Almost everything in our daily lives depends on electricity. Agreeably, plenty of these things can be given up when Z-Day hits, but what about communications, lighting at night, maybe even a computer loaded with map software, or a small refrigerator to keep perishables cold? How will we keep the lights on in our strongholds?


HeavenlySword: Oh noes!1!!!!1!111 How will I check the Zombie Survival Wiki for what to do?!?!?!?

Seriously though, ideally I would have solar paneled roofing, and batteries in a temporary/near Final Fortress. We would use only the most energy efficient things, and turning your lights on is unnecessary, stupid, wasteful, psychologically weak, and suicidal. Its like ringing a bell to zombies 'Food HERE!' So we would have plenty of energy left, like running microwaves inside the soundproofed rooms.


Gman251990: I would reduce it to all necessary things like emergency lighting and battery charging, cause computers will be useless since there is no Internet and plus paint will get pretty boring. So my idea is absolutely necessary things like flashlights and night vision goggles should get it not creature comforts cause you don't need power everywhere in your fortress only in the room your occupying (if alone) and on the exterior lights


Kingrich3: Since I am bunkeringbunking down in Wal-mart, I could just pocket (Not literally) some power generators and hope I don't run out of gas until a less consuming resource appears, (Zombies as a power source? Hmmm.....)


Spraymachine:I would use power inverters with a nice stock of car/boat/RV batteries. Power inverters come in two forms usually, 12v and 24v. They vary in watts they can produce ranging from 50-3500. If you have a 24v inverter, you can hook up two 12v batteries as shown below the battery chart.

12 Volt Battery Chart

Inverter Output Power (Watts)	Typical Load	Battery Size
		BCI Group Size	22NF	24	27	8D	Dual 8D
		Reserve Capacity	90 Min	140 Min	180 Min	400 Min	900 Min
		Amps-Hrs	50	75	100	200	400
50	Stereo System	Operating Time	9 Hours	14 Hours	20 Hours	40 Hours	80 Hours
100	19" Color TV	Operating Time	4 Hours	6 Hours	10 Hours	20 Hours	40 Hours
200	Computer System	Operating Time	2 Hours	3 Hours	4.5 Hours	10 Hours	20 Hours
300	Blender	Operating Time	1.3 Hours	2.2 Hours	3 Hours	6 Hours	12 Hours
400	Power Drill	Operating Time	1 Hour	1.5 Hours	2 Hours	4.5 Hours	10 Hours
600	Small Coffee Maker	Operating Time	N.R.	N.R.	1 Hour	2.5 Hours	6 Hours
800	Small Microwave	Operating Time	N.R.	N.R.	N.R.	1.5 Hours	4 Hours
1000	Toaster	Operating Time	N.R.	N.R.	N.R.	1 Hour	3 Hours
1500	Full Size Microwave	Operating Time	N.R.	N.R.	N.R.	0.5 Hour	2 Hours
2500	Hair Dryer & Washing Machine	Operating Time	N.R.	N.R.	N.R.	0.2 Hour	0.8 Hours

You can also hook up multiple batteries
12 Volt Batteries connected in Parallel to double the current (amp/hours)

6 Volt Batteries connected in Series to
double the voltage to 12 Volts



SuperSoldierRCP- i did an project at school you can create your own power you see a base gas power generator has the same out put as a man on a Bicycle But that man need to be moving at 30+s miles per hour to keep the min charge so i figure that you get 5-6 Bicycles Each man/women has to exercise on it for so many hours I'd say 2 then they switch with someone else that way you get a constant charge and everyone stays fit healthy and makes them tired so they can get a better sleep. personally i think sleeping ins going to be one of the hardest problems we will face but no one address's it


Alicestar: That's more like it Supersoldier, at least you have an idea. I was looking more to solar/ wind/ hydro-electric but man power is one way to sustain power that i didn't think of! good going


