What’s Your Go-To Power Source If The Grid Fails?

[MeadowWhisperer]

When the grid goes down, what's your first-line backup for electricity? Been reading up on solar generators, but the up-front cost looks pretty steep, and I wonder what their actual output is in cloudy weather. I’ve got a small gas-powered generator with enough fuel for about a week, but long-term that’s not much. I’ve looked into wind turbines too, but noise and maintenance seem like real drawbacks.

Curious if anyone’s gone with a combination of sources or if one method has really stood out for you in terms of reliability and maintenance. Battery banks, portable solar panels, even hand crank options—all seem to have pros and cons. Would like to keep a small fridge and charge radios, nothing major.

How do you manage fuel or component storage to keep things viable over time? Anybody figure out a reliable way to recharge batteries off-grid without constant fuss? Open to practical recommendations on setups that can be maintained easily and last for a few years at least.

 

[MarigoldBreeze]

Solar panels paired with a deep cycle battery bank have been my most reliable setup so far, but it’s definitely not perfect during long stretches of cloudy days. I keep a small propane generator for backup, since propane stores better than gasoline over time. For charging radios and batteries, those little foldable solar chargers are handy and easy to stash. Has anyone tried using older RV solar kits for a fixed setup? Wondering about the lifespan compared to new panels.

 

[ChamomileCraze]

Repurposing old RV solar kits is actually pretty clever—I’ve seen neighbors use them for greenhouses and outbuildings with decent results, though the output definitely drops if the panels are older or not well maintained. Cleaning them regularly helps, but from what I’ve read, even panels over a decade old can still trickle-charge batteries, which might be all you need for radios or a small fridge if you’re conservative.

For me, the biggest hurdle is always battery longevity. Lead-acid deep cycles require a fair bit of attention, while lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) are pricier up front but seem to be less fussy and tolerate more charge cycles. I rely on a mix of panels and a little hand crank for emergencies—definitely not fun to use, but good for peace of mind.

Storing propane long-term’s worked better than gasoline here too, as long as the tank seals are checked yearly. Anyone else have experience reconditioning older battery banks or extending their life without a lot of fuss? That’s the bottleneck I keep running into, especially with fluctuating temps in the shed.