20 Off-Grid Power PDF Downloads

This section is dedicated to off-grid power as well as back up power systems.

Basics of Electricity – from Siemens

If you really want to understand how electricity works, this 44 page document will take you from absolute zero, and explain the basics of electric current. Get it here.

Power Outages – Things to be Aware Of

This short, one page checklist from the Washington Military department will help you overcome short-term power outages. Get it here.

Red Cross Power Outages – Things to be Aware Of

Another one pager of what to do and what not to do during a power outage. Get it here.

Implementing an Effective Faraday Cage

A quick step-by-step guide on how to make your own dirt-cheap Faraday cage using cardboard and aluminum foil. Get it here.

Life Without Electricity – Questionnaire

A really short quiz that will get you thinking about what you’ll do in the event of a power outage, and how prepared you may or may not be. Download here.

What Is It Like to Live Without Electricity?

A really interesting lesson plan if you want to teach others about what things will be like without power. This could work well as part of a high-school homeschooling curriculum. Full download here.

BE PREPARED FOR A POWER OUTAGE – From FEMA

Another short one pager of the basics of prepping for extended power outages from FEMA. Get it here.

LIFE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY – report by Dr. Peter Vincent Pry

Peter Vincent Pry is a well-known name when it comes to investigating EMPs and their effects on the power grid. This 20 page report from 2017 brings a lot of pro arguments to be prepared for this kind of a disaster. Full download.

Design Methodology of Off-Grid PV Solar Powered System

This may not be something you’ll actually design yourself, but it will teach you a thing or two about how solar systems work. Get it here.

Solar Electric System Design, Operation and Installation – Washington State University

A good resource on the PV requirements and how to set up a photovoltaic system. Full download.

Solar PV Energy Guide

A 32 page guide on what you need to know if you want to install a PV system in your home. Free download.

Own Your Power! – from the U.S. Dept. of Energy

A good beginner’s guide to solar energy at home, covering the basics of solar panels and solar electric systems, roof requirements, as well as costs and financial incentives. Get it here.

How Many Watts Do You Need?

A really useful table of the number of watts. It will allow you to figure out how many solar panels you need to power your appliances. See it here.

Design and Implementation of a Solar Power System in Rural Haiti

An interesting guide to how a PV system was built in a 3rd world country, one that provides year-round electricity. Read it here.

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) – from the Washington State Dept. of Health

A really short intro on electromagnetic pulses if you want to ramp up on the subject in just a few minutes. Get it here.

High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments

A 20-page report on HEMPs and their potential effects to the power grid. Get it here.

Electromagnetic Pulse Threats in 2010

A slightly older report but one that offers good insights on other countries’ possibilities when it comes to EMP attacks. It offers some interesting bits of advice of what the Govt. should do to mitigate the risk. Read the report here.

Effects of and Responses to Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP)

A very interesting presentation that goes in-depth on exactly what happens during an EMP disaster. Check it out here.

U.S. Department of Energy Electromagnetic Pulse Resilience Action Plan

A 2017 EMP analysis by the dept. of energy on the effects o an EMP, as well as an action plan of how to protect the infrastructure from one. Get it here.

Mathematics of the Faraday Cage

If you want to know exactly how a faraday cage works, this powerpoint presentation has lots of diagrams to help you visualize the intricacies. Get it here.

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updated 11/20/2020 by Dan Stevens