So how far back are we likely to go……………..

[bigpaul]

without mains power?? it'll be further back than that, and its ME that said pre industrial, I believe John said "stone age", well to most pre industrial will be like the stone age, I've even heard someone say without mobile phones "its like the middle ages". without power you'll have to do everything and I do mean EVERYTHING by hand. and even if we have the bits to make stuff we may not have the engineers, mechanics and electricians to make it work as without electricity in their lives many will not survive without power, fuel or food deliveries. if you want to look at the lifestyle I think we will be living look online at "return to green valley" I use that as my example and just see how much would have to be done by hand......like everything. even if you could rig up some solar set up it wont last long and where do you get the spare parts from, where do you get the batteries, I have seen set ups where they use submarine batteries, have you got a spare submarine lying around in your back yard??

---

we have a friend in Somerset who lives in a straw bale house, and she uses a solar panel, one of those little residential wind turbines AND a basic water wheel and at best this only provides enough power for her very few electric lights, and a very limited supply for her p.c. and thats it, it isn't much.