Off-grid energy, backup power, shelter construction, and keeping the lights on.
Shelter & Power
Your refrigerator dies the moment the power does. A buried cooler makes a working root cellar, two nested clay pots become a desert fridge, and a bucket with a plunger washes clothes. These are not theories. They work.
Shelter & Power
Solar panels are useless without somewhere to store the power. Deep-cycle batteries hold what you generate, and a properly built bank keeps your lights on after sundown. Skip the car batteries. They are not made for this.
Shelter & Power
Off the grid means something different to everyone, from keeping a standby generator to generating your own solar or wind power. Here is how to figure out what it means for your household.
Shelter & Power
Passive solar energy uses your home's orientation and materials to collect and store heat without a single panel. Learn how building design can keep you warm using nothing but the sun.
Shelter & Power
It’s that very absence of sound that should cause you concerned. No rush of air through your home’s air ducts means there isn’t any heat for your family. No hum from the refrigerator means all that food inside will remain edible for only a few more hours. It’s at those moments that you kick yours...
Shelter & Power
Depending on whether your plans call for sheltering in one place or bugging-out, there are a wealth of options for any prepper to buy, build or designed their perfect shelter to survive any given disaster. Sheltering in place is the most convenient option for anyone. Usually, this means staying a...
Shelter & Power
How wind stacks up against solar for off-grid power, what a turbine actually costs, and why a small wind system is one of the most reliable ways to keep the lights on when the grid fails.
Shelter & Power
The main ways to generate your own electricity, from solar and wind to other renewables, and the advantages of cutting your home loose from the grid.
Shelter & Power
A guide to alternative energy sources like solar and wind, why renewables matter, and the pros and cons of each for powering your home or homestead.
Shelter & Power
How to keep your home lit when the power fails, covering solar panels, outdoor solar lights, lanterns, and battery-powered options for short and long outages.
Shelter & Power
How to reduce your dependence on the grid, from solar refrigeration to the technology that lets preppers power essential needs without the utility company.
Shelter & Power
Why a battery storage system matters for off-grid power, what the options cost, and how to keep your electricity flowing when the sun is down and the wind is calm.