Electricity Options for Your Homestead

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When families make the decision to become preppers on a homestead, the one major lifestyle change they’ll encounter is the loss of electricity. However, going off the grid — including the power grid — is the most important component of self-sufficient living.

Just because you’re technically off the grid doesn’t mean you have to go without power completely. We all know batteries are too expensive to store over the long term – unless you have rechargeable batteries with solar-powered chargers.

One thing you can do is invest in any gadgets that don’t require electricity at all like hand-crank radios, etc. But there are other power options you can consider – such as solar, wind, and water-generated power.

Solar Power

Solar power is the most common option that people think of when they consider moving from dependency on an electric company. Solar panels can be pricey, but they quickly pay you back for your investment.

You can cook with solar ovens, charge your electronics with solar-powdered gadgets, and do just about anything that you would normally use with paid electricity. You can either buy solar panels or make them yourself.

Caution

Be careful about some of the crude do-it-yourself tutorials. You want things to work on a budget, but you don’t want to put your family at risk with a setup that endangers anyone.

Water Power Options

One option, depending on the property and its water resources, is to create a hydropower system. You have to have a stream or river flowing nearby that has a nice drop in elevation for it to work properly.

Wind Power

Wind power is another option. You can install wind turbines that will generate electricity, but you need to live in an area that consistently delivers wind speeds around 9-10 miles per hour for it to work.

With all of these options, you have choices that range between crude, low-power producing products and extravagant products that leave you carefree and fully secure with a working system.

How Much Power Do You Need?

One thing that each homesteading family needs to do is determine how much power they really need. You’ll want to cut down on your electric usage – unplug appliances when not in use, turn off lights, etc.

Once you determine this, you can better choose among the viable options how to deliver enough power to provide for your family. If possible, make sure you have several choices on your property so that if there’s not a lot of rain, or the water flow gets stifled, or the wind dies down, you won’t be stranded without electricity.