Storing Fuel
Diesel oil isn’t always used to generate power. Recently two city survivors I was working with buried 1,000-gallon LP gas tanks in their garage, right in the city. This is very illegal in some places. These city survivors have another source of energy should they need it. This is another good example of city storage of energy for those who act resolutely.
Small LP gas space heaters are available virtually everywhere. LP gas heaters are inexpensive, mobile, easily maintained, and effective if some way exists to refill the little 1- and 5-gallon pressure tanks they run on. They require no electricity, and they are not obvious.
Is the installation of a 1,000-gallon LP pressure tank advisable for city survivors? One of the friends who put his tank in intends to run his generator on LP gas. Many gasoline generators will also run on LP gas. The power output using LP gas is lower, especially at higher elevations, but the versatility is nice. Many tank owners also have a tank filler hose and fitting installed so that they can refill smaller tanks.
LP gas suppliers are reluctant to sell large pressure tanks outright. They will lease, which could end up working against survivors who may suddenly have their tanks “recalled.” Guaranteed, you won’t bury anybody’s leased LP gas tank. It will almost certainly take at least 8 months of persistent pushing to finally take delivery of your own private LP gas tank. That’s how it worked with me, and with my two acquaintances who buried their tanks in the city.
One thousand gallons of LP gas will generally last about 1 year when used to run a generator in intermittent service. Cost is about $1,600 for the tank and about $850 to fill the first time. Whether or not this is practical depends on each individual. Is there enough personal energy to push this kind of project through to completion, the money to do it correctly, a place to hide the tank, and application within the retreat?
SOLAR POWER AND WINDMILLS
Solar power, windmills, and perhaps small hydroelectric projects are trendy now among city survivors. They are frequently mentioned as the 21st century’s answer to individual electrical power in cities. Solar power systems are being installed around the world with increasing frequency. As a result, we know a bit more about them. I looked at three recently. All are in smaller cities: Pullman, Washington; Kodiak, Alaska; and Boulder, Colorado.
The system in Boulder is extremely simple, with a hot-water pipe on the roof warmed by the sun. Given installation, price, simplicity, and lack of maintenance, it may still be the most practical. Small, discreet copper pipes laid on a south-sloping roof section warm the water, which heats the house. Its installation 20 years ago was very inexpensive. Most people who visit the house are not aware the system exists. Over its life, the system has saved at least $200 to $300 per year in energy costs, the owner claims.
The extent to which a real solar power (sunlight-to-electricity) system would stick out, compromising a retreat, is still subject to debate. One owner says people never notice. The other says it’s obvious what he’s doing. One thing is certain—if an enemy observed and decided to destroy a retreat’s solar power system, damage in a survival sense would be serious. All hope of having electrical power would be gone if this were the only means of providing it.
In other words, even though it works like a champ, solar power still may not be practical for city survivors.
Great misconceptions continue to be attached to solar power. The greatest of these claims is that it will become more practical and cost-efficient as prices for solar panels continue to fall. Well, yes—but really, no—might be the real best answer to this one. Most of the very high cost of a solar power system is not in the panels!
The system in Pullman, Washington, that I examined very closely cost about $65,000 complete. On a bright summer day it supplies enough power to run a large house, a guest-house, and an extensive shop.
Of this 65 grand, 16 solar panels at $375 each total $6,000. The inverter needed to turn the 48-volt direct current to 220-volt alternating current costs right at $9,800. Forty-eight-volt direct current is produced because of its easy storage in twenty-four 2-volt lead acid batteries.
It’s another fallacy that solar panels generate enough electricity on cloudy, short, or wintry days for any practical direct use. This fellow spent more than $9,000 on storage batteries alone. There were also automatic combiner boxes, transfer switches, power panels, and several hundred feet of very expensive, very heavy-gauge wiring. Add another minimum $25,000 to the system for this stuff alone.
His system automatically took power from the solar system till the latter could no longer keep up, then from the grid, and then from batteries. When all of these failed, a diesel generator kicked in. (The diesel generator was not included in the price of the system.) I liked his system, but he only had 300 gallons of diesel oil in reserve.
It seems likely that this is a workable solar power system for real big-city survivors only if they can accommodate the expense. One thing is certain—it would be an injustice and fraud for me to try to set out a specific system that would perform in any reader’s personal circumstances. The one thing I know about solar power today is that is still very, very complex and, overall, very expensive.
However, many people are installing solar power systems specifically designed for their application. In Kodiak, Alaska, we were 12 miles from the grid. Bringing in power costs at least $10,000 per mile. There’d be no chance for any electricity here if it were not for solar power.
Windmills, similarly, are more complicated than many people believe. They also require collection boxes, storage systems, and wiring. The man in Pullman intends to put in a windmill if the city fathers will allow it. (This is university country)
In conclusion, solar power and windmills are currently practical for city survivors. But great diligence during the research phase, as well as deep pockets, will continue to be required. My suggestion is to become familiar, at least in part, with solar power so that you can install the system you need when you can.
Start the process by subscribing to Home Power Magazine, Box 520, Ashland., OR 97520. Home Power’s real strengths are its main advertisers. Without a magazine of this type, we have no idea where to go for needed component supplies. I have written to the magazine suggesting a decrease in articles and an increase in advertising, which is of much greater value.
SCROUNGING
Instead of owning a generator, many city survivors steal electricity I was skeptical, but several been there, done thats said yes, they had tapped into a factory or government office line for their own retreat use. Seems like an overly dangerous process, but survival is not a safe business, especially in the city. Stealing electricity has the charm of not having to fool with a generator.
For those who fail to preplan, what about stealing or scrounging other energy supplies? Experienced city survivors believe there is more opportunity to scrounge energy in the city than out in the country. One can only hope this device does not encourage or become an excuse to neglect preplanning of storage and caching.