a few days every year or two?
If you develop a plan for emergencies to power the things you legitimately Need, not things you Want, your system complexity and size drops considerably. When the grid is down, keeping your phone charged is critical. Internet connectivity is nice, but not critical if you have a functioning smart phone. You have two fridges and three freezers. If you don't open your freezers, they will maintain temperatures for a couple of days before you start to lose significant cooling. One fridge is much easier to manage; if you schedule the opening and closing to minimize the compressor runs, it takes very little power.
Lighting is important, but running a half dozen hundred watt lamps are not. Headlamps with rechargeable batteries to supplement one or two low wattage LED lights will get you by. iPads, laptops, Playstations to entertain the kids...wants, not needs.
My wife and I have been serious overlanders and road trippers for decades. We have a very small solar generator, and a 200W portable panel. We have a small fridge freezer we keep operating, charge phones, drone batteries, provide lights, and run our diesel heater with a system conventional wisdom would say it's far too small. We don't have a large margin of safety, but we have a solid functional plan to stay in the game. We can, quite easily, with a little discipline
spleencheesemonkey@reddit
This is a great comment. Decide what is essential to run. For me it was the fridge freezer. Turns out with my small setup I’m able to run it for at least a week (I gave up testing) with the panel attached. In addition, it also powered my router and CCTV cameras continuously and periodically ran my TV, AVR and media centre. That’s a nice feeling.
YYCADM21@reddit
I see an increasing number of people working under the assumption that, since they are "Preppers" their efforts will result in their lives being unaffected by whatever disaster may befall the world.
How many "preppers" are there in Kerr County, Texas, do you think? How many are sitting in their air conditioned living room, steaks thawing on the counter for the barbecue tonight?
There may be a couple. There are likely hundreds or thousands more, covered in mud & looking at the soaked debris that was their entire lives up to last Friday.
Plan on being overwhelmed. Plan on being one of those mud-caked, shell-shocked people, who are only marginally better off than their unprepared neighbours, because of their prepping efforts. "Marginally" better off. It's great if you have the resources to spend $25K on a whole house high end Generac, does that mean you should buy it? I guarantee you; there are hundreds of fancy, expensive Generacs bobbing, floating, or lying coated in muck and debris, piled against the fence in peoples backyards, while their former owners dreams of streaming movies to pass the time until everyone else's worlds are back to normal.
pintord@reddit
nice! That's why I think r/oilisdead
Banned4Truth10@reddit
Never. https://youtu.be/fmbZwxEnAFc?si=3m2DX_7XvYURAuuP
OriginalSun2281@reddit
Braindead fuck
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
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Banned4Truth10@reddit
Hey dumb dumb. Adults are taking
Kickingandscreaming@reddit
4Patriots and My Patriot Supply both offer solar power solutions. Has anyone purchased them? If so, how do they rate for your needs?
Secret-Temperature71@reddit
We are off grid on a sailboat 5 months a year. The key is to minimize your electrical needs.
Our biggest daily draw is the fridge.
You can have a decent propane stove for emergencies. Make sure you understand propanes very important safety requirements.
Heat is difficult, cold freezes pipes, heat uses lots of energy. Plan to shut off parts of the house, heat only what you need. Mind the pipes.
MOF1fan@reddit
I never really thought about it but having stealth power is a pretty good prep, no sense advertising I have power via a noisy generator. Time to look into batteries and solar more deeply
wily_virus@reddit
It's also more efficient to use the gas generator to top up the batteries of your solar "generator" on a cloudy day instead of running a gas generator constantly on a light load. You can strech limited fuel supplies for much longer.
BentGadget@reddit
It would be most efficient if the battery could negotiate a power level with the generator to keep the latter in its most efficient range. I understand that electric cars and modern cell phones can do this, but I wouldn't expect it from a generator yet.
Zealousideal-Till-78@reddit
The Ecoflow smart generator (dual fuel) paired with a compatible Ecoflow battery backup seems to do this.
randynumbergenerator@reddit
100%, also if one fails you're not immediately SOL.
heatherjasper@reddit
I do wonder: is avoiding a noisy generator for OPSEC really that important? Most people know what generators are and that after storms, they'll most likely be up and running. Even in most "prepare for severe weather" lists, a gas generator is listed.
SheistyPenguin@reddit
IMO, it really depends on your local community.
If you live in a high-trust / low-crime area, that trust won't magically evaporate on day 2 or even day 5 of a power outage. It's also more likely you will have other people with generators too.
If you live in a higher-crime / low trust area where anything not nailed down is stolen during good times, then a noisy generator is going to be a ripe target much sooner.
Green-Ad-7823@reddit
We had a tornado go through last year. From the local posts, people were clearly getting frustrated on day three. On day five, people were getting mad that they still didn't have power even though 90% of the town had power, trees were still down in some roads, the high cost to keep their generator going, and the amount of food some lost in their freezers. Thank goodness it wasn't hot outside that week.
funkmon@reddit
No.
But people do steal them.
And in a months long SHTF situation then maybe.
