# best/first choice for alternate electricity source



## Batty (Jul 31, 2014)

We have a wood stove and plenty of candles for heating, cooking & light sources. But I would like to buy/make a back-up electricity soure. In your opinion, where should I start? A gas powered generator? Solar charger for rechargable batteries? Solar panels? I know that all three can be a fairly big chunk of my budget (at least for good quaity). Opinions for best type & brands, places to shop?


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

What will cause a power loss for you?
Having lived in PNW for a number of years, power loss was not a major problem in my area.
I did however have wood stove, oil lamps, Coleman lanterns and candles for light.
I never had a generator.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Being you already do firewood you might think of a gasoline generator converted to a gasifier.


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## Dubyagee (Nov 9, 2012)

I would go solar and wind.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Batty said:


> We have a wood stove and plenty of candles for heating, cooking & light sources. But I would like to buy/make a back-up electricity soure. In your opinion, where should I start? A gas powered generator? Solar charger for rechargable batteries? Solar panels? I know that all three can be a fairly big chunk of my budget (at least for good quaity). Opinions for best type & brands, places to shop?


 Hi
Are you just looking to replace the candles and light up a few rooms or are you looking to run some appliances?
And just for a day or two or for weeks?


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## Batty (Jul 31, 2014)

We get pretty strong winds thru our valley and extreme hot/cold spells. We are in a remote mountain area so when power lines get knocked down due to weather, it can be days before things get fixed. We would like keep the fridge & freezer running, and maybe smaller appliance (coffee maker!) periodically. Well is gravity feed so water is never a concern.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

If you were just looking for lights I would go with solar. But to run Appliances like a fridge or freezer your going to need a set up
that's pretty good size --sort of pricy----

Maybe a combo might work for you. The price of solar panels have came down quite a bit. You can get a good quality 100 watt
solar panel for about $125 with shipping. Or a complete kit for about $180. but that's no lights or battery.
For under $400 you could have lights in every room maybe watch a little TV. 
But when you start needing More than that it can get expensive quick

maybe a small solar set up and a small generator might work out the best
Where I live we loose the electric on a regular basis I had a small solar set up for lights 
and a 800 watt harbor Freight gas generator for the fridge. I still have the lights in every room
they are camper lights on a pull string with the flat SMD/LEDs we did a test on these and one of these lights
with 2 bulbs ran for 96 hours on an old car battery.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Do you have natural gas to your house?
Whole house generator would be best, if power loss is a regular occurrence. They are pricy tho--
A portable generator converted to natural gas, propane would be the next best.
A propane tank would be needed.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

For anything lasting several months I think solar is your best bet and a lithium storage system.
All I would expect to use electricity for is lighting and run a few instruments periodically. I think I can easily get by with the following system. 
A 52 watt solar panel and lithium storage system would power what I need. For lighting I would only use an led head lamp (why waste power lighting up areas that you are not looking at).
I do have gasoline generators and tools but that would only be used for what I would call the switch over phase. 
I wanted a portable solar system because I could easily take it where ever I need to go and take inside during the night (can you imagine what a theft item solar cell would become and by their very nature almost impossible to protect).


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Plan on making a small wagon with 3-4 batteries, power inverter, and a couple solar panels on top. Pull it out in the sun to charge when needed. Pull it around like a small generator to work where you want. Bank of sockets to plug in whatever you want to use. Portable in case you need to haul it or take it with you.


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## Batty (Jul 31, 2014)

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions! I am doing research this weekend before shopping next week.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

In a nationwide power outage you will rapidly find yourself without power, natural gas, gasoline, water and sewage. I would suggest that you invest in wind and solar at 125% of your needs. After ten years you lose 20% of the power generated by solar panels and batteries for storage lose the same amout in 5 - 10 years if well maintained.

If like me, you live in an area where the wind is always (most of the time) above 10 mph, then the wind power is a great idea, but I also live in an area with more than 300 solar days a year. I am in a great area for both. 

I hesitate to use them because any place that has power will be a neon sign to looters and raiders. The solar won't survive an HEMP and the wind turbine can be taken out easily by any EMP if it is on the grid.


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