If the last three years have taught us anything, it’s that life can change in the twinkling of an eye. One minute, you’re mindlessly humming along with the machinations of an ordinary day, the next, your whole world has turned upside down.
It’s the moment when the ordinary and expected cease to exist that we preppers brace for — the second when everything you’ve ever counted on is suddenly swept away. Fortunately, we’ve developed some ingenious strategies for protecting themselves, their loved ones, and their property when and if the worst happens.
But of all the tools in the prepper’s disaster preparedness toolbox, perhaps none is more powerful or more versatile than solar and related reliable energy sources, including wind. In particular, let’s take a look at the myriad ways solar and renewable energy can truly revolutionize your approach to disaster preparedness.
The Evolution of Solar
The concept of deriving energy from solar is, of course, nothing new. Technology has been evolving for decades. Until recently, progress has been uneven at best. For years, solar technologies were prohibitively expensive, impractically large and unwieldy, and notoriously unreliable. It’s little wonder, then, that the deficiencies of the past contributed to a great deal of skepticism regarding the feasibility of the technology.
The good news, however, is that significant advances in solar technology have been made in recent years, advances which are transforming the photovoltaic (solar) industry. Today’s solar technologies are substantially more affordable, compact, and reliable than those of the past.
This means photovoltaic (PV) technology isn’t only a viable option for large, well-funded commercial and government entities, but they’re also appropriate for private consumers, like you and me. Nowadays, solar panels can be found installed on the roofs of private homes or in the backyards of modest family properties all across this great nation.
And new PV technologies are currently being developed to be integrated into construction materials, from roofing materials to siding. The result will be homes and buildings that are themselves, in essence, solar panels, continuously drawing energy from the sun without requiring human intervention.
Solar, Renewables, and Disaster Preparedness
There are vast benefits to the integration of PV and other forms of renewable energy into daily life. Not only does this significantly reduce energy costs, but it also can dramatically decrease a home or building’s carbon footprint. Solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, in other words, are good both for your family’s bank account and for the environment.
But the benefits of solar and other renewable energy sources to disaster preparedness are less frequently discussed. However, it’s in this arena of disaster resiliency that the true potential of solar energy, in particular, shines through.
It all boils down to the capacity of PV technologies to free you from the fragility of the power grid. The stark reality is that the grid is increasingly both unstable and vulnerable, subject not only to the growing threat of cybercrime but also to the impacts of natural disasters. The frequency and severity of weather phenomena, from floods to hurricanes to tornadoes, are expected only to increase.
Preppers know perhaps better than anyone else that, when it comes to the power grid, the populace has so far gotten lucky, but sooner or later, their luck is going to run out. Residential PV technology provides the peace of mind of knowing that you, your family, and your home will be protected when it does.
Safe Solar Islands
As vital as solar panels are in protecting your home and family from the fragilities of the grid, it’s not quite as simple as that. Just because you’ve installed solar panels on your property, that doesn’t necessarily free you from the grid.
In fact, many residential PV technologies are still connected to the grid. When a home’s energy needs exceed that produced by or stored in the panels, the grid provides the remainder. When the panels produce more energy than can be used or stored, they feed that excess back into the grid. In this way, families can reduce their traditional energy costs and even receive payment for the solar energy they produce for the grid.
The problem arises, though, when the grid goes down because, unless your home is based on a “safe solar island” system, one of two things will occur. If your home does not have a grid-tie inverter, when the grid goes down, so too will your solar. This is because solar panels produce direct currents (DC). However, the traditional energy grid, as well as your home’s electrical systems and appliances, all rely on alternating currents (AC).
There are three primary types of solar inverters that, among other functions, work to transform direct currents into usable alternating currents to power your home and feed back into the grid. The grid-tie inverter also acts as a kind of intermediary between your PV system and the grid. It continuously monitors the input and output of both systems to ensure a safe and steady flow of power to your home, even if the grid goes down.
What this means is that your home effectively becomes a solar island, generating, storing, and using solar energy even when the grid is offline. This sounds ideal, but again, it’s a bit more complicated than that because islanding can pose its own risks — both to your PV system and to utility workers.
Specifically, if the system is generating and using its own energy, then when the grid comes back online, this can create a significant surge that can fry your PV system and also inflict substantial damage to the grid. Most concerning of all, the energy generated by your PV system may cause potentially fatal injuries to utility workers who believe the grid to be down.
This is why many power companies and solar technologies use “anti-islanding” to protect power workers and energy systems by deactivating PV systems when the grid goes down. But, of course, that also means you lose access to your solar energy stores as well.
While anti-island protections are generally required by law, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have your grid-tied cake and eat it too. To ensure that you are still able to use your PV system when the grid goes down without putting workers’ or the systems’ safety at risk, you can install what’s known as a safe solar island system.
