Here are a few devices for off grid electricity generation. Everyone has different ideas on what is the best method and although there is a lot of information online about the various ways I thought I would share a few here that I have researched since first going off grid.
#1
K-Tor is a company that makes human powered devices of various types that are ruggedly constructed and overall have great ratings and reviews. The support staff and owner of the company are also very helpful and willing to customize their devices to fit the needs of their customers.
The main K-Tor device that initially caught my attention is the Power Box 20 and although it generates 120 Volts DC (which is compatible with all switching chargers) at 20 Watts there is also an adapter cable for it that can be used for charging a 12 Volt battery.
K-Tor recently released a new device that is the Power Box 50 which generates 14 Volts DC at 50 Watts and can power devices directly or be used (with the cable that comes with it) to charge a 12 Volt battery. The Power Box 50 can also be wired into a standard solar charge controller with the appropriate amp rating.
K-Tor also manufactures 'Pocket Socket' devices that are hand crank devices for charging small devices like tablets, phones, cameras etc.
I highly recommend researching which K-Tor device fits your needs and contacting the manufacturer if you have any questions.
K-Tor website: https://k-tor.com
#2
During my research of small hydroelectric generators I came across a rather interesting device called the 'Power Spout' and much like the name implies it is a rather straight forward compact hydroelectric generator.
The company has a few different models of turbines and they will also custom build a model that suits your needs.
The company has a wealth of documentation on their website and an 'Advanced Calculator' for helping you configure a system that is optimal for your site and will meet your electrical needs.
I am not going to go into a lot of detail concerning the variations of their product line because it would be entirely too extensive and like I said their website has plenty of documentation and reference material.
If you are interested in hydroelectric generation for your off grid needs I highly recommend researching the Power Spout.
Note: The documentation that I mention can be found under the 'Info' section of their website.
Power Spout website: http://powerspout.com
#3
During another phase of research I was investigating the viability of thermoelectric generators via TEG modules (not to be confused with Peltier modules which are similar but also very different) when I came across a device called the FireBee Power Tower.
Although it only produces 5 Watts of power it does include a 5 Volt 2 Amp USB charging port and a 12 Volt 125 Milliamp wire terminal for charging a 12 Volt battery.
There are many similar devices on the market that are meant to be used with tea-lights or open fires but the Power Tower is designed to be used with a camp stove, propane burner or wood stove chimney.
It does have a reservoir for water (for keeping the TEG modules cool) and has an operational runtime (before needing to be refilled with water) of roughly forty-five minutes.
There are also 'knock-off' versions of the Power Tower found on several e-commerce websites and you can locate them by searching for the terms 'thermoelectric generator' or 'power tower thermoelectric generator'. It is worth noting that some of these 'knock-offs' produce more power than the original FireBee Power Tower.
The manufacturer also makes some solar and hydro products but I have not done any research into those items.
FireBee website: http://www.hydrobee.com/products/firebee-products/
#4
At one point I went through a phase of deeply investigating the viability of using wind turbines for generating electricity and a friend recommended that I look into a company called Pacific Sky Power and following his advice I did just that.
There are a lot of difficulties with wind turbines in general that make it a rather challenging means to generate electricity with and I will not detail them all here but suffice it to say that between the high cost, the necessity of a dump (diversion) load, and tricky installation it is a bit daunting and quite the gamble as to whether it is a viable avenue for electricity generation. So I decided to go with something simple as a 'test' to see just how viable wind power at the site I live is.
I bought a 12 Volt 10 Watt small wind turbine generator from Pacific Sky Power. They offer kits and a variety of other products but being a DIY person I went for a bare bones setup that cost me roughly sixty dollars USD.
The turbine itself is well constructed and the prop on it has withstood some very high winds well over it's wind speed rating on numerous occasions. It is worth noting that there are also carbon-fiber props that have an even higer wind speed rating.
I may eventually buy more of these small wind turbine generators and hook them up in parallel to form a high Watt array but for now the one that I have does well when there is a a high wind event and also during the late Winter and Spring months when I get a lot of high wind and not much sun for my solar panels.
Pacific Sky Power website: http://pacificskypower.com
My small wind turbine.
That is all. Below is some reference reading for some of the terms used in this article.
Switch Mode Power Supply Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched-mode_power_supply
Load Dump, Dump Load, Diversion Load Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Load_dump
Thermoelectric Generator Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator
Have a Great Day and Thanks for reading!