THE END OF THE WORLD FILES volume 6. alternative energy.

Torches and wood fires are all well and good after the collapse of civilization--but fire is inconvenient at it’s best. You must always hold a torch--you can’t tuck it under your arm like a flashlight. You can’t install a dimmer switch on a torch. You can’t start a fire when things are soaking wet. You can’t turn down a fire to save the rest for later. For convenience and versatility, you need alternative energy sources.
There are a few that you can plan ahead with. Crank or solar flash lights are useful. Their charge is renewable and some are even water-proof. I have one with a 9 LED lantern and a built in radio. I have a rechargeable 2-way radio and a rechargeable short-wave radio with a built in light. These little gadgets are great, and I recommend purchasing a few. For larger alternative energy needs--we need to take it up a notch.
Now, if I had the where-with-all, I would install solar panels now. You can't beat the reliability of having a back-up power source like solar. Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of cash, nor will I likely before the end of the world. I do have an idea on where to get it in desperate, lawless times.
Have you ever seen those electronic message boards by the highway, or those speed-limit signs that tell you how fast you are going? Those run on solar power. Always keep an eye for where they at an given time. When the end comes--just go ‘shopping’. It wouldn’t be hard to set them up and run anything you want off of them.
There are also going to be lots of abandoned vehicles at the end of the world. Many people will, or at least have tried to, have siphoned off the gasoline. This s fine. Who needs gasoline. It is dirty and loud to operate gas-powered generators. Anyone or anything that can see, hear, or smell will know where you are and what you are up to. Instead, collect the car batteries. If the lights were not left on, these should have some charge in them. Wire them together to power your perimeter alarm. You can run an electric space heater off a one for hours. Definitely a

worthwhile back-up source of alternative energy.
Collect some boards, black paint, PVC tubing, and window panes and you can build a solar water heater. Pipe the water through more conduit in your dwelling and you can stay warmer with the ambient heat.
Collect all the Sterno that you can. Sterno is an alcohol-based solid fuel that comes in a can. Pop the top and light it and it will burn with a hot, clean, invisible flame for hours. You can cook over it or use it to stay warm.
Hand-warmer packets are great to stockpile for emergencies. Open a couple and toss them into our bed-roll and snuggle right in there with those bad boys. You will be quite toasty. My wife and I did this to stay warm during the three days without heat in the ice storm of '98.
Candles, though seemingly simplistic, are a valuable asset. Again during the ice storm of '98, we found that we could significantly raise the temperature in our apartment by lighting a dozen candles. BE CAREFUL! Candles can be a serious fire hazard. There is no need to run out, either. Scavenge at art supply stores after the initial looting. I guarantee no one will think to loot the Crayons. You can melt them and make then into candles. Don’t forget churches, they have lots of candle if they’re the right denomination. Restaurants will have them, also. Party stores will have them AND Sterno also.
There are others. Think creatively. Just because we will be knocked back to the stone age, it doesn’t mean we have to live with fire alone.