Here's one for the electrical / electronic guru's in the forum ...

We live in a town-house complex, and a noisy generator would not really be allowed or practible. So I'm looking at alternatives like UPS, ( + battery units for extended power ), etc.

After a bit of googling, I've noticed that an electric motor can also be used as a generator.

So instead of providing power to the motor which converts into motion, if you can supply the motion it will convert back into power.

Assumable, this is the basic principle of how a nuclear reactor creates power : steam > turbine > generator ( like a reverse motor ) ?

So, if I have a method of providing the motion ( spinning the motor ) would it be a simple case of : if a 220 volt motor spins at 1000 rpm, and if I can spin it at 1000 prm, it will generate 220 volts ? Or is there some other laws of physics that determine the power output of the motor ?

Then, would a motor be the best solution to convert this freely available motion back into electricity, or are there better / cheaper / more efficient methods ?