The use of solar panels could be very useful for a prepper in a grid down scenario. It is an option you can look into if money is not a concern, and you can generate electricity to your home if the grid goes down. While this option will be available to some, I don’t anticipate ever installing solar panels on my home.
That being the case, I do happen to be a huge fan of just about everything solar. I have a solar cell phone charger and a solar oven. While it could come nowhere near powering my whole house, I have a solar portable power station that can power up single appliances. It might be overkill because I’ll have a ton of batteries, but I have a solar rechargable flashlight. The real doozy that I have on my wish list is a solar generator. That would be a real game changer,. So while I’m a huge fan of everything solar, I just don’t see myself installing solar panels on my home as a prepper. It’s too expensive, and it has other flaws I’ll touch on below.
Should Preppers Consider Solar Panels On Their Home? (H2 tag)
While there are many upsides to generating electricity with solar panels in a grid down scenario, there is unfortunately one big downside. They are highly visible. Everyone will know you are up and running with power and this could bring unwanted visitors, even if they don’t mean any harm. “Can I please charge my phone?” or “Could I use your electricity to run this appliance really quickly?” are things you can likely expect. This is not good for you.
When you consider the value of stealth in prepping, having solar panels on your roof might not be the best course of action. If you have a fenced and private backyard, there are options for having your solar panels a short distance from your house, and that could be a potential alternative, but slapping them right on your roof is probably not a wise idea.
Are Solar Panels Worth The Considerable Investment For Non Preppers? (H3 tag)
There are benefits to having solar panels installed on your home in normal day to day life. There are worthwhile Federal tax credits that can offset the cost and provide a return in the future. You can even rollover unused tax credits for as long as the solar tax credit is in effect, which is currently set in stone until 2034 until further possible extensions. Your electric bills will also go down considerably, if not down to zero.
Solar panels are more worthwhile the more days of sunshine you have in your area. You might get more out of your investment in solar if you live in Arizona than if you live in Ohio or Ontario. This conjecture is all based on normal times however.
As preppers, our interest in solar panels is primarily so that we can survive with electricity when the grid goes down. If there is less sunshine where you are, you will have less hours of electricity to use in the day, but having some electricity is a world of a difference from having no electricity. Even on a day with overcast skies, you can anticipate generating enough solar power to have at least a few hours of electricity. Then again, if it was sunny the day before your batteries might have enough juice to get you through the whole day if it’s cloudy. It’s all about conserving and using what you need.
