Power & Light
When the grid goes.
Three sources, never one. Generator + solar + battery storage, sized to the loads that actually matter for three months.
The power & light domain →Grid-down 3-month system
A 3-month grid-down system — redundant power generation, water security, and the deep pantry that turns a regional outage into a non-event.
Three months of grid-down readiness is no longer a kit. It is infrastructure. The household has redundant power generation, water security that does not depend on a utility, a 90-day pantry on rotation, and the comms posture to operate without external networks. This is the posture that treats a multi-week outage as a managed condition rather than an emergency.
The load-bearing domains
What this combination actually depends on
Every event–duration combination weights the nine domains differently. Here are the two or three that decide the outcome for this one.
Water
Clean, store, source.
A three-month water system is a well, a tested filter, and stored capacity. Municipal water is not in the plan.
The water domain →Food
Eat well, store smart.
A 3-month deep pantry on FIFO rotation, freezer infrastructure that can run on generator cycling, and a cooking plan that does not rely on the grid.
The food domain →The 3 months list
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Common questions
Questions that come up
How much solar do I need to run a household off-grid for 3 months?
For a reduced-essentials household — fridge, lights, fans, comms, well pump in bursts — about 3–5 kW of solar paired with 5–10 kWh of battery storage works year-round in most of the US. For full grid-equivalent operation including AC, electric cooking, and high-draw appliances, you are in 8–15 kW of solar and 15–30 kWh of storage. Most preparedness systems target the reduced-essentials envelope.
What's the difference between a portable and a standby generator for long outages?
Portables run on gasoline, are moved around, plug into extension cords or a transfer switch, and need refueling every 8–12 hours. They cost $500–2,500. Standbys are permanently installed, run on natural gas or propane, start automatically, and run for days or weeks without intervention. They cost $5,000–12,000 installed. For 3-month readiness, standby is the operational choice; portable is a backup to the standby.
Can I really run a well pump off solar and battery?
Yes, but it requires planning. Residential well pumps draw 1,000–2,500W while running, in surges. A 5 kW solar system with a 10 kWh battery can run a well pump for short cycles to fill a holding tank, then pressurize the house from the tank. Alternatively, dedicated solar well pumps (Grundfos SQFlex, Lorentz) run directly off panels without battery — slower but more efficient. The household water plan and the household power plan are the same plan.
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Same event, different scope
Other grid-down durations
Same scope, different event
The 3-month version for other events
Run the numbers
How much water and food, exactly, for this duration
The list above tells you what to stock. The calculators below tell you how much — sized to your household and this duration.
Go deeper