Whether it’s a nuclear holocaust, a deadly plague, the perfect storm, or a large-scale terrorist attack, when a cataclysmic event goes down you can guarantee one thing: the power will go out.
And while you don’t need electricity to be a hunter-gatherer for the rest of your life, if you want to help return human society to its former greatness—or just be able to have a James Bond movie marathon again—you’ll have to figure out how to generate your own power.
There are many options available, from the amateur to the extreme. Here are a few great ways to enjoy modern technology after the shit hits the fan.
Note: In this article I don’t go into great detail on any of the methods. Rather, I’m just letting you know what your options are.
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1. Hydroelectric Power
One of the most reliable ways to generate electricity is by harnessing the power of a river or stream. While this isn’t always the most practical means (if you live in rural Utah you might want to try a different option), hydroelectric power is a surefire way to have a steady stream of electricity without having to worry about storing surplus energy in battery cells.
Hydroelectric options will require a little maintenance as well, considering its mechanisms will be constantly moving and getting wet.
The first thing you will need, obviously, is a source of flowing water. If you don’t have access to a river or stream, try a different option or consider uprooting your life and moving. If you do have this source of flowing water, locate the steepest point possible.
Here you will build some kind of frame to hold your generator in place, unless you can find someone who will volunteer to hold it forever.
Of course, to build the actual generator you’ll need a water wheel, gears, coils of wire, and magnets. Since you can’t exactly find these growing in the backyard, it’s best to prepare and have these materials ahead of time. Consider also that some rivers and streams dry up in the hot season, making your hydroelectric source of energy just another great lawn ornament in the summer.
If this happens, you’ll need to supplement your power with one of the following.
2. Solar Power
Solar power is generally a good option. Quiet, environmentally friendly, and not entirely able to be self-sufficient, it works great when the sun’s out, but not so much in cloudy weather or in the dark. Considering that most of the world is dark half the time, solar power probably won’t be your only source of electricity.
It’s a great part of your power plan though, because at some point you’re guaranteed to have sunlight (unless the apocalypse starts because the sun imploded).
Solar power is another source of energy you’ll have to prep for; harnessing the energy from light isn’t something you can do with a couple of matches and some parachute cord. Purchase solar panels and rechargeable batteries ahead of time.
You can spend anywhere from $500 to $1 million, depending on whether you’re powering your wilderness shanty or an entire village.
3. Wind Power
Wind power, like hydroelectric power, can provide an excellent, year-round solution to your energy needs. The process is practically the same, except wind powers the turbines instead of water. People have been harnessing the power of wind for centuries, using windmills to grind grain and spruce up the Dutch landscape.
A great benefit to wind power is that there is no limit to how many wind turbines you can build. You could have a thousand of them, all side-by-side and generating enough power to last a lifetime.
As anyone who has been stranded and died in a sailboat will know, the drawback to wind is that it is less predictable than a flowing river. If the wind ceases, you’ll need an additional power option. On the bright side, building a wind turbine is easier than constructing say, a nuclear power plant.
4. Manpower
Manpower will never go out of style. Even if you’re holed up in a place with no wind, no flowing water, no sunlight, and no materials to burn, you can use manpower to generate electricity—although at that point you should probably just make sure you can survive the night.
If there is still breath in your body and energy to pedal a bicycle, you can generate your own electricity anytime, anywhere, and get some solid cardio in while you’re at it.
The method for harnessing manpower is the same as any other method: you’ll need a generator or the means to build one and you’ll probably want batteries to store that energy. The disadvantage of this type of energy is that there is only so much force a human body can generate.
While a mighty river can power Las Vegas and then some, one guy can power only a couple dozen slot machines. If you’re on your own though, this might be a perfect option.
5. Steam Power
Steam power is a great way to use the elements around you, specifically wood and water, to supply your life’s electricity needs. The power of water-turned-to-steam is amazing and can generate tons of energy. Unfortunately, it is also hard to control. A boiler heated by wood has the capacity to explode and therefore has to be monitored 24/7.
Unless that guy who volunteered to hold your hydroelectric generator is available to do this forever, you will probably want this only as a temporary solution.
Fortunately, in the event that the shit hits the fan, there’s a lot less you’ll have to buy ahead of time. Particularly if you have a few rudimentary metalworking skills, the scraps that a decimated society will leave in its wake can make for all the materials you’ll need, and steampunk fans everywhere will have their wildest dreams come true (if they live to see it).
