Overcoming Anxiety by Creating a Solar Generator

Greetings!

I have been meaning to make this for a while. It all started with an overwhelming feeling of doom that would not leave otherwise known as severe anxiety. How I overcame it made me realize this might be a good fit for the "Face your fears' contest. Since this fear spawned a valuable survival mindset. In this case over the uncertain future. I am a goth with a sun allergy(I get so many vampire jokes) who cannot drive (due to medical reasons) and lives in the southwest corner of the untied states known for sun, earthquakes, and blackouts so it makes sense that I am at a bit of a disadvantage.

I turned to the logic part of my brain and asked myself if were my fears were my fears unfounded. Turns out they had a good reason. For instance if the power went out for an extended time what would I do, or the supply chain broke down.

Maybe it was less anxiety and more foreshadowing since it indeed did a few years later 2020.

Due to deciding to face my fear I admitted and worked on amending my inadequacy by preparing. Rather than dismissing it as paranoia or getting ensnared in the bad feelings that I did not take any action. As a result during lock down I could have not left the house for 3 months and been fine. Even had enough to help my neighbors and their kids . Leaving care packages on their door ding-dong-ditch style and waving from afar.

Since prior to 2020 I made an effort to be in a information exchange level with neighbors even if we were not exactly buddies. The less fear of me and desperation they had the more the chances were they would look at me like a ally or someone they could turn to for help and less like a loot drop in a disaster.

I dedicated a kitchen cabinet in my small apartment to food storage and kept water jugs in sealed buckets in my closet(the bucket was a good idea one sprung a leak and the closet was dry). I got shelf stable milk from discount stores, various dried goods and rotated them out(used them) regularly.

I did not have to fill every empty space in my house, just make sure there was more than enough to live off of for a while. I even made back back versions that went well with using a bicycle. I did research on exit routes from my city and also how to make staying livable aka urban survival. I also started taking walks with heavy back packs to get in better shape and studied/took classes in first aid. I helped others who needed to find work arounds to physical limitations.

All of this has given me more confidence and I have even inspired some of my buddies to start planning and make preparations of their own.

In fact some of them encouraged me to post it here to show others so they can do the same. Since choices made entirely from fear, necessity or desperation rarely yield positive outcomes. Both at a personal level and societal level. Not feeling like you may sweat to death in the hotter months & knowing if the power goes out I will still be able to keep my fridge on and internet running helps too.

Low and behold over time my fears went down, when lockdown happened, I was waiting for the virus to make zombies so I could go to the cemetery for the biggest game of wack-a-mole ever (Just morbid humor, no disrespect intended to the departed) not worried about needing food, masks, supplies or toilet paper. I was not worried since I was confident in my ability to adapt. I learned it is not a state of being it is a mindset. What am I able to change and what do I have to work around.

One thing people often overlook when trying to lower anxiety is physical comfort in the day to day, I have never really had AC in the places I lived since I refused to deal with the power company raising rates on a whim but also in recent times everyone using it knocked out the power grid making for a number of other problems. Still the 114 Degree/45.5 Celsius heat was getting to me. So I decided having a generator run my AC would alleviate the over burdened grid.

I am a far from where I was in 2016 and a lot more independent when it comes to the grid. I also did this on a major budget and now want to encourage others to do the same. Your needs and situations will vary but if at least a quarter of us are prepared it frees up those resources for those who are unable to entirely. The future can be scary but we can be scarier!!!!.... I mean ready!!!!Yeah that is it <.< >.>

That brings us to both to the subject of my Instructable and small part of how I overcame my fear of an uncertain future and make a rocky present more comfortable; by preparing as best I can for it. Thus I present to you:

How to build a solar generator.

What is needed for the bare bones build:

Solar panel set up: Panels, cables (for the panel and the batteries), solar charge controller. They can be acquired at places like harbor freight, home depot or where I got mine Amazon. Link below.

Deep cycle batteries 12 volt. At least 2 good sized ones of at least amps 70 amps ,the kind used in golf carts not cars. You can sting a good number of them together but charging will take longer.

