Fires, floods, tornadoes, derechos, hurricanes and earthquakes shatter the lives of a few very quickly, but cause lingering problems in the aftermath for many. Electricity can be out for weeks on end as power line repairs are made, with deaths from heat stress, failed medical equipment and more very common. The fires here in Colorado last month hit my area hard; some locations are still waiting for power to be restored. An estimated 3.7 million people lost power during last month's East Coast derecho, many for over a week.
So, why not just cut that electrical umbilical cord from the power company to your home and go off grid completely, in the middle of the city or suburbs? The power company keeps raising their rates each year anyway. Throw some solar panels on the roof and a wind turbine in the backyard. Looks like there's a couple funny looking black boxes involved too, just order 'em online.
Antique technology
Unfortunately it's not that simple, and not cheap. The problem is, how do you store energy for when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing? A solar array and wind turbine with no battery backup will not power anything in your house if the grid goes down. Only a battery bank or engine generator can do that.
And let's face it, we're stuck with 1859 technology when it comes to storing a lot of electrical energy at a reasonable price: the lead-acid battery. Gaston Planté, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would all instantly recognize the batteries used today in off-grid power systems, and likely comment that "That's odd, they haven't changed much in all these decades..." And that's the rub.
There are certainly high-tech options out there, like Nickel Metal Hydride cells used in the Toyota Prius, the Lithium Ion cells in the Tesla Roadster (and also in your laptop computer), and of course over-hyped hydrogen fuel cells. None of these new energy storage technologies has matured yet -- at least not to the point that makes them affordable for or compatible with powering a typical home for even 24 hours.
Even worse, all batteries wear out. Pull a battery bank down too low too often or leave it that way for too long, and you might get only one to four years of life instead of the eight to 10 normally expected. Amortize the cost of the batteries and installation over the years, and you can rack up a pretty expensive "battery bill" each month, just for the privilege of owning them.
Electric vehicles for backup power?
The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan spurred automakers there to start providing options where electric and hybrid vehicles can provide power for lights and appliances during a blackout. Toyota says that a full 12-gallon tank of gas in a 2012 Estima with the power inverter option could energize a home for 2 days at full 1.5 kilowatt output, but that still involves running an extension cord and power strip into the house, and plugging appliances into that. Works in a pinch, but not particularly safe or convenient.
Mitsubishi and Nissan have both announced they are working on standardizing systems and equipment so a car can power home mains circuits, and Sharp Corporation revealed their new "Intelligent Power Conditioner" that's in development to solve the tricky issue of making different cars, battery banks and home power systems send power back and forth to each other. Great concepts, but unfortunately "in development" is the operative phrase right now.
A sensible approach to emergency home power backup
The average U.S. homeowner consumes roughly 33 kilowatt-hours of energy every 24 hours. Lead-acid batteries to provide 24 hours of backup at that rate would come in at about $9,600, weigh almost two tons, last only seven to 10 years and take up an entire small room. A lithium ion battery bank to do that -- say from a Tesla Roadster -- would cost $36,000 with a rated lifespan of about seven years. Those costs are just for the battery bank and don't include all the black boxes needed to connect it to your home.
Instead, I recommend a more sensible approach for most people. The more serious you are about backup power, the farther you'll make it down this list:
Wind power systems are a terribly ineffective waste of money unless installed high in the air -- the small wind industry standard is at least 30 feet above anything within 500 feet in any direction -- and most locales strictly regulate such tall towers, especially in residential areas. So, wind is not an option for most people.
However, if your site and climate are right for renewable energy and your utility will pay you favorable rates, you might have the opportunity to reduce your electric bill to near zero, get a federal, state or local tax credit, and have ample power during an extended blackout. Contact a NABCEP-certified system installer for the straight facts on renewable energy.
Before the lights go out
Do be prepared before the next disaster strikes. But don't jump into any backup generator or solar energy solution without a lot of research, especially if you need to power critical equipment such as medical devices. Even a freezer can be considered a critical device if it's full of hundreds of dollars worth of meat! Be sure that whatever power backup solution you choose can run everything you need all at one time -- that's power, measured in watts -- and can keep it up for however long you need -- that's energy, measured in kilowatt-hours.
Consult with a professional if you have any doubts about what you are doing, and remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Keep in mind, though, that that you don't need a constant flow of power to, eg, operate your AC or well.
The last hurricanes, I had no backup power at all except batteries. I had lights, a radio, and had prefilled my coolers with ice. I had a couple of 40 gallon trash cans full of stored water, and another one outside to catch rainwater. No power for two days but life was fine.
12 volt batteries, btw, can be charged in advance and, if worse comes to worse, recharged from your car.
A very good solution for people who install grid-tied PV is a relatively small battery bank, and that Critical Loads Panel I mentioned. On a small scale, portable systems can keep you alive with a few lights and a small radio or TV.....provided that you get some sun, or have a generator.
However, me thinks you are overthinking this. The correct technology for disasters is not solar but a gasoline backup generator and has been... since probably the 1920s.
How many times really do the lights go out for more than a day?
It's a fairly rare event for the vast majority.
Most people should just ride it out.
If you live in a rural area a cheap gas generator makes sense.
If the power goes out a lot in your rural area then a propane generator is sweet.
I lived without power to my home for 5 days 2 years ago during an ice storm.
We simply drove 10 miles and checked into a hotel.
Mr. Fink seems to be writing about the Zombie Apocalypse.
IMO, it should be illegal to construct any new buildings today without it. Less than a 10 year payback in most places... it's a no-brainer, and best of all it's not intermittent.
Electric companies should be using it to turn turbines... if they were smart, they'd team up with oil companies to tap into all the old, abandoned oil wells all over the country. Ask Prof Blackwell at SMU what he thinks.
re flywheels
nothing radically new
a train freight bogey/axle does 40 tons plus bumps
I understand storage increases exponentially w/ rpm
so encase them in a vacuum & spin them as fast as possible w/ standard gear
minimise vibration by counter rotating them
seems to me a farmer w/ a 5k gallon watertank at top & bottom of a hill, could have a little hydro system using the top tank as a reserve/battery
u mention butane generators but few details
i know honda do one & as u can use the waste heat in the home, it may be cheaper than the grid
very subjective & shallow re hi wind towers in clear air - a bit of testing may well reveal even more productive wind tunnels between houses - it borders on nonsense as any chicago resident will tell you
a breeze on the roof can blow u off u feet on the streets, when funneled by tenements
describing this as an absolute displays little science or logic
surface wind trying to cross a barrier such as a ridge, will take the path of least resistance & hug the ridge to the max, not go higher than it needs to.
Yes, batteries suck.
But u dont get there is a difference between stationary storage & mobile storage.
weight does not matter if stationary. It can be as many tons of flywheel as you like. a week of normal use if u r keen. sun and wind just keep spinning them up
glad u raised it, but could do better
Another thing that was not mentioned was solar hot water. On cloudy days, solar hot water systems can provide a household with 120+ degree water independent of electrical power.
Small scale wind as mentioned above, is indeed a waste of money. You may be able to run three or four light bulbs when the wind is blowing strong; it's just not very helpful. Large scale wind on the other hand is certainly something everybody should support.
PV panels do not create an uncontrollable surge of electricity; they produce a voltage potential, which you can use or not use. If you unplug yourself from the grid and don't have a battery backup, your panels are not going to explode. Some power is better than no power.
methinks the same, no nattery, just run the drinks fridge from PVs
am confidant you are wrong re wind
its concentrated solar logically & I know is preferred on yachts if can live with the noise
shall post more later