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Emergency Battery-Based Solar Power Systems
  1. You provide life insurance, auto insurance, and home owner's insurance and HOPE you never collect on your premiums.
  2. A solar battery system is insurance - with substance.  For less than the cost of a bass boat, you can provide your family with
    something they will certainly need and be lost without.
  3. A survival system has one purpose - to get you and your family through a crisis.  It should include ONLY what is absolutely
    necessary.  After you complete this list and you have extra money and want to add some frills, be my guest.
  4. Air conditioning is NOT essential.  Most moderate sized systems can power a small window unit but operating your central
    system will be very costly.
  5. Your list should be short - VERY short.  Don't include things you would LIKE to have, only what you MUST have.
  6. Your existing energy usage habits have nothing to do with it.
  7. Your utility billing history has nothing to do with it.  
  8. You have many things to consider and limited resources.  You do not want a large survival system.  THINK SMALL!  I know
    this is redundant.  But, you need to hear this until you UNDERSTAND it!
  9. Most of your electric appliances are designed for convenience - not for practical usage at minimal energy consumption.  
    They are not useful in a prolonged emergency.  Make your plans accordingly.
  10. Do not plan on using EITHER your existing refrigerator/freezer or your existing freezer.  Even the E-Star appliances
    consume way too much energy for a survival system.  (If you are living off-grid, different story.  But an off-gridder already has
    his survival system.)
  1. Besides, open your refrigerator and freezer.  See that?  That is what you will have on day one.
  2. When that is gone, you won't be able to replenish it.  A survival system is designed to sustain you when you CAN'T
    make a trip to Piggly-Wiggly.  If we size your system to operate your refrigerator or freezer, these appliances will be
    dead weight within a few weeks.  There is a better way!
  3. Your plans should not depend heavily on refrigerated or frozen goods.  Good planning can eliminate them
    completely.  However, some of each would be good and is affordable for a survival system - thanks to SunDanzer DC
    appliances.
  1. A small battery solar system WITH a SunDanzer costs less than just the battery solar system to operate your 16.5 ft3
    refrigerator/freezer.  Ouch!
  2. Under conditions that you would depend on a survival system, you will not do a lot of TV watching, heavy computing, or
    Internet surfing.
  3. Think LED bulbs.  LEDs consume about half th energy of CFLs.  CFLs need to warm up in cold weather and they have a
    poor power-factor.  Not bad when the utility company is providing the reactive power for free.  But it stinks when you are
    providing the reactive power yourself- power that does no useful work.
  4. But, minimize your light load.  Under the conditions, you will not be doing much after dark.  You need the ability to light it up
    if NECESSARY, but recreational reading till mid-night will not be routine.
  5. You WILL need the ability to charge AAA, AA, C, and D batteries.  Shift everything you can to tools powered by these
    batteries.  Your chargers should have a 12v DC input.  (They usually come with a cigarette lighter plug AND an adapter.)
  6. You WILL need the ability to charge hand held radios.  Phones, including cell phones, will not be dependable.  
    Communicating with your neighbors will be of supreme importance.  The Midland GXT's are the standard and can be
    charged from a 12v DC source.
  7. A generator is essential to charge the batteries when we have four or more consecutive sunless days.  This happens
    several times from December through February.  Make sure your generator is adequate for your survival system and
    provide enough fuel for the duration.  Gasoline is difficult, but not impossible, to store.  See the Generator Page.
My Short List - Use it as a Reference
How to Size an Emergency PV System - Revision A
  • Table Fan.  Use it at night during the summer to make take the edge off those hot, steamy nights.
  • Small TV, notebook computer, radio, or other communication equipment to keep you abreast of what ever news is out
    there.
  • A few LED lamps.  Used to a minimum, but necessary for early winter night-fall and for security.
  • A front-loading HE washer.  Include only if you have an independent source of water.  These use very little electricity per
    load and you will only wash on sunny days when the batteries are charged.
  • CPAP
  • Water pumps.  If there is a general GRID failure, you won't be getting any water from the system.  Plan accordingly.  The
    sun can pump plenty of water from a well, a pool, or a cistern.
  • Two or more battery chargers for AAA - D.  I'll provide 12v DC chargers with your system or you can obtain via Internet.
  • This system will operate a host of appliances during sunny days - especially consecutive sunny days.  Extra washer loads
    or even a 5000 Btu window AC are reasonable.  Kitchen appliances, no problem.  Just operate during sun hours.
  • End
A few other thoughts...
  • You can wash clothes in a #2 tub using a make-shift plunger - design your own.  That is - IF you have a tub.  Use your
    existing solar clothes dryer - the clothes line.  You will do this occasionally, even if your system can run a washer.
  • Maintain a supply of alkaline batteries (long shelf-life) for those items that will not operate on AAA - D.
  • Mr. Beams provides some excellent battery powered LED motion detection lights.  Many uses.  Google and get some.
  • You will need hot water.  A solar water heater is a sound investment.  It will save you about $30,000 over a 20 year span
    (and more than pay for the PV system).  However, you can build your own batch heater or buy some parts from me and do
    an even better job.  If you don't plan ahead for this and don't have livestock, you will end up burning the furniture to heat
    water.
  • At a minimum, be able to charge your small batteries and radios.  You can get solar chargers from Harbor Freight or a host
    of on-line sources.  They have very limited capacity but are better than nothing.  If you are serious about this, get one of my
    basic solar battery charging kits.
  • If your neighbors are not prepared, you are in trouble!  Their access to food, flashlights, radios, battery powered
    electronic surveillance equipment, and some battery tools is as important to you as your access to the same.  Consider
    organizing a neighborhood watch to get your neighbors on board.  If they are not warm to the idea, you will have to feed
    them and provide radios, flashlights, and batteries (they will warm up quickly) OR move to a better neighborhood.
  • I don't care how prepared you are individually, you are easy prey to an organized gang.  UNLESS your neighborhood is
    organized to repel the cockroaches, all is subject to looters, vandals, and gangs.  Email me if you need help getting started.
  • Your neighborhood watch is vital to your survival.  Some of your neighbors are likely making plans to survive a crisis.  
    But the tendency is to keep it a secret.  WRONG!  If you realize what is happening, you should also realize that you
    can't do it alone.  Put it on the table and talk about it.  If you have any regard for your families welfare and security
    (and you do or you would not be here), then ORGANIZE.  If your neighbors are not like-minded, you must move!
  • Any preparation your neighbor makes benefits you.  
  • Any lack of preparation on your neighbor's part will cause you both to suffer.
  • You can expect full support from local law enforcement.  Such has been the experience of the Alabama Association
    of Neighborhood Watches.  If your experience is different, move.
Here are some sample systems.  Review them and then give me a call or email with your specific
requirements.  There is no time to waste!  256-482-2063