Unfortunately, the electrical grid that we have come to rely on is vulnerable to several factors. These include; terrorism, violent storms, cyber attacks, solar storms and simply old age.
In 2003, CT was hit by a very large power outage effecting 8 states in the Northeast. In 2011 CT residents were without power after a Winter storm, for nearly two weeks.
The fact is, owning a generator works as long as there is access to fuel. Once the fuel stations run out, things go dark and uncomfortable pretty quick. Home-owners who rely on wells for their water, face a very serious situation if they have no power to pump water. A home or business owner can think they are prepared by installing a propane fueled backup system. Again, what happens during a long outage when the propane runs out and there is no infrastructure for a delivery? The answer is to be prepared with a source of energy, that does not rely on the grid or gasoline supplies. The only technology that can offer this reliability is solar or wind power.
A solar battery backup system for your well pump is a wise investment. A solar battery backup system that will run a few lights, a laptop and a small fridge is also a very good way to be prepared.
If you live in an area with steady winds, a wind powered battery backup system and or a hybrid wind/solar battery backup system is optimal.
I am developing and testing a hybrid wind solar, battery backup system for an apartment or home. This can be used for both long term and short term power outages. Once the design is tested and finalized, the results will be published right here on reneact.com
One thing you need to be aware of is that a normal grid tied solar system, will NOT provide backup power when the grid goes down. The reason is the electric co shuts off power from your panels when there is a power outage. This is to protect the linesmen from getting electrocuted from your system. To have your grid tied system provide emergency power, requires a switch, like a sunny island, that automatically routes power only to your home, as needed and not the grid.
Backup power is critical to businesses during an outage. Think about what would happen if your generator ran out of fuel during a long outage. How would you run your business without power? Keep reading and checking back for more info on how your home and business can use renewable energy to provide reliable and clean backup power.
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