Mehow: Most (to my knowledge) power generators, even those in power stations, generate power from spinning magnets (e.g. a dynamo).
I actually built one in my physics class and you really don’t need a lot of stuff (but what you do need I suspect you need a lot of if you want to build an industrial one). Anyway my point is that you can build dynamos at home quite easily (Google for proper instructions) and any materials you need can be collected from raiding your local school. Once you have a dynamo you can generate power through any means that will spin the magnet.
For example in power stations (coal, gas, nuclear) they heat up water which turns into steam, as it rises/falls it turns the magnet and you get power.
So I would basically build my dynamo (or buy/loot one if possible) and rig it to a tread mill. This would be our reliable yet small energy source, used wisely for things not requiring much electricity. However my main method of electrical generation would be the burning of anything I can lay my hands on (including corpses!) to heat a container of water, the steam of which would be directed up a chimney where the dynamo is placed. The only problem with this is the unreliability of fuel (thus the tread mill) and the possibility of toxic fumes (I hope they would go up the chimney). I think what I just said is possible but bare in mind that its mostly based on one physics lesson about 3 months ago.
Ooh! Just thought of something else. The boiling of water would work as a distillation process, so if the normal water supply goes dodgy or something the steam condensation can be drunk.
Solar is defiantly the way to go, you can heat water, and it can recharge banks of batteries all day long.
Or windmills that are very low to the ground, place them all the way around your structure designed so the propellers only miss the ground by a few feet then you get power generated and can kill zombies as they approach the blades. :)


SuperSoldierRCP- problemProblem with water is fire and unless uyou have alota lot of propane, gasoline, or don't mind burning wood and producing smoke thus giving away you location how do u plan to do that. Solar is good but requires someone with through knowledge and wind takes A HUGE amount of effort i think man, gas, or hydro is best or you can make REC generator if u know how


StrykerPez:There are plenty ways to spin a generator... wind, human, water, engine, etc. However, the problem lies in that the average generator is designed to spin at 3600 rpm exactly to produce the 60hz sine wave in American AC power. Some use gearboxes to achieve 3600rpm generator arbor speeds but allow a lower input speed (for use on tractor PTOs for example). If spun at a lower speed, a generator will still produce power, but it won't be 120v and the frequency will be off wave. It will light a standard incandescent bulb, probably not a fluorescent though, and will spin solid state motors at a lower rpm but I wouldn't try to run anything with IC circuits or controls (computer, radio, TV). Now if your electronic device uses a AC to DC adapter (black chunky thing that goes in the wall) to charge its batteries, then you could use that. An option to provide constant 120v 60hz power to sensitive electronic devices is to use a battery backup (found at any electronic retailer). Get several of these, link them in parallel, and you will have power even if the sun is behind a cloud or the person pedaling your generator bike gets tired, or you switch off your engine powered generator to avoid detection. On another note, a 12 volt (nominal voltage, actual voltage is closer to 14.4v) alternator pulled out of a car can be spun at variable rpms if you find one with an internal voltage regulator (most newer alts). The following is a longer term solution: Raid a parking lot near your stronghold, pull several alternators, all the batteries, and the headlights and taillights off the cars. Build vanes for propellers from metal debris lying around and using supplies from a hardware store, attach your makeshift propellers to the pulleys of the alternators with a belt (large pulley on propeller to small pulley on alternator - increases speed). Mount these contraptions on the roof of your stronghold. Run a hot and a ground wire to the batteries that are connected in parallel (more amps, same volts). Then run wires around your base and connect the headlights outside as emergency search lights and use the red taillights inside to preserve night vision.


Chainsaws+me: Well, seeing as my Zombie plan revolves around me surviving in a dam that generates anywhere between 10-100 million kilowatt hours per year, I don't think this is going to be a problem for me. I suggest that people whose plans revolve around electricity attempt to set up a location where electricity can be obtained from a creatable source (i.e, A windmill, a nuclear power plant, solar panels).


Cylon1994
There is a site I like that talks about making a Human Powered Generator or HPG. The link is at http://www.los-gatos.ca.us/davidbu/pedgen.html.
I found it helpful and I hope you do too.