Money saving tip: Look into if your area has a used car battery dealer some refurbish old car, golf cart, and marine batteries then sell them at a discount.

Battery cables to connect them all. They usually have bolts in the place of battery terminals are normally located. Link below.

Power inverter, the size you need will depend on what you want to do with it.

Mine is a 3000 amp but it is “modified wave” not “pure shine wave” so it can do what I need it to but is not recommended for it/ needs to be reset from time to time. I still added the exact kind in the link below for anyone curious.

Screw drivers or wrenches that fit the battery bolts.

Work gloves

Electrical tape

Extras:

Something to put the solar panels on if you do not mount them to your roof. I used a old saw horse.

I have seen people use many a thing but I bought some angle iron with holes in it from home depot adding some nuts and bolts to join them to make a frame.

Locks: If thing have a habit of “vanishing” when you leave them unattended outside. Make sure they fit the bolt holes of whatever you use. I also recommend bicycle U-locks as seen in photos.

Back up solar charge controller, Just in case.

Links section:

Solar kit:

https://a.co/d/0dtwyVAY

Inverter I used:

https://a.co/d/0aTbusRJ

Battery cables:

https://a.co/d/07gJYDiG

Solar charge controller:

https://a.co/d/02pwBeia

U-lock:

https://a.co/d/0eqqGhv2

Angle iron:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-1-4-in-x-4-ft-18-Gauge-Thick-Zinc-Plated-Perforated-Steel-Angle-1564/332735515?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-332735166-_-0-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a

Solar set up:

Connect the panel wires according to manufactures instructions.

I know that it may sound odd given the site but yours should come with some and can vary from maker to maker as well as get updated and need to be read to avoid disaster as well as ruined equipment. As my mom's DI used to always say" When all else fails follow the instructions"

Email the company and ask if it does not, fear not this is part of what customer service is made for you are not bothering them. You can send it back and go with a different supplier or ask the comment section if need be.

Back here you can see how I made use of the punched angle iron... well angled zinc plates. Nuts, bolts and locks including U-bike locks with the aid of a nearby truck rim(any heavy or immovable object will do) make not only a good adjustable mounting bracket trying to walk away with it without ruining it not worth the effort.

It is not impossible to steal just a major pain in the neck lol.

Now you have the cables set up connected you plug them into the controller. You should see the panel icon flashing (one on the left). Next to it is a photo of what it looks like if it only senses the batteries. If it is night time and there is no sun out it will default to this.

Collect the cables that lead from the controller to the batteries and move to the next part.

Power bank set up: (12 volt)

(Safety alert: Be careful!! Wear dry work/leather/mechanics gloves, rubber soled shoes free of nails tacks and screw to reduces shock risk I have never been shocked but electricity can be deadly if not respected)

Arrange the batteries closer enough to one another so the battery cables can reach properly without strain.

Above is my set up when I only had two.

Connect all the batteries together red to red, black to black. On the first battery add the black cable to the first black terminal. On the last battery add the red cable that will lead to the controller to the last red terminal. This is also a good time to pick an end and add attach the inverter cables to that singular battery.

Depending on your battery type you will stack the connectors on the bolt before inserting it and turning till secure or stack the connectors on the bolt before adding the nut and securing them all down together. I added examples of both via notes on the photos.

Safety alert: The red and black wires to the inverter and solar power control are now live. Keep track of the free ends, keep them secure, this is where the electrical tape can come in just tape them over before hand or course removing prior to use. Make sure that red end does not accidentally touch the black cable, any part of the batteries or anything the black cable is unintentionally in contact with. That will complete the circuit and make some sparks/shock something or one.

Side note: I am not sure why mine where both black but with a little red thread and electrical tape I can tell them apart. The string is not touching the wire at all.

Hooking up the inverter: Follow the manufactures instructions. In my case is was pretty simple, unscrew the knobs, red on red and black on black and screw them back down.

Plug and play. Enjoy!!

Once the batteries are full you free to use the power as you please within your chosen inverters limits and can rest a little easier knowing you are one step closer to being more secure in your situation and a bit less at the mercy of the universe.