#NatlPrep: Prolonged Grid Down Preparedness

https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=819354

Note: This is the 18th day of National Preparedness Month. Follow this year’s campaign on Twitter by searching for the #NatlPrep #BeReady or #PrepMonth hashtags.

This month, as part of NPM24, I’ll be rerunning some updated preparedness essays, along with some new ones.

#18,302

For those of us who live in hurricane country, prolonged power outages are a regular - and miserable - fact of life.  Three times in the past 7 years I've been without power for more than 24 hours - once for 4 sweltering days - due to the effects of a tropical storm or hurricane.

But nowhere in the country is exempt from power interruptions; tornadoes, earthquakes, wild fires, blizzards, and ice storms can all bring down the grid on a local or regional basis.

• Earlier this summer hundreds of thousands of residents of Houston, Texas went without power for more than a week following the landfall of Hurricane Beryl. Dozens of people died following the storm, many from heat-related illnesses.

• At least 246 people died during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, when the power grid went down in Texas.

• In 2017, Puerto Rico was without power for months following Hurricane Maria, which undoubtedly contributed to the excess mortality there following the storm (see NEJM Mortality in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria).

But larger, more prolonged outages are possible as well. 

• In December of 2018, in NIAC: Surviving A Catastrophic Power Outage, we looked at a NIAC (National Infrastructure Advisory Council) 94-page report that examined the United State's current ability to respond to and recover from a widespread catastrophic power outage.

• Seven years ago, in DHS: NIAC Cyber Threat Report - August 2017, we looked at a 45-page report addressing urgent cyber threats to our critical infrastructure that called for `bold, decisive actions'. 

• While in 2015, well known journalist Ted Koppel published a book called Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath, that explored our vulnerability to a deliberate cyber attack.

• Just 3 days ago, in #NatlPrep: Preparing For Extreme Space Weather, we revisited the potential for grid damage from a Coronal Mass Ejection from the sun.

• Every four years the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) releases a report card on America’s infrastructure, and their most recent report (2021) warns that our cumulative GPA for infrastructure sits at only a C-, and two of our most vulnerable infrastructures are drinking water and the electrical grid (see When Our Modern Infrastructure Fails).

Regardless of how it happens (natural or deliberate), or the scale (local, regional, national), our fragile power grid is the Achilles heel of our nation, and our economy.

Without electricity, water and gasoline doesn’t pump, elevators and air conditioners don’t run, ATM machines and banks close, grocery stores can’t take debit or credit cards, perishable food rots, communications and supply chains collapse, and everything from cooking, to flushing toilets, becomes a major challenge.

For those who live in very hot, or very cold, climates - having a way to stay cool and hydrated, or warm and dry - can be lifesaving 

Most disasters boil down to unscheduled camping - for days, or sometimes weeks - in your home, in a community shelter, or possibly even in your backyard.  Preparedness can not only make that process possible, it can make it less miserable as well.

 

While those with tens of thousands of dollars to spend can have a whole-house solar system or generator - one capable of running freezers, refrigerators, and air conditioners - even a small system can make life a little more bearable.

Three years ago, in Hurricane Prep: Some Simple Off-The-Shelf Solar Solutions For Power Outages, I showed how you can assemble a rudimentary solar power system for under $200; one that will keep your phones, lanterns, and charged, along with some mini-fans. 

The `core' ingredients are 2 or more USB battery banks (1 to use while the other charges), preferably 20,000 milliamps each ($25-$40 each), and at least one solar panel. I went with a single 21 watt 5 volt panel ($50) since two of my battery banks have (very) small integral solar panels.

The accessories: . . . in my case, they include mini-fans, rechargeable lanterns, cell phones, my iPAD, and a USB powered battery charger. This allows me to recharge my supply of Ni-CD or Ni-MH batteries that power my walkie-talkies, battery operated lanterns, radios, and other devices.

While this won't run your refrigerator, Air-conditioner, big screen TV or other high consumption devices, this may still be useful for a lot of people. The advantage is, everything is plug and play, relatively inexpensive, will fit into a duffel bag, and you can start small and add components at your own pace.

Many people are now opting for the `solar generators' being sold by a number of companies.  These are not true `generators', but rather large batteries with a variety of output options to power devices.  Most will only run a large appliance (like a refrigerator) for a few hours, without recharging. 

While more expensive, solar generators are a plug-and-play solution that can be set up by just about anyone, and that has more capacity than the USB system described above. But if something breaks, you have to send it back to the factory for repairs.

That turnaround time might be weeks. No matter how good the warranty, it's of limited comfort when the power is already out.  

While most of my electrical needs are now met using USB batteries and small solar panels, they won't run my CPAP, larger fans, or a DVD player.  I've been running a cobbled together Lead-Acid battery solar system for many years, but in 2023 I upgraded to LiFePo batteries, and a new solar panel (see My Upgraded Solar Power System (2023 Edition)).

The advantage here, is, if something breaks, I have spare parts and can probably fix it. This would make a good project for anyone who is reasonably handy, and is comfortable working with 12 volt systems, like you'd find in cars or boats.  

Disclaimer: lead acid batteries can offgas Hydrogen, which can be explosive, and should be kept in a ventilated are. A dead short across the terminals of a 12 volt battery can cause a fire or explosion. Reversing the polarity of your connections can fry components. If you are unsure of how to safely deal with batteries or DC voltage, have someone who knows how assist you.

As for my new system, it looks like this:

The solar panel is about 18" wide & 39" long.  The battery, LiFePo solar charge controller, and output devices all fit into a plastic crate, and weigh about 12 lbs. It provides dual 12V Car Cigarette Lighter Sockets (for CPAP, or Inverter), 2 USB outlets, and the ability to expand.

Major Parts list: 

• ECO-WORTHY 12V 50Ah Trolling Motor LiFePO4   $160
• 100 Watt 12 v Monocrystalline Solar Panel                     $70
• Solar Charge Controller 10A, Bateria 12V/24V              $18
• 12V 3A LiFePO4 Battery Charger                                   $20
• Misc cabling and connectors                                            $20

So, what did my (roughly) $300 upgrade add?

• With 40-45 amps available from the LiFePo battery I can run my CPAP for 5 (8 hour) nights without recharging.  Or, I can watch 35-40 hours of DVDs, or run a large 12 volt fan for 40+ hours. I can also use it to recharge smaller USB battery banks, run 12 volt lights, radios, etc. 

• With a 100 watt Solar panel, I can probably average 5+ amps an hour charging, for 4 to 7 hours a day.  On on good day, I could probably recharge the battery from being 80% discharged. 

My two older 35 amp batteries, and solar panels together probably add another 30 to 40 available amp/hrs per day.  All three solar panels, and batteries, weigh in at about 100 lbs, and will fit in the trunk of my car if I have to bug out again. 

I've also invested $10 into a lead-acid trickle wall charger (110 v) and a $20 3 amp LiFePo wall charger (110 v), so I can keep batteries fully charged when the power is on, without having to deploy the solar panels. 

As the prices for LiFePo batteries continue to drop, I plan to expand with 100 AH batteries and at least 1 more solar panel.  

Having this solar gear won't guarantee I'll come away unscathed from the next hurricane, or natural disaster.  But, along with having a propane camp stove and heater, a decent first aid kit, 60 gallons of water stored, a well stocked pantry, and a disaster buddy . . .  it should certainly improve my odds.