Mehillus: what about a bike powered dynamo, that also used the rotational force to a friction block, which would also boil water so you could very well use any water you find.

and i mean not just boiling the water to kill bacteria, turn it in to steam then run It trough some sort of condenser, so you get nice good pristine water!!![and power too!]

though it would be good if you had a bunch of different types of ways of spinning, like a seated row that we have in our weight room. you see, when you do the row, it spins a fan, which cools you off, and the rotational force powers the machine! just like most exercise bikes.


Thrawn5:I'll stick with using solar power and human powered dynamos (they are not that hard to make). These sources are quite abundant and unobstructed.


Madmortagan: its fairly easy to set up a bunch of batteries that charge by solar power during the daytime. as long as you only use lights and other small things at night some car batteries should hold out through the night.


Biohazardouswithin: My plan, too, revolves around barricading myself in Wal*Mart. This particular Wal*Mart is linked to a Wal*Mart gas chain, and it's within quick walking distance, and seconds by car. The wonderful thing about Wal*Mart, is it is run in sections by four alternate generators in the back, and Wal*Mart also sells generators.


Zyzzogeton: Back up power! :D


Xwallabix: Remember guys, The gov has solar panels all over the sides of roads (powering small equipment) that are easily removed, and as well as cars and boats, exit signs and emergency lights contain decent sized battery backups that are always charged to full capacity.


Quickrace89: Just to wrap this up, most power is generated by a turbine, which needs to be turned by some force. For example, in Nuclear Power, the immense amounts of energy released when an atom is split becomes heat. This heat turns water into steam, and the rising steam turns the turbine. In wind generators, the wind turns the blades, and this rotation turns a series of gears. Eventually, at the bottom of the wind generator, the gears end up turning a turbine. There are other more complex ways like solar, but I think that the best anyone can create is a steam turbine, like wind generators. Of course, if you can get solar generators that are already created, then all is well, but otherwise just stick to a simple turbine, in my opinion.


Ender42: "even a computer loaded with map software" and for those who say, Internet == dead, and who needs computers. Printouts, and local copies of data, baby.

"a small refrigerator to keep perishables cold"
Look up Einstein fridge. I'll just toss some logs on my fridge-fire.

Power generation off of human sources == inefficient.

The most efficient power generation method we have is steam reformation. Which is like at 90% energy conversion rate. Best bet for medium-long-term would be to get to a hydro-plant, and clean it out. But you'll end up with *way* more power than you can use. And eventually the maintenance on the dam and turbines will get you.

Of course everyone will be running generators and backup power. Double eat on the fuel supply, which of course will be going bad anyways (gasoline is a constant renewable, it has a limited storage life). Batteries go bad, they're not infinite either. Best bet in batteries is a marine deep-cycle battery. But even so, you'll be at limited uses for that. You'd better start using LED's for lighting, because everything else seriously burns watts.

There are plenty of home-brew power solutions out there. Solar is great if you've planned ahead, and the climate is right. Wind turbines are able to be made, if you've got the plans. You have downloaded those plans, correct? Because the Internet won't be there for you to look this shit up on.

But if you want to keep the lights on, you better get a move on re-creating an industrial society right quick - and hope enough specialists are still alive to do so. You're going to need miners, truckers, mechanics, industrial workers, chemists, engineers, and the whole nine-yards - and that's a partial list just to get the raw materials that you need to start making some stuff.

Capturing steam from this stuff to condense doesn't mean that it'll be clean water. Water vapor picks up stuff from the air and condenses with it. We live in a pretty polluted world.

Do check out the biogas initiatives. Syngas has some serious power and fuel potential.
Original-Sin
My survival plan involves the hijacking of a large freighter or barge and setting up base on it, so most likely I will have a generator on site to run any food storage devices or other necessary equipment to maintain a semi-normal lifestyle. Of course a few car batteries and other quick solutions could also be employed. With a few small generators 'borrowed' from a near by big-box store I can live for a few years with enough power for lighting, food, and even a television with a DVD player and personal computer for keeping information/entertainment. There are a few other non-conventional ways you could supply yourself with power, but none nearly as easy. Power stations are meant to power entire towns at once, not a small base of operations. Snatch some car batteries, portable generators, and anything else you feel like you need and you will be set.