Solar Power

I've been looking into solar power for prepping purposes, since in the short-term, having comms, non-flammable lights, and such would be useful.  Longevity of such devices in an adverse environment is another matter.

The conclusion I drew after a bunch of reading is that I need a monocrystalline solar cell with one or two AGM 12V batteries and a bunch of AA/AAA Eneloop LSD batteries for buffer.  The monocrystalline solar cells last 10-20 years (some say up to 30) and have the best output.  The absorbed glass mat batteries are deep-cycle, don't leak, and are best to use with solar panels.  (Gel batteries might be better still.)  Lastly, the Eneloop low-self-discharge batteries, 2nd-gen and later, will retain 80% of their charge for 2 years, making frequent refreshes unnecessary.

I'd like to run a smart charger directly from the 12Vs, but that would require an adapter cable with a voltage regulator.  In that case, having an inverter that can provide AC could be useful; the size would depend on the 12Vs.

A gas/propane generator could also be used to recharge the 12Vs, so a charge controller capable of running off of AC would be useful as well.

Another interesting application for prepping would be to buy 12V thermoelectric modules and make a rig to generate electricity from heat sources, i.e. from a cooking stove's waste heat, to recharge 12V batteries.  That's a bit more involved, however.

In my quest for knowledge, I ran into a site where the cyclist describes his setup.  Certainly, Goal Zero makes the best portable solar panel, but it's spendy.  You can get a 100W (monocrystalline) panel for just a hair over twice as much as the 7W GZ panel; however, it won't be very mobile.  The Nomad 7 (v2) is just right for a go bag.