Solar Gear Worth Buying for Grid-Down Situations

Last Updated on June 26, 2024 by Teri Rehkopf

Grid Failure? Oops! Get Solar!

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The vast majority of people depend on the national power grid to supply them with electricity to power the various amenities they require. National and local grids are not always dependable, as has been experienced in Texas. Below is some solar gear worth buying.

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The grid could go down anytime due to mishaps, bad weather, and other factors, leaving millions without power. You probably rely on electricity for many things, including cooking, food storage, and communication with loved ones.

If there is a prolonged grid failure, you can help ensure that you don’t lose out on important aspects of your life by having a variety of solar-powered appliances. There is a wide range of solar equipment, from small electronics to installations that cover the entire house.

In Survival Situations, Solar Lighting Increases Safety

It can be very helpful to have a reliable light source walking at night. If your electricity goes out, it can also provide you with a lot of comfort at home by enabling you to move around and perform tasks like reading.

Solar lights charge in the sun during the day and turn on at night. They come in various designs, from flashlights to lanterns, and depending on the circumstances, each may be more suitable for your needs.

For example, lanterns are excellent for lighting up larger areas and camping sites. Typically, they emit light from all sides, allowing people in their immediate vicinity to see clearly.

Solar-powered flashlights and headlamps are typically preferable for one person to use when navigating in the dark. Their narrower light beams make them ideal for properly following a trail at night.

Having light is crucial when attempting to navigate on foot. Even on a trail created by humans, it is very easy to trip over tree roots or step on dangerous things like scorpions at night. In the absence of the Moon, this is even more crucial when it may be completely dark.

You can install indoor outdoor solar lights that turn off during the day to charge, then turn on and remain lit all night. This may serve to deter would-be intruders.

Automatic solar lights are great because they are rarely broken and don’t need to be connected to anything. You will merely need to change the lightbulb occasionally because all processes are automated.

Stay in the Loop with Solar Radios

Radios inform the public what to do, where to go, and what happens during most emergencies. This practical information can help you stay safe.

In a weather emergency, particularly a tornado or a hurricane, you will typically see people using handheld radios. However, given that the stations have their own backup generators, they would still be used in the event of another emergency.

As a result, you should be able to listen to the radio to get updates on the situation, even if the grid goes down for a prolonged period. Since the Internet would obviously not function, that would be your only source of information.

Because solar radios are not used constantly, they should last a long time between charges. You should be able to charge them while using them and moving, whether in a car or on foot.

If you can live without it, you might decide against using your radio as entertainment, especially if it’s late at night or a cloudy day. You wouldn’t want the battery to run flat and be unable to recharge it.

But that doesn’t mean you should never use it for music. Music can make a difficult time much easier, especially if the grid is down for a long time, and you can easily charge your device daily.

Some solar radios even have an AUX port or Bluetooth capabilities, allowing you to play music directly from your phone or other device in case FM stations aren’t broadcasting it.

Look for a solar radio with the local emergency news stations pre-programmed. Some radios force you to cycle through every AM channel, while others have a separate switch for emergency news channels.

One benefit of a solar radio is that you can almost always find a charge wherever you go. Batteries can run out after some time, and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll find a wall socket to plug it into if you’re not at home.

Everyone can see the sun at some point, so you can charge it by strapping it to the back of your backpack while you walk during the day or by placing it on your car’s dashboard’s front.

Purchasing a high-quality solar radio will ensure that you have access to more information in a survival situation without power, information that could be lifesaving.

Charge Your Devices with Solar Power Banks

It’s difficult to envision a scenario in which you’d have to go without electricity for weeks or months given how many aspects of modern life involve electronics. It may nevertheless occur.

Due to the dependence of so many everyday devices on electricity, entire countries may be left without power in the event of an electric grid failure. Therefore, it’s crucial to have some kind of charging capability.

Almost any USB device can be plugged into a power bank that has been solar-charged to power it. This includes phone chargers, USB lights, and a plethora of other gadgets you might use daily.

If you have an electric razor that plugs into the wall via a USB outlet, you can charge it using a power bank instead!

The ability to use your phone is typically the power bank’s main benefit. Any power bank can charge a smartphone because all major phones use USB cords; some power banks even have wireless charging specific to phones.

If you want the fastest solar panel charging speeds, consider looking at power banks with fold-out solar panels. The more solar panels on your power bank, the quicker it charges.

