Table Of ContentText copyright © 2017 Alan and Arlene Fiebig. Photographs copyright © 2017 Alan and Arlene Fieberg
except as noted below. Design and concept copyright © 2017 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights
reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means
(including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Published in the U.S. by
ULYSSES PRESS
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com
ISBN: 978-1-61243-659-3
Acquisitions Editor: Casie Vogel Managing Editor: Claire Chun Project Editor: Caety Klingman Editor:
Shayna Keyles
Proofreader: Lauren Harrison Index: Sayre Van Young
Front cover/interior design and layout: what!design @ whatweb.com
Cover artwork: solar panels © Wouter Tolenaars/shutterstock.com; background grain © Nerijus
Juras/shutterstock.com; gas generator © yevgeniy11/shutterstock.com; pedal-powered generator ©
Kenneth Torino; flooded lead acid battery © U.S. Battery Interior photos: page 20 © Bill
Fehr/shutterstock.com; page 26 © Wikimedia; page 30 © grmarc/shutterstock.com; page 110 © James
Steidl/shutterstock.com Distributed by Publishers Group West NOTE TO READERS: Please be sure to
read the following important note before using any of the information in this book!
This book is a general introduction to the subject of electrical power systems, and the reader is strongly
cautioned to take note of the following warnings before attempting to use or relying on any of the
information in this book.
The installation and operation of electrical power systems involves a degree of risk and requires a degree of
skill. It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure that he or she understands all such risks and possesses all
necessary skills. It is also the reader’s responsibility to ensure that all proper installation, operation,
regulatory, and safety rules are followed. It is also the reader’s responsibility to obtain any and all necessary
permits, and to follow all local laws and building regulations.
The reader may need additional information, advice, and instruction not included in this book before safely
and lawfully installing and operating a electrical power system. Any decision to use the information in this
book must be made by the reader on his or her own good judgment. This book is sold without warranties or
guarantees of any kind, and the author and publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for personal
injury, property damage, or any other loss or damage, however caused, relating to the information in this
book.
This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and
This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and
no affiliation with, any trademarked brands or other products mentioned or pictured within is claimed or
suggested. All trademarks that appear in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for
informational purposes only. The authors and publishers encourage readers to patronize the quality brands
mentioned or pictured in this book.
Dedicated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who counsels us to prepare for
dark days ahead:
“It was by faith that Noah heard God’s warnings about things he could not yet
see. He obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family. By his faith, Noah
showed that the world was wrong, and he became one of those who are made
right with God through faith.”
—Hebrews 11:7
Contents
Prologue: A Cautionary Tale
Introduction
What Is Off-Grid?
Why Go Off-Grid?
Prepping and Alternative Energy
What Do Self-Reliance, Homesteading, and Prepping Have to Do with Each
Other?
How to Read This Book
PART ONE: Earth, Wind, and Fire: Generating Renewable Energy
Chapter 1: Against the Current
Micro-Hydro Generators
Home Wind Turbines
Photovoltaic Solar Power
Chapter 2: Don’t Be Fuelish
Mechanical or Inverter Generators
Fuel
Wood Gasifier
Your Vehicle
Chapter 3: Watt’s Up?
The Watt
Electricity
Using Electricity
Chapter 4: How to Eat an Elephant
Chapter 5: Watching Your Waste-Line
A Day in the Self-Reliant Life
Chapter 6: Power from the People
K-Tor
Pedal Power Generator
PART TWO: You Are My Sunshine: Working with Photovoltaic Power
Chapter 7: A Trip Around the Solar System
Solar Panel
Charge Controller
Battery Bank
Distribution
Costs
Chapter 8: A Panel Discussion
Standalone Solar Chargers
Types of Panels
Mounting
Get Wired: Setting Up Solar Arrays
The Shadow Knows: Partial Shading Consideration
Chapter 9: Salt and Battery
About the Battery
Battery Ratings
How Big Is Big Enough?
Types of Batteries
Weighing the Options
Chapter 10: Care and Feeding
Flooded Cell Monitoring
Water, Pure Water
A Glass Half Full: State of Charge
Snake Oil? The Desulfator
He’s Dead, Jim: Battery Life and Charging
Chapter 11: Charge It!
The Roles of the Charge Controller
Charging Your Battery
MPPT: Getting the Most out of the Panels
Getting the Power into the Batteries with PWM
Size Matters: Only Buy It Once
PART THREE: I’ve Got the Power: Bringing Your System to Life
Chapter 12: It’s Alive!
Wiring
Let’s Get Wired
Connecting the Bank to the Controller
Congratulations, It’s Alive!
Chapter 13: Less Is More, More or Less
The War of the Currents
Living Life 12 Volts at a Time
Skip the Extra Work
Starting from Scratch
New Wiring
AC Versus DC Circuit Breakers
Wiring Fixtures and Sockets
Plugs
Dual Connection
Chapter 14: Putting Your Power to Use
Lighting
Fans
Water Pumps
Electronics
Chapter 15: Ups and Downs
Capacity
Refrigeration
Waveform
Connecting an Inverter
Grid Tie: Putting Money in Your Pocket
Appendix A: Zoning Out
Appendix B: Example MidNite Solar Classic Configuration
Model Options
Using your MidNite Solar Classic
MidNite Solar Classic Settings
Appendix C: Gravity of the Situation
Appendix D: The 24-Volt Option
Appendix E: Resources
About the Authors
Prologue: A Cautionary Tale
Drew slammed the door of his car a bit harder than necessary, rattling the
windows. This was not what he had expected as an assignment when he started
with the Boulder Prodigy newspaper. If it weren’t for the crazy tinfoil hat–
wearing readers and the NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)
being located in the same town as the paper, he probably would not have been
saddled with this wild goose chase. Being low in the paper’s pecking order
probably didn’t help. To top things off, his car’s GPS system hadn’t been able to
get a single satellite on lock for two days now, so he had been driving in circles
for the past half hour just to find the parking lot. But he finally arrived and
headed in to conduct a worthless interview where he would try to answer all the
questions that had been phoned in to the paper over the past couple nights.
Thursday night had arrived with extremely bright, shimmering, moving curtains
of light. Most people in Colorado were familiar with the aurora borealis, the
Northern Lights. But no one had ever seen anything like these lights, which were
bright enough to read by. The following morning, the newspaper’s voicemail
box was filled with frightened messages from readers asking if it was the end of
the world. Drew’s editor felt that they could sell some papers by making an
effort to answer their readers’ questions.
“Come on, people, what ever happened to common sense?” Drew thought. “It’s
just lights, right?”
Drew made an appointment with NOAA’s public relations person and resigned
himself to what he expected would be a day of listening to some science-babble
about lights in the sky. As he entered the lobby, Drew was drawn to the gallery
where there were poster-sized photographs taken by the Hubble telescope. It was
too bad they didn’t have a gift shop, but the SWPC wasn’t exactly set up to cater
to the public. Drew thought that they took their security rather seriously for a
bunch of squints. After passing the checks on his press credentials, he was led
into the office area and introduced to Ms. Kelly Sinclair.