Temporary-Figure@reddit
Theft is a real issue. People get hot, uncomfortable and with no power things get tense quickly. We use large batteries as power through the night that we charge with a gas generator during the day. This way at night the generator can be put away, locked up and the batteries are inside. Safe and quiet.
Few-Cucumber-413@reddit
People do steal generators.
Ok-Secretary455@reddit
Being able to run it inside is a huge plus for me. That way I'm not worrying as much about someone trying to steal it. Theres a big difference between using some bolt cutters to cut a chain and running off with a gas generator thats already outside. And going into someones house for a solar generator that could potentially be anywhere.
maddprof@reddit
The longer the event goes on where you're depending on a generator to have power the more likely you'll become a target because "noisy generator == supplies".
flortny@reddit
One note, if you have a sizeable creek nearby it hides alot of sound, during Helene we would have gas generator running and I would walk to neighbors house and couldn't hear generator 20yds away, if i was in shtf and "we" didn't have everything locked down i would get gas generator as close to creek as possible to recharge battery box
Ridgeld@reddit
Micro Hydro could power your whole house now from the creek. Well worth looking into!
oranggit@reddit
This is what aggravated the hell out of me when we lost power after a hurricane. No AC so had to keep windows open. Had battery powered fans which would have been fine but a neighbor had a f**king construction generator running constantly. Couldn't sleep a wink.
Now get Starlink and you'll be set.
acadburn2@reddit
2 weeks ago my town had a huge storm.
I have 4kw of panels on my roof (12 total) And 5kw battery storage
Power went out at 11pm we went to bed noticed no problems
Next day (Saturday) the house ran about normal even AC during the day, when sun was going down I told the family we had to conserve battery
That night the city sent out mass text conserve water (I saw trucks running to the lift stations) AAA crap literally
Sunday rolls around overcast panels didn't generate Alot... Took all day to pick the battery up the fridge It barely stayed cold
5 days later I now have 10kw of storage...
Note the Saturday after the storm all generators, all chain saws, all plastic tarps were sold out instantly.
The 2 gas stations that had power ran outta gas. The one that got power Saturday night the card readers kept failing they were down to 1 pump for a long time!
scuzzi4567@reddit
So is this saying that your panels were able to keep up with the demand of everything or were you basically out of power on Sunday? Just curious to how efficient power generation is for these solar panels
acadburn2@reddit
They kept up with most everything Saturday. I did ask people to go easy on power turn off lights, did not use the surround system (its big). Turned off my desktop PC 3d printer and a few other things.
I did not cook hot food at this time either. No stove, oven, laundry.
Sunday cloud coverage devastated what we brought in for power.
Not sure I'm panel efficiency I have a eg4 inverter, and 48v 100 amp batteries panels were Canadian,,, something,,, branda
12 on the roof come to 3960w
Self installed, bought most everything from santan power
PineSoul603@reddit
Was your cell signal gone because of the power loss, or because everyone who normally used wifi was now on the cell network? I live in the middle of nowhere and the towers around here have decent backup power supplies. Though every time we have an extended power outage cell service isn't usable because everyone is bogging it down. I thought about getting a cell signal booster because we typically only have 1 or 2 bars anyways.
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
I live in a place where day-long power failures (usually announced, not always) are fairly common.
Until I have a professional solar install done (any month now) I have a few solar panels, two solar MPPT chargers, 4 100Ah lithium batteries, and a few inverters. In short there's nothing automated about this system and 400Ah isn't a huge reserve, but I can get by for days with it given any sunny weather at all.
You've learned the secret - run only what you need to. A chest freezer only needs power for a couple hours a day. Lighting can be conserved. Cooking can be done over propane and a tank of propane cooks many meals. Small fans for personal cooling don't take much power. Radios take very little and small computers and cable modems don't take much more.
CurrentWrong4363@reddit
What more can you ask for really. It's something I plan on adding to my house as soon as possible.
benyacat@reddit
I'm from Ukraine and the situation forced me to collect this collection 😁
Ecoflow River 2 MAX Ecoflow Delta Pro 3 Anker Solix C200 Anker Solix C300 DC LIFEPO4 6KWh with inverter 3KW
benyacat@reddit
michacam1382@reddit
Preppers and people who live on yachts…
Probably not two groups that would self select to hang out in most cases.
But, I would argue living in a yacht is the ultimate prepping setup and the two communities are very related.
Instead of prepping in place, yachting is prepping with mobility as a priority.
Everything is optimized for off-grid. All of the appliances, communication, and even air conditioning is optimized for efficient power consumption and alternate power sources. Turning on and off capability as power sources allow is a daily routine.
The development and use of solar and lithium capability that pairs with both generator, locomotion is also routine.
Sailing yachts have always been efficient but today even motor yachts themselves have become more and more optimized for distance in terms of both fuel consumption and the ability to make water. Even super yachts for the very wealthy are becoming more and more designed for extremes.
And the price of entry into yachting ranges greatly and can be very affordable.
Yachts have also been increasingly optimized for owner operator versus requiring crew. Couples and families live on and maintain yachts themselves.
It opens up a lot of options.