With a safe solar island system, when your solar inverter detects a blackout or brownout on the grid, it immediately disconnects your PV system from the grid. Once the system is off-grid, the inverter then reactivates the PV system. This enables the system to generate power during daylight hours and draw on battery stores during nighttime or cloudy conditions or when the home needs more power than is being generated.
Going Off-Grid
Although there are myriad benefits to linking your PV system to the grid, it’s certainly not a requirement. You may choose to take your solar energy tech entirely offline. For preppers who want to get used to living entirely off-grid before the next disaster strikes, this is the way to do it.
However, it will require an investment, particularly if you’re not willing to live without the occasional loss of power in your home. That’s because your solar panels simply aren’t going to be capable of producing large amounts of energy all the time.
You’re not going to be able to generate energy at night, of course, nor are you likely to be able to generate enough power to meet your needs in overcast or rainy conditions. Some climates see far less annual sunlight than others, and that means that your off-grid solar strategy is going to depend very much on where you live and what you’re willing to put up with.
Chances are, though, that living with a blackout every time the sun sets or the weather changes is going to be neither safe nor comfortable for you or your family, particularly in times of crisis. Being truly in the dark, without the benefit of even ambient lighting, can be an incredibly dangerous and frightening thing.
So if you want to be entirely off the grid, especially in a highly secluded area, but you also want reliable access to safe and abundant power, then you’re going to need PV battery storage. This way, you’re going to be able to store any excess solar energy you generate on sunny days in a power bank to be tapped at night or when your demand exceeds your current production.
Solar Energy and Your EV
When a disaster strikes, you’re going to want to ensure that you and your family always can bug out if you need to — that’s another area in which renewables can be a true lifesaver.
For example, if you have an electric vehicle (EV), not only do you no longer have to worry about finding fuel, but you also don’t have to worry about the power grid — provided you have solar. The leaps and bounds made in PV technologies, as described above, are such that you can now use solar panels to charge your EV, even when the grid is down.
Solar charging your EV generally works best when you have a Level 2 EV charger. In most cases, solar charging with a Level 2 charger takes around eight hours for a fully electric vehicle and will add 20-30 miles per hour on average.
[Editor’s note: Please don’t rely on an electric vehicles as a bug out option! Get a gasoline or, better yet, diesel-powered, vehicle and store fuel in safe storage containers that can be taken with you if/when you must bug out.]
Creating a Power Bank
Let’s face it, getting a safe solar island system or going entirely off-grid with a fully-functional PV system complete with ample battery storage can be quite a financial investment. But you have many options for ensuring your family’s disaster readiness that demand less advanced tech and a more modest bank account.
The first and most important thing to focus on if you’re looking for a scaled-down version of an autonomous solar grid is building a power bank. Portable power stations, or “solar generators,” are an ideal alternative to gas-powered generators because you don’t have to worry about finding fuel. Stored solar energy is your fuel, and you can replenish your stores every time the sun shines.
It’s important to remember, though, that the storage capacities of these solar generators are far less than for a more robust safe solar island, and that means that you will need to be judicious. Depending on the size of your system, you’ll want to prioritize the items you connect to the station.
Refrigerators and freezers, to be sure, are critical for preserving your food, but they can quickly drain a solar generator. So, when you’re off the grid for whatever reason, try to downsize your appliances. A small portable refrigerator/freezer will, of course, deplete your solar generator far more slowly than a full-sized one. So stock these only with the bare essentials.
[Editor’s note: It’s important not to overlook how important it is to “downsize” your appliances when off-grid. Even choosing an “energy efficient” refrigerator is better than not, and you’ll know very quickly if you get it wrong.]
Otherwise, rely principally on canned goods and other non-perishables. If you’re in a cold climate, transfer your refrigerated items outside in the snow and let nature be your refrigerator.
In addition to making the most efficient use of your solar generator as possible, it’s also a very good idea to collect smaller sources of solar energy storage. Invest, for example, in smaller solar battery chargers that can be used to quickly and reliably charge your smartphone, radio, and other portable electrical devices. After all, in the event of a disaster, you must always have a way to communicate with the outside world, whether it’s to call for help or simply to receive potentially life-saving information.
The Takeaway
Solar and other renewable energy technologies have made significant strides in recent decades. Solar technologies, in particular, are more affordable, reliable, compact, and functional than ever before. This means that they are also increasingly instrumental in disaster preparedness. Photovoltaic energy sources can be used to power homes, charge electric vehicles, and keep communications devices — from smartphones to radios, functioning even when the grid goes down. This ensures that no matter when, where, or how a disaster may strike, you will have the energy resources you need to keep yourself, your family, and your home safe.
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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