Thanks for the info guys, perhaps after some more research I can revisit the debate anew. I'd love to go the solar route, but I know people will be grabbing their chests at the higher outlay,
So what exactly is the disaster scenario your group is trying to address? What standard of living are you aiming for? If it is to survive for 7-30 days, then the gen is the way to go, and gasoline is fine. If the group is trying to provide a longer term/sustainable system and live approximately at today's standards, then I just don't think its the answer. Electric power is not required for human survival. You can get a hand pump ( even for a well 100 feet deep ) ) and use wood for fuel. Food, Water, and Shelter are all priorities over electric power.
Here is a helpful FAQ..
http://www.survivalmonkey.com/pages/generator-faq/ Running a generator continuously to power a continuous load like a freezer ( and yes you can judiciously turn it off and on as long as you don't open it and "let the cold out" ) is going to be costly in the long run - way more than the cost of panels.
1) If the TEOTWAWKI event occurs and your group assembles - how many will still have incomes with which to buy fuel for the group? (Savings don't count. Accounts may be frozen, or just wiped out by inflation or currency re-valuation)
2) If the TEOTWAWKI event spikes fuel prices, will your group be able to afford it?
3) If the event makes gasoline unobtainable, how much is your group willing to store and maintain? Is there someone there to use and periodically top off the fuel in the meantime, or is your group fine with chucking 200 Gallons of gas every 2 years?
4) Most generators will use 1/2 gal per hour under no load - depending on how long you want to run it each day, the cost could be prohibitive. Even 4 hours a day is going to be about $2500 yearly at current prices. 4 Years of that and you paid for a PV system.
4) Is the sound of the generator going to create a security issue?
Yes, a Solar PV system is going to run more than $800 for a small gen, or $3000 for a large one. However, its quiet, solid state ( meaning slower wear and tear, and your chance of failure is less) and pays off quickly if your alternative is a gas generator. Theft is more difficult- Panels are bulky and fairly heavy- as are inverters and batteries. Not to mention you have to dismantle the array, cut multiple live wires etc. I got a truck and a buddy. Which do I steal? The Generator which takes 3 minutes to cut the chain, unplug and load on the truck, or the solar system which it takes me an hour to take down and haul off?
I am the first to admit that PV solar is just stupid if you have the grid available and can afford the (still cheap) prices per KW-Hr. However, if you are looking for long term power without the grid- then I don't think you can do better. With cheap Batteries you are looking at 8 years of service before you need to replace them (for current costs of around $2000) - with stupid expensive ( add another $10K ) batteries you will get 20 years. If people are balking at the price, then they aren't serious about having reliable electric power in Teotwawki.
Plus there are lots of ways to scale the PV system down and then grow it.Your system is really limited by the Charge Controller/Inverter - you can start with 1 panels and build up to 8 (or more) - just for the price of the 200 Gallon tank of gas you need to refill every year or two. You can use "Golf Cart" Batteries as your initial set of batts - in the right places, those are $75-100 a piece - buy just the minimum to give you the backup time you need ( most golf cart batts are 200 amp -hrs) - that is around 40 amp-hr useable. In a 24 V system that is about 1KW hr of "backup" - a set of 4 and you are off to the races and can run your freezer. The golf-cart batts will last 3-5 years. So initial outlays can be in the $4-5000 range, to provide provide 2 Kw-Hrs a day - enough to keep that freezer going. Add a new panel or two every year (foreign panels are around $300 (no tax credit) and "American made" panels are $400-500) for about the same cost as you would be putting into the gas tank for storage, and unlike the gas, the panels will keep producing for another 20 years.
I am thinking the water heater is a moot issue, if the SHTF bathing/washing will be in/from the lake or with rain water, it is my strong opinion the well should be used for cooking and drinking only.
If there is a lake, a Berkey filter will be a positive boon. A quasi permanent (outdoor) Shower enclosure with a "Sun Shower" based heater will work fine. Its pretty easy to get hot water from the sun most days- which water you use for that (lake or well) doesn't matter much- getting it pumped to the heating tank however will save a lot of heartache- and that is more load on the electric.
If there is a lake, is there a stream? If so, Hydro power is the answer - It doesn't take much water flow to turn a wheel and charge a battery.