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| My OLD Solar Power Setup |
#14,131
The common denominator for most natural disasters (i.e. Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Tornadoes, Blizzards, etc.) is that the electrical grid is likely to take significant damage, and you and your family could be without power for hours, days, or even weeks.
But even without a disaster triggering an outage, our electrical grid often operates at near full capacity, and it is essentially a patchwork quilt of old and new technologies, with some of its vital components older than I am.Every four years the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) releases a report card on America’s infrastructure, and their latest (2017) grades our cumulative score for infrastructure sits at only a D+, and two of our most vulnerable infrastructures are drinking water and the electrical grid.
They warn:
Overview
Much of the U.S. energy system predates the turn of the 21st century. Most electric transmission and distribution lines were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s with a 50-year life expectancy, and the more than 640,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines in the lower 48 states’ power grids are at full capacity. Energy infrastructure is undergoing increased investment to ensure long-term capacity and sustainability; in 2015, 40% of additional power generation came from natural gas and renewable systems.
Without greater attention to aging equipment, capacity bottlenecks, and increased demand, as well as increasing storm and climate impacts, Americans will likely experience longer and more frequent power interruptions.(Continue . . . )
Living as I do in Hurricane Country, I may be at greater risk of prolonged outages than others, but no one is immune. A point made quite clear last year by NIAC (National Infrastructure Advisory Council) in their 94-page report NIAC: Surviving A Catastrophic Power Outage.
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| https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=819354 |
While a short-term outage can be little more than an inconvenience - assuming you don't rely on electrically powered medical devices - after a few hours sitting in the dark, having some sort of emergency power back up in your home may start to have some appeal.
If you want to run A/Cs, refrigerators, big screen TV, and heating systems, you'll need to invest thousands for a professionally installed system. But if you want a way to run some LED lights and a fan or two - and charge your phone, tablet, or laptop - then solutions can be had for less than $100.Some can be bought off the shelf, while others - if you are the least bit handy and familiar with batteries and basic electrical wiring - can be cobbled together as a home brew project.
But Fair Warning:
Batteries can off-gas Hydrogen gas, which can be explosive, and should be kept in a ventilated area. You will also need to check the electrolyte levels of the batteries and keep the plates covered with distilled water.
Solar panels, batteries, and inverters produce electrical currents and (even at low voltages) can be a dangerous shock hazard. Always read and follow the instructions that come with your solar panels, batteries, chargers, and inverters.
If you are unsure of how to safely deal with these components, have someone who knows how give you instruction.
The first, easiest, and least expensive option is to buy one or more solar powered USB batteries (see below). While the most limited in terms of what they can power (and for how long), these are ideal for those who need a light weight bug-out friendly solution, or for anyone who isn't comfortable with the more complex systems that follow.
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| Battery, Solar Panel, Fan & Light - About $50. |
A 10,000 milliamp battery with (3 fold) solar panel, a USB fan, and USB LED light. The beauty of this system is it will fit in a bug out bag, weighs about 2 lbs, and while the solar charging will be slow and you'll have to be judicious with their use, it should keep phones, lights, Tablets, MP3 players, and fans going for a few days. Longer if you don't need the fan.
(Note: Newer products now have 20,000 and 25,000 milliamp batteries and larger (4 fold) solar panels)
While some assembly is required, a step up can be had for roughly $100, that - when combined with a small solar panel ($25 to $80) - can substantially increase what you can do.
Unlike the above solution, this package will provide 5v USB power, plus 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC. With this you can charge laptops, run larger fans, small DVD players, and other charging devices.
Although a full sized deep cycle battery can be used, to save my aching back I've elected to go with smaller, lighter, and less expensive lawn mower batteries. I built two, which allow me to charge one (using a solar panel), while I draw power from the other.
Note: Solar power purists right now are probably foaming at the mouth, as the standard lead-acid batteries I'm using are not ideal for this type of system. And if I were designing a permanent off-grid system, I would agree. But this is for emergency standby power, not long-term use, and so I've elected to go with the most accessible, and least expensive options.The beauty of this system is I keep both batteries fully charged using an $8 trickle charger. I switch the charging from one battery to the other every few days. That way, i don't have to hook it up to a solar panel until the power goes out.
I keep these on a shelf on my (well ventilated) screened lanai and check the water levels every few weeks. In two years, I've added distilled water once.Small (10 watt to 20 watt) solar panels can be had for under $40, which should be adequate for the smaller batteries. If you go with the bigger deep cycle batteries, consider getting a bigger panel with a charge controller.
If your solar panel is larger than 15 watts, you'll want to add a solar panel charge controller. These run $15 and up, and can prevent overcharging of your batteries. If you use a smaller solar panel, they are generally not necessary.And lastly, while far less portable and more expensive, you may want to consider a bigger more permanent solar setup, with multiple solar panels and/or batteries. Living aboard a sailboat, I depended upon this sort of a setup for years.
While still within the abilities of many do-it-yourself types, once you get to this stage, you might want to avail yourself of professional advice and go with better components (batteries, controllers, and panels).
If all you want is to be able to charge your phone, run some LED lights, and maybe a fan or two, then a self-contained Solar USB battery solution for about $50 may be adequate for you needs.
If you want do more - like run a CPAP machine or laptop - you'll have to pay a bit more, but you should be able to cobble together a pretty good system for between $120 and $200.Either way, it beats cursing the darkness.
