Being prepared for grid failure and natural disasters, is something more and more U.S. citizens are concerned about, particularly in light of the recent health pandemic. Fortunately, by having an off-grid solar panel system installed (either roof or ground-mounted) at their home, Americans can be better prepared when disaster strikes, and even more prepared if they’ve had a battery back-up system installed too.
Let’s firstly look at some of the critical uses for solar power in the home:
Having a solar panel system installed enables you to generate a continuous supply of electricity to use and store within your home, no matter what may be happening on your doorstep, or anywhere in your locality.
In the event of a serious disaster, natural or otherwise, homeowners can use their solar energy supply to store food, power electronic devices, and pump water.
- Storing food
A great piece of advice for anyone living or vacationing in an off-grid cabin, or anywhere with a solar system, in fact, is to choose a fridge (or freezer) that’s chest style; i.e. it opens from the top, instead of the side. This will minimize how much energy is lost powering the appliance, and then, should disaster strike, you can survive on food stored safely in your fridge or freezer.
- Powering electronic devices
It’s all too easy to take a lot of electronic devices that we use every day, for granted, and to forget how crucial they often prove to be in the event of a tornado, hurricane, pandemic, or even a war situation.
With a solar system backed up by battery, you can power cell phones and computers with which to communicate with family, friends or even the emergency services.
Additionally, devices such as CPAP machines that can help save lives, need a constant power source in order to function.
- Pumping water
Should the grid go down for any reason, it’s not unheard of for both city and rural pumps, timers, and valves that moderate water supplies, to fail along with it. With a well pump at your home, and a battery-backed or off-grid solar energy system, you can carry on pumping fresh water as and when needed. Without a well pump, you could use an electric stove to boil and purify any water that you can locate on your property.
What solar equipment is best in a disaster or emergency?
It’s important that you choose your equipment wisely when setting yourself up for survival in a disaster or emergency scenario, and provided you work with a reputable and experienced local solar installer, they should be able to help you select a battery and inverter system that will afford you the most energy independence possible.
They should ideally be designed to give you a constant, efficient way to continue producing and storing energy, even when disaster strikes, and be protected against cyberattacks, solar flares, and EMPs (a brief burst of electromagnetic energy).
To discover more about how to protect yourself and your home from power outages, whatever the cause, talk to a local solar installer about having solar panels put in place at your home, or adding a battery backup system to an existing solar array.