6. Gasification
Gasification is a cool way to harness the power of burning wood without having to use the unreliable steam method. Basically, burning wood or charcoal produces wood gas, which is a syngas that can be cooled and filtered to use in an internal combustion engine. If it seems too good to be true—burn some wood and make engine fuel?—it just might be unless you’re well-prepared.
Gasification requires some pretty technical know-how and some very specific pieces. You can’t exactly build one from bamboo and coconuts like the professor on Gilligan’s Island, but if you’ve prepared well and learned the ins and outs of the process, you may have yourself a lifetime of sustainable energy for you and your loved ones, provided all of you happen to be the tiny minority of people who will survive a worldwide zombie outbreak.
7. Generators
Last but not least, fuel-based generators are another way to generate power after a disaster. I had to mention this one since this is what most people think of when they hear the phrase, “generate power.” Simply put, generators convert fuel into electrical power (usually AC, although many of them have DC which you can use for charging batteries).
Most generators run on gasoline, but there are some that run in diesel, bio-diesel, propane, and natural gas. Generators are very convenient and a great thing to have during a temporary disaster.
The only downside is that unless you have a way to make your own fuel, you’ll have to stockpile an incredible amount if you want to have power for more than a few months.
Dr.Pat Howden says
October 25, 2018 at 7:22 amOUR ELECTRICAL OFF GRID: It’s simpler to kill-a-watt & save $1 than create them.“ Well we’ve had our Edible Jungle on ¼ acre + small 46 watt cheap solar panel for 33 FREE years Power OFF-GRID, costing 1 ancient dole payment, easily able to provide the entire home with 12 volts to charge a big car battery for all needed appliances including fridge. We go all 12 volt with moderate 46 watt PV solar panel + Regulator + Maximizer + manual or motorized Rotator for sun-tracking unless fixed + 12 or 24 volt truck battery (+ thick cables if long) + occasional small inverter.
“ Being highly self-sufficient takes about 150 gadgets, including 12V appliances, processes, edible jungle foods, ingenious home + transport, off-grid power including substantially own Inventions & Discoveries (of total 5,260) all needing a load of Applied Maths to design, build, test & integrate into home etc.
I do recall on a Sydney to Melbourne WW2 drive with Dad, that there were masses of electric windmills on farms then – mostly Dunlite.“In 1947 Junior School I made crystal set radios for kids at 2 shillings each that needed no tuning because the radio transmitter was just up the hill. At 1949 high School in Sydney I made a tiny AM pocket radio using a single 1T4 tube & it worked wonders, smaller than many modern trannies. More battery sets followed with regeneration & super-regeneration. Now my favourite survival radio is not much bigger than a pocket book for AM, FM & many-band SW to find news if disaster strikes us; it’s about 28 year old & is entirely strong windup + torch. Other lesser solar & windup sets were not such a good show. However the best-ever radio is about watch-size, years old, Chinese & incredible stereo tone – even Classic music bass.
Note that if more than 22% intermittent energy is applied to the usual powerhouse, it destabilizes & needs an expensive gas turbine to accept more renewables ON-GRID contributors. However it has been professional calculated that, USA being so wide, all power houses could be deleted – easier if energy is conserved – & if no wind or sun but plenty of hydro electric in one place, there is bound to be plenty of wind &/or sun to share in other places; so that only a 50 or 60 hertz sync trigger is needed. For $89 I have a new 80 watt solar PV panel from China, yet never needed.
12 VOLT ITEMS with POWER DISTRIBUTION BOARD: powerful blender from a small SMALL motor – homemade 12V rheostat bed warmer – reduced jug element to heat thermos water for coffee etc (never needed to boil) – direct solar water-heating & cooking – long life economical LED lights – 12 v TV + Antenna + cassette + instruments, games & toys + 2-way radios, players, CB and/or mobile radio, video / audio spy pen – There are two automobile Vacuum cleaners: one from the dump draws 1.8 amps, the other monster with attachments draws a whopping 7.8 amps & what a racket, both can act as air pumps for laundry on pipe reversal; or manual carpet-floor sweeper. House yachting submersible bilge pump + tiny check valve for rain tank, mosquito & cockroach zapper, sewing machine, brilliant economical LED lights, flash-gun. 12 volt drill + screw-driver + many tools medium drill & attachments (jig, circular saw, sander, plane, grinder & kitchen items like mixers), micro tools, 12 v 30w solder iron, 24 volt welding from 2x12v batteries in series etc. Alternative laundry including 12volt vacuum cleaner bubbles in laundry bin water, hand or motor-rotated hot water pressure laundry, esky of laundry water on scooter or bike or boat trip, or standing on laundry in bowl whilst showering – ironing under mattress. Better than so-called “Rocket or Dakota Stoves” (though these could be considerably likewise improved with following HELIXTOVE), small smokeless controllable one-stick HELIXTOVE stove that has air-preheating & after-burning + tiny fan if extra rocket-heat needed. Bush oven sits on top.