Generally, the less expensive solar power banks only have one fixed panel. This has the advantage of the weight and price difference, but the drawback is that using just one panel will result in very slow power bank battery charging.

When looking for solar power banks, you may not be familiar with the meaning of the measurement mAh (milliamp-hours). This is a measurement of the battery’s capacity for storage.

For instance, a power bank with 5000 mAh could charge your phone five times if it only needs to be charged for 1000 mAh. If that measurement is higher, you can charge more devices before running out of battery.

Consider size and weight when selecting the power bank you want to purchase. It might be useful to have a smaller one to pack in a bug-out bag and a bigger one with a bigger capacity to keep at home.

Due to the weight of some of the larger capacity power banks, these are preferable if you’re holed up at home with your family. Though they won’t last as long, the lighter, smaller ones are easily carried on the go.

Solar Cookers Can Be Used to Cook without Electricity

If you’ve ever touched metal exposed to the sun all day, you know that solar power can make some surfaces extremely hot. This idea has been widely used to develop solar ovens and cookers, which only require the sun to operate.

Mirrored surfaces are used in solar cookers to focus the sun’s light and heat in one area. You could place a pot or pan there and wait. The pot or pan won’t take long to reach a temperature where you can cook almost anything.

A large mirror-like dish that reflects light into a central area where a stand is positioned to support a pan is a typical solar cooker design. This design does work, though proper alignment may require some setup.

The other common design is a box with mirrored walls that capture sunlight similarly and heat the entire box like an oven. Contrary to the other design, which more closely resembles a stove, this cooks food like an oven.

When you’re finished using these solar cookers, you should bring them inside and, if you can, cover them. The surfaces shouldn’t become dusty because if they aren’t clean and shiny, they won’t reflect light as well.

It’s important to remember that when using solar cookers, you should only use materials that can withstand the intense heat created by the sun’s rays being concentrated. Proper cookware is needed because materials like plastic will burn and melt.

When choosing the right pot, you should choose a darker one, such as black cast iron. The sunlight will be reflected back onto shiny, light-colored pans and absorbed by dark-colored ones.

If you cook with a dish, check that the pan is in the focal point occasionally because it will change as the sun moves across the sky.

Don’t leave your solar cooker outside. It may accidentally start heating up if it absorbs some of the sun’s rays. If it were caught in the focal point, it would be easy for something to catch fire.

Solar cookers can reach surprisingly high temperatures, sufficient to cook any food you require, including meat. The only drawback is that regulating the temperature can be challenging, so you’ll need to monitor it.

If the grid goes down, cooking without starting and maintaining a fire is a huge advantage. Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy and intuitive to use.

Power Outages Are Stressful, but Solar Generators Ease the Strain

Consider a high-end solar generator if you’re really hoping to disconnect from the grid and become totally self-sufficient in terms of power. Solar generators, which come in various sizes, can power small lamps and large houses.

Similar to a standard gas generator, these are to be used if power is lost and you need to switch to a backup. Depending on how much power output you need from the generators, these are available at various price points.

These generators typically have traditional wall outlets rather than just USB ports, which is one way they differ from small power banks. The number of devices plugged in could be greatly increased as a result.

A small solar generator can help run a lamp and a fan, for instance. It would be great if you lost power on a warm night and wanted to use a fan instead of the air conditioning.

However, devices like space heaters would require a larger generator to run since they consume more power. To keep your devices charged, you could also easily use tools like chargers.

One benefit of a portable solar generator over a gas generator is that it can be brought inside and used after charging. With a gas generator, you must keep it outside and run extension cords out through windows or doors.

If you want to be completely disconnected from the grid, you should consider purchasing a solar generator that can power your entire home. Installing solar panels in your yard or on your roof is probably required for this.

Purchase a house-wide solar generator to keep your home operating normally after the main power goes out. It will last longer if you are prudent and turn off unused appliances.

You won’t typically experience standard power losses because most power outages last only a few hours. But you’ll still be able to get electricity if the grid completely fails.

The bare necessities, like a refrigerator, can be run solely on solar power, though you may need to significantly reduce and consolidate your electric use. Even in such a dire survival situation, you could still live comfortably.

Low-powered solar generators have their uses and are simple to purchase online. They can be hidden away in a garage or closet. Large-scale generators can greatly improve comfort, but they typically need to be installed by a professional.

I cook with a solar cooker and power lights and small appliances with a solar generator when the grid is down. What solar devices do you use? Please comment below to help others!