Backup Power
I am not what some people call a "Doom and Gloom" kind of person. I like facts and I like to understand what the relative concerns may be.
Everyday we hear about cyberattacks, power outages and grid failures. This section will hopefully provide some answers and directions we can take to limit our exposure to these events. Another event that we will discuss is an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse)
Power outages occur all of the time throughout the nation. Some are small scaled localized outages caused by accidents or vandalism. Other outages are a result of significant damage to larger segments of the power grid system. There have been and continue to be cyber attacks on the grid,
Regarding EMP or Electro Magnetic Pulse damage to the grid, the government commissioned a group to study the possibility and potential outcome from a significant event. Below is information about the Commission and its charter.
EMP - Report
The Commission and Its Charter
The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack was established by Congress through Title XIV of Public Law 106-398. Looking out 15 years, the Commission was tasked to assess:
1) The nature and magnitude of potential high-altitude EMP threats to the United States from all potentially hostile states or non-state actors that have or could acquire nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles enabling them to perform a high altitude EMP attack against the United States within the next 15 years.
2) The vulnerability of United States military and especially civilian systems to an EMP attack, giving special attention to vulnerability of the civilian infrastructure as a matter of emergency preparedness.
3) The capability of the United States to repair and recover from damage inflicted on United States military and civilian systems by an EMP attack.
4) The feasibility and cost of hardening select military and civilian systems against EMP attack. The Commission was also tasked to recommend any steps it believes should be taken by the United States to better protect its military and civilian systems from EMP attack. In accord with its charter, the Commission focused on the electromagnetic pulse produced by high-altitude nuclear weapon detonations, as opposed to other types of nuclear and non-nuclear EMP phenomena. Unless clearly indicated to the contrary, all references to EMP are to the electromagnetic pulse produced by a high-altitude nuclear detonation. This report presents the unanimous conclusions and recommendations of the Commissioners.
A full copy of that report can be found at the following web location.
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA484672.pdf
It is, as we might expect from any government report, very long, but it does contain some key information that illustrates that an EMP is definitely a possibility.
Keep in mind that a large scale outage would mean a significant loss of life, some estimates go as high as 80%.
One method to protect against an EMP is the use of a faraday cage which essentially shield your devices from the pulse. Another is a device called the EMP Shield which directs any pulse problem on the grid, to ground. A link for this device is below under the Home Battery segment.
So - now the good news! We have an opportunity to create methods to maintain the power/electricity.
Here are a just few examples:
Portable backup generators - usually up to abut 10K Watts max (some are higher) I would recommend a Tri-Fuel generator in this case. It allows operation on Natural gas, gasoline or propane.
Whole house generators -These are large generators that will power the whole house. One common generator is manufactured by Generac.
Portable Solar generators- Personal favorite. Can be recharged with sufficient solar panels (understand the wattage required) and there is no noise and no toxic fumes. These can be purchased at different times especially as finances allows.
Home battery system - expensive but very reliable. These are the typically the home charging systems most people use for their electric cars. An EMP mentioned above can take out an off-grid system so a protection device is critical. Personal research tells me that the EMP Shield is the way to go and worth looking at even if you do not have the backup battery system. This device is designed to protect your home or cars and is a device used by our military.
Here is some great information regarding battery backup for the home. I have included some information below regarding a couple of home battery backups. This information was taken from a local company called Connected Technology. I have found them to be reputable but I do not currently endorse them or either of the devices listed below. This is strictly informational.
Panasonic EVERVOLT Storage Installations — With or Without Solar
When the sun is shining, your solar panels typically produce more electricity than your home uses in a day. Panasonic EverVolt 3.0 stores that surplus energy for instant access whenever you need it. Even if your home doesn’t have solar panels yet, you can rely on hours of backup power during outages. Run key appliances longer and live life as usual when the unexpected happens.
Tesla also has something the call a "Powerwall".
As with the Panasonic - the information about the Tesla Powerwall is strictly informational.
The Tesla Powerwall allows you to store solar energy generated during the day for use any time. During the day, the sun shines on your solar panels, charging your battery. At night, your home draws electricity from your battery, powering your home with clean, sustainable energy.
When combined with solar energy, the Tesla Powerwall system uses the free and abundant power of the sun to reduce your reliance on the grid and fossil fuels. We offer the Tesla Powerwall across our service area.
I have followed a you man on YouTube for some time now. His name is Will Prowse. His intellect and delivery of information is quite impressive. I have a link to one of his videos in which he explains how Solar Power Systems work. In fact, he shows how to build your own, That link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uobUwjCLfok&list=PL7bvIB2TPsCjkfuZlfNXGO5mroHPXrOq0
If you are interested in how these and several other devices work, he has some great videos. Having a background in electronics, I can confirm his methods are quite good.