Anyway, I am originally from Alaska and then Montana and I can picture that place as a bastion for anyone interested in being a pepper, but for the OP who started this commenting on solar, it triggered me to want to share that the community should be looking at the yachting world for ideas and best practices. Solar with battery optimization alone has incredible lessons learned to be tapped into.
It might even make a few of you buy a yacht.
shadowlid@reddit
Just wanted to add, that having a Inverter Generator is a compromise between noise and power. I live in WNC and when Helene hit we lost power for right at 8 days. At first I only had my big gas gen 7500 running watts loud as hell and was eating gas like crazy though I was running well pump and hot water heater. I purchased a Smaller inverter generator 1900 running watts and it would run 2 freezers my fridge, tv, starlink, and house lights for 6 hours and 45 mins on 1.1 gallons of gas. Its super quite as well. I would still run the big gen from time to time to keep hot water heater warm etc.
But Im in the works of getting my solar set up, trying to get a building to put all my panels on top of. Its very confusing though, does anyone have a recommendation for a 36V Inverter that you would be able to buy replacement parts for?
lexmozli@reddit
36v is quite a rare system, but it should have the same-ish replacement parts as others. I'd honestly go for 24v or 48v, or even something that accept a range of volts (24-60v) instead of just a single one.
parksoffroad@reddit
Battery solar is a great set up. We set up a Gmrs repeater with solar battery power so it’s completely off grid so no worries about power outages. One thing we did was go completely overboard on the amount of solar. Most of the similar repeaters in the area have half the solar panel input, I figured I’d rather go heavy and not need it.
Prof-Bit-Wrangler@reddit
Totally agree. Switching to solar has improved our ability to remain online and does so with no fuel stocks, smell or notice by neighbors.
Throw a EV into the mix and you've got a large mobile battery that you can tap for additional power if needed.
randynumbergenerator@reddit
V2H has the potential to be a game changer if they can figure out how to reliably integrate the tech with different models and home systems. Anyone with an EV would have a full home backup for emergencies.
ttystikk@reddit
This simply requires legislation to mandate a standard. We used to be able to do it with headlights, it can't be that hard.
Remarkable_Ad5011@reddit
I also have EcoFlow units.. with solar, and I have the Alternator charger so I can fast charge them from my vehicle if there’s not enough sun.
strongoption4806@reddit
I think partially buried home ..with solar/wind setup for basics is the way to go
Takes heating or cooling from a high or low temp out of the equation of power usage
More lighting —which easier to maintain Juice for the LEDS than a 5000btu a/c unit..good for thought
Comes with built in potato pantry lol
randynumbergenerator@reddit
Gotta make sure you're in a location without a high water table or rock bed for underground living. Basements are great if you have the option, too, at least for the duration of a power outage.
VirginiaWren@reddit
I follow a woman on TikTok who lives in an earth ship that sounds like this. It’s very cool to see what she does to take care of her off grid earthship.
Discopline1@reddit
Awesome!
magichelmt@reddit
I run a few small battery packs for phones and tablets. I have a Bluetti(sp?) 2000 watt power station and 780 watts in solar panels I can carry outside. I can run a fan, led lights, and my refrigerator without issue. I also have radio gear that runs on a battery setup. Daytime I have a Honda 2000 watt generator converted to run on propane. At night I just use the battery setup. Chest freezer runs off generator during the day and stays plenty cold at night. If it’s cloudy I can charge off generator as well. I ran my setup last summer for 5 days. Obviously I cannot run ac, but we can hold our own for short term. Propane stores much easier than gas. I keep it all in my shed and can run all day on low load from a grill tank vs about 8 hours on a gallon of gas.
Discopline1@reddit
What would you change/buy now knowing what you know
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
I got a small generator for just my fridge. I can keep my fridge within limits for less than 1.5 gallons of gas a day, many days it was less than a gallon, as long as i didn't open it more than once or twice.
Few-Lawyer3707@reddit
GridNest? Explain please.
dubhri@reddit
Ive got a Bluetti AC180, thing is amazing. Love it.
PixiePower65@reddit
Great post thanks for sharing
TheSirCal@reddit
What was your full system?
randynumbergenerator@reddit
Thanks for sharing! Sounds similar to what I'm building up in a layered approach as I can dedicate more resources to this prep. I started with a 1kWh battery (Delta 2) to backup the basement sump pump, which seemed like the most critical item. I've since added a Delta 3 and extra batteries with a total of 11kWh to keep comms, fridge, home entertainment and a window AC unit online for at least a couple days.
Next I'm planning to add some solar panels to extend the horizon a couple more days (and also get some use out of the Delta 3 to power my home server, etc. normally instead of sitting idle). The final step would be a full rooftop array and complete home battery system, not sure if I'd stick with the Ecoflow ecosystem or switch to something else for that.
Glad-Tie3251@reddit
Of course electricity is a much more reliable energy. But those big manly boys over there sure won't admit it. Oil and gas durh durh...
A simple alternator can be made into an energy source. Being prepared is best. But still l, when gas is gone, ITS GONE!
pomegranate7777@reddit
Great post, thanks