So there’s this abandoned warehouse in my story. Its government owned but it’s been neglected for decades. Instead of leaving it as it is, the local community comes together to fix it up and sort of converts it into a community center of sorts. What I’m trying to figure out is a way for this warehouse to still have electricity and lights. I remember when I was deployed, we had generators that powered our bee huts and operation centers. I know it’s illegal but would it be possible for a person to run electricity into this building on power generators or by some other means? Any help would be appreciated.
Petrol/diesel generators are very plausible, and not, as far as I know illegal. Running a power cable from the house next door, so they get a shock with their next bill, is! You could also use a wind turbine (home-made using a couple of old oil barrels as the sails, all you need is an electric motor and somebody with enough electrical skill - not much - to rewire it to generate power instead of using it) or solar panels if you want an eco-friendly vibe. One thing with generators is where are you getting the fuel from? - depends if it's post-apocalyptic, when existing refined fuels will run out of shelf life in about six months, even if you can find enough abandoned cars with fuel in their tanks. Governments don't usually lose track of their possessions, so has the community got permission? (You're mentioning the illegality of powering the building by generator, so I'm assuming central government still exists) Or is a civil servant going to turn up any time soon?
Thanks for the response. I thought about running a power cable next door but I was worried that if a power company saw the bill they might get suspicious about it and investigate. Haven’t thought about wind turbines or solar panels. I’ll look into those options too. Where would they get the fuel from? I was thinking someone who was financially successful was paying for it out of his own pockets. You know someone who grew up in that area and wanted to give back in a meaningful way? As for the government losing track of their possessions, that’s one of the conflicts of the novel. After the community has built up the warehouse and made into a symbol of community pride, the government comes knocking and wants their property back.
I don't think the power company would bat an eyelid...you keep hearing about little old ladies getting bills for stupid-o-pounds! But, if this is a symbol of community pride, conning one of the residents into paying for it seems a little off. If "someone who's financially successful" is paying for the fuel, why isn't he funding the whole thing legitimately? My query was mainly based on the possibility of it being a post-apocalyptic scenario. I'm seeing a Whisky Galore! vibe about this; you might see if you can get a copy for some ideas. BTW, what sort of a warehouse is it? Demilitarised base? Governments don't usually just have "a warehouse" stuck in the middle of Nowheresville, Noplace County.
Just to clear up your confusion, it’s not post-apocalyptic, it’s modern day and takes place in Georgia. Sorry, for not stating it earlier. Good point on the power company. If I went this route, I would probably go with one person getting the bill but a group of people giving him/her the money for it. But there’s the problem of a house being close enough to a warehouse for a power cable to reach. I’ve tried looking for some pictures but I can’t find any examples so far. Instead of a house, maybe a local store instead? Why doesn’t this one person pay for the whole thing legitimately? He never saw the need to because everything was working fine the way it was. There’s also the fact he’s a shady character and so is his money. He wouldn’t want the government snooping around him asking questions about how he can afford it/maintain it. The warehouse would be located somewhere in Atlanta. You can drive around rough areas of the city and see many abandoned buildings/houses with graffiti. As for what type of warehouse it was previously, I was thinking of one of those government warehouses that stores surplus office property and auctions it off. Never heard of Whisky Galore but I’ll check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.