SMALL ITEMS (some items worked from attached small solar panel without battery, though windup better in emergency): VOLTAP diode chain for items < 12 volts – “ tiny brilliant torch that needs only about 1 squeeze per week, shaver, calculators, stirrer, 3 clocks, watch, doorbell. Hose-reel garden pump where small solar panel drives its windscreen wiper motor directly – if not driven by a stream or wind – to drip-feed food plants. Blackout Kit = 12 volt battery able to power small TV, fans, radio, mobile phone, camera, LED lights but $30 gets garden-charged & switchable Solar LED lamps for inside & emergency – – –
INVERTER on Solar car battery for machines such as: mini microwave cooker, also to produce 240 or 120 V to drive mains adaptors to charge scooter, & other batteries for whipper snipper, chain saw, saw, tyre pump, hedge trimmer converted to a lawn mower + brush cutter with handle & 2 trolley wheels, Computers & Printers, table lamps. Bed Hot water bottle like 2 litre drink bottles heated by microwave etc to avoid water waste.
“KEEP COOL: We hand-spray our T-shirt with water, then have a small fan playing on the moist T-shirt in real heat waves, that usually gets too cold & we have to slow or redirect the fan. With 2 or 4 watt car fan playing on bare legs is much cooler than if fan playing on face, arms etc; fans can often save more than ½ air conditioning power that we find unnecessary even in Queensland. For low-humidity areas we have a tiny 12volt water evaporator; big home units are very economical & take little power to supply cool air ducted around to each room. For outside in the sun, my favorite is a white hat topped with a small solar PV panel powering a cute little fan built into the front brim. Air Conditioning: Simply have a fan blow air into a bucket of ice if available. Cool water drinks help + cool water swim or garden hose spray. TOP-LOADING FRIDGE: Homemade most efficient 40L trash drum = 12 volt, 2.3 watt unit under house, in breeze & shade + part-buried & never in hot kitchen, with 15 cms polyurethane foam all around; uses 30 times less annual energy than other fridges + good ice maker.
Laptop Computer with interface, Router, Internet & battery printer/scanner. Computer, TV, radio, fan & LED lights etc are all adjacent to you, so that for instance the angle at the eye for a small close TV is identical to that of a big TV across the room. Many of these items, if not Homemade, are available at Boating, Camping or Caravan stores etc; else at such as Nimbin’s Rainbow Power Company. $. Most electrical appliances, such as motors, lights & electronic components generate heat that puts an extra burden on air conditioning. Go miniature.
Another 46-watt solar panel needed on TRICAR to charge from main Solar Battery & another unlikely for garden pump.
RM says
March 2, 2018 at 7:41 amYou can also convert a generator to run on alcohol. Distilling alcohol is pretty simple (part of my youth was misspent in the Appalachians). You’ll need to replaces some components with silicone and likely change your air/fuel mix, but it is doable.
Grampa says
January 19, 2018 at 11:56 amwhile each area is different and the needs are different I fail to see sources of power unaddressed. in areas where we have the most need we have the smallest planning. letters written to my state go ignored. I have provided suggestions on many levels. In Michigan we have so many resources that go unused or ignored. we have flowing water in rivers throughout. we also have a river that supplies power at Niagara falls. while the river flows slower it does have mass. we have deserted islands that need cleaning that could be retrofitted for power that would supply industry with inexpensive power. I have also proposed the use. of generators that while haven’t operated for many decades could be made operational. they sit at henry ford museum. they also have steam engines that could run generators. while it would take a bit of integration to sync them all sections could be isolated to provide such as hospitals. we also have diesel locomotive that could be located near hospitals that could be retrofitted to provide power. spurs installed for this could be installed with little cost. having prefabbed hookups would make little time to hookup. bottom line is we prepare for disasters why shouldn’t government. they could provide the important water and sewage services. what about it politicians?
Grampa
grannyo says
January 24, 2017 at 8:20 pmWhat about an anaerobic digesting generator? We’ll have to dispose of human and animal waste. I heard that the Detroit zoo maybe building an anaerobic digesting generator to take care of all the animal waste and produce their own electricity for the zoo but I haven’t seen or heard anything beyond the comment made by someone (employee) at the zoo when we took the grand kids there last summer.
Wayne says
January 31, 2017 at 12:38 pmThis is close enough.
http://www.small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com/methane_generator.html