Solar panels and off-grid power supplies for surviving blackouts and power cuts

Power, Heating, Lighting & Communications

Life Without the Grid

A power cut that lasts an evening is an inconvenience. One that lasts a week changes what you can cook, how you stay warm, and whether you can reach anyone. Plan for the second kind.

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20 ft

minimum distance to keep a generator from windows and doors

Red Cross

100+

cars' worth of carbon monoxide a single portable generator can produce

US Consumer Product Safety Commission

rise in fatal generator CO poisonings from 2000 to 2018

Pediatrics journal study

Power & Backup Charging

Work out what actually needs power first — phones and medical devices before anything else — then size your backup to that, not the other way round.

Calculator: Power Station Runtime

Power station capacity (Wh)

Combined device draw (W)

A portable power station covers phones, lights and small devices for days without fuel or noise
A solar panel keeps a power station topped up indefinitely if the outage runs long
A small generator covers heavier loads (a fridge, a sump pump) that a power station can't — but needs fuel storage and must only ever run outdoors
Keep a simple priority list: medical devices and phones first, fridge and freezer second, everything else after that

Heating & Lighting

Losing heat is more dangerous than it sounds, and losing light changes how safely you can move around your own home.

A propane heater rated for indoor use, with proper ventilation, is the standard safe option for short-term heating
Layer with blankets, thermal clothing and a hot water bottle before reaching for any heater — it costs nothing and works immediately
LED lanterns and headlamps last far longer than old-style torches and free up your hands
Never burn charcoal, a gas stove, or an unrated heater indoors for warmth — this is the single most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning in a power cut

Staying in Communication

Mobile networks are often the first thing to fail or get overloaded in a wider emergency. Have a way to get information and stay reachable that doesn't depend on the phone network alone.

A hand-crank or solar emergency radio gets you local alerts and news with no batteries required
Keep a portable charger topped up specifically for your phone — don't rely on the same power station for everything at once
Agree an out-of-area contact with family in advance — sometimes a call out of the affected area connects when local calls won't
Text messages often get through when voice calls fail, since they need far less bandwidth

Fuel Storage & Safety

Whatever you're storing to run a generator, stove or heater, store it properly:

Store fuel in approved containers, outdoors or in a detached, ventilated space — never in the house
Rotate stored fuel periodically — most fuel types degrade over 6-12 months without a stabiliser
Fit a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm regardless of what fuel-burning equipment you keep, and test it