Solar energy solutions - Preparing with Dan

Best Folding Solar Chargers for Power Outages: Buy for the Battery, Not the Watts

September 14, 2026June 2, 2026 by Dan Lockland

The eight core items of a 72-hour emergency kit laid out on a table

The watt number on a folding solar panel is a full-sun, perpendicular figure; energy.gov lists angle, season and weather as the things that cut it. Five panels compared by what they can realistically recharge, from a phone to a power station, with the catch for each.

Off-Grid Power Solutions for the Self-Sufficient Home

July 26, 2026May 24, 2025 by Dan Lockland

Full energy independence — running your house entirely on power you generate yourself, with no utility bill and no grid dependence — is possible. But for most families of 4 in suburban or urban settings, the path there is not a single step. It is a series of decisions that get you progressively less dependent …