Seems like solar power might be the theme today. Not trying to get into the typical solar power discussion though here.

Let's say you already have a solar system for the house. And, you're in an urban area.

Then SHTF - utility outages, interruptions in basic services, etc. But nothing so that you would necessarily want to BO. Home is intact, no bio/rad threats, etc.

If you had a complete alternative power system, you're going to stick out. No one around you has power. You have 100% power with your solar system.

In the event of the above, is having such a system more of a liability? It's sure going to attract some attention. You have something everyone else wants.

Thoughts?

Unless its well hidden, they make solar cell shingles now so you can replace your regular roofing so you can't tell.
I want to put a skylight in the vaulted celing of our bedroom, then maount a small solar panel opposite it making it look like another skylight, I know I'm not going to 100% power my house with a small system like that but have enough to keep the main survival gear running.

Aside from the system itself being hidden...

What about actually using it? You wouldn't want to be the only house on the block with the lights on.

I guess what I'm getting at - if one would have to be so careful about using power that only you had available, so as not to draw attention - would one be able to realize much of a benefit of having such a system?

What good is it, in that scenario, if you can't really use your power?

How long could one expect to keep something like that out of the public eye even when being careful?

I'm talking here about a complete whole house, grid tied system - kind that costs $30,000, 4 kW, etc.

Being discreet about what you show might be important if you want to keep it a secret.

If you insist on having every light in your home on, it's going to stand out like a bonfire on a dark night. You could remove all the lightbulbs in all/most of the rooms, or use flashlights (which you could recharge).

Without most people knowing, you could keep your refrigerator and freezer running, some fans if it's hot, an electric stove would work fine. Who's to know if you don't shoot off your mouth?

Think of it as walking down the Las Vegas Strip with $50,000 in cash on you. If you have $100 bills fluttering from every pocket and handing them out to every beggar you pass, someone is going to take a closer look. Stupidity does have it's taxes.

But you probably couldn't keep it a secret forever, esp if you have children (the little pitchers with big ears are often the ones who let the cat out of the bag, if I may mix my metaphors).

So plan for that.

The woman across the street has a baby and needs formula kept cool, so you might offer to do that, warning her to keep quiet. The guy next door might be a diabetic, and if he can't keep his insulin cold, he dies in 10 days or so.

You might have enough friendlies around that they would help you gradually let out the knowledge that you have power, and as long as everyone minds their manners, you will help them.

Or, someone will just get p'd off because you have something that they don't, and torch your place. You never know until it happens.

Just remember that without help, you can't stand guard forever.

As usual, Susan offers common sense.

May I add that a little deceit in the interest of survival may be appropriate. Not even your family needs to know every detail, every nook and cranny of your survival preparations.

A modular approach with one or more standalone systems supporting physically separate, concealed spaces, however small might be a life saver.

Edit: let your paranoia be your guide!

Investing in some Blackout curtains might be worthwhile. It may also help reduce the sound levels of the screams, gun fire, explosions and helicopters out side.

Unless you're talking about a very catastrophic and desperate situation, like another Katrina, or a situation that lasted a long time, I don't think I would worry too much about it unless you live in a neighborhood where you worry about your neighbors even when everything is normal!

I know that I would much rather have a solar system for power than a loud generator that I have to chain up and keep an eye on and also worry about running out of fuel.

In an "urban" area, I can't see keeping electricity a secret.

You could use refrigeration for bartering and for helping out people who need medicines to be refrigerated. If things got real bad, at some point don't we in the city run out of food and medicines to refrigerate?

In the summer, think I'd invite even my carless neighbors in for air conditioning (which they'd hear running anyway).

Those would be my two priorities for electricity: refrigeration and air conditioning. Presumably there wouldn't be much to watch on TV. Would the Internet function in this scenario? I have a solar-crank radio.

I can only imagine the horrors of an extended -- days, weeks, months ?? -- DC city-wide power outage.

The crime wave would be horrific.

If the rest of the country still had power, we'd all be bugging out.

I wouldn't try to run the A/C, its the highest load, going to take too much power.
If we were without power for an extended time I'd shelter in the basement, its not real big but keeps a decent temp and only has one small window that I'd need to cover.

"Let paranoia be your guide!"

LOVE IT!

But I am remembering back to an incident in NM or WY or somewhere (winter before last), where forty people in multiple vehicles got stuck in a blizzard.

A nearby farmer and his wife realized that all these people were on the road near their place, so they went out and invited them into their 1200 sqft home. I believe they were 8 to 60+ yrs in age.

Forty-two people... that's about 28 sqft per person, think 4x7 ft, almost the size of a sheet of plywood. They waited there for three or four days.

No one could bathe because the bathtub was filled with water in case the power to the well went out.

They ate all the food in the house, then one of the visitors took some people with him, and they raided his vending machine delivery truck and brought it back to the house.

No one mentioned any fussing or complaining.

Let this be a lesson to you: always keep plenty of reading material with you!