Honestly I think the best thing to do would be to throw in some low-tech solutions for when you’re scraping things together and trying to get things to work. For instace: solar panels require a lot of skill to mess with. However, Stirling engines, while not at all very powerful, are definitely something someone with some know-how could not only operate, but whip together. Heck, I made one for a science project using a coat hanger and some tin cans. Granted the thing wouldn’t power much but it’s an engine. Not rocket science but it’s a nice bootleg machine to be able to use.
I’d like to see more things they you can MacGyver before seeing some other brand of fancy engine or whatever to learn how to rip out and tape to my refrigerator.