The average U.S. citizen experiences eight hours without electricity each year from power outages. During brownouts and blackouts, individuals may experience hardships that adversely affect their health and well-being. Most residents rely on electricity to power their medical devices, preserve their food, or pump water into their homes, among many other tasks.
An individual can minimize their loss of vital resources by preparing for outages. After identifying the causes of brownouts and blackouts, residents may identify the best protection resources and techniques for their specific regions.
Why Do Power Outages Happen?
Before identifying the top prevention and response techniques, individuals must explore the common causes of outages. The media discusses many brownouts and blackouts deriving from storms. For example, last year, winter storm Uri made national headlines because of its mass power disruption.
After the storm hit, residents of Texas lost electricity for days. The outage caused hundreds of deaths from freezing temperatures or compromised medical devices. Disaster response professionals tracked the blackout back to an operator error.
Texas’ electric grid operator was unable to manage the system and left millions of individuals without power. Many outages derive from natural causes and human error. Some lesser power outages occur when drivers hit telephone poles and bring down electric wires or transformers.
Other outages come from hurricane-force winds, earthquakes, and lightning. When lightning strikes a transformer, it causes a voltage spike and overloads the electric current. The transformer is an essential component of local energy systems because it moves electricity from power plants to customers.
Energy professionals assess the common causes of outages and develop prevention and response methods to reduce adverse effects. Developing microgrids, installing generators, and preserving vital resources can protect individuals during power outages.
Developing Microgrids
In Texas, winter storm Uri’s adverse outage effects impacted many individuals because of the grid’s size. Professionals can minimize the number of residents affected by outages by developing microgrids. The smaller systems may also use smart technology to reduce the number of human-caused outages.
The systems contain autonomous sensors that track and respond to real-time energy demands. Maintaining a “goldilocks zone” flow of electricity reduces overload on transformers and preserves energy supplies. The technology also assesses potential issues like overheating during storms to inform professionals and minimize outage triggers.
Individuals can also create solar microgrids to minimize the frequency of outages. The system develops electricity using an array of photovoltaic panels and distributes energy using conventional power lines. There are fewer working parts in a solar microgrid, so storms have less of an effect on the system.
Purchasing Generators
Residents and business owners can also minimize the effects of outages by purchasing generators. Before individuals make their purchases, they should calculate their average energy usage by receiving an audit. Then they can determine which appliances are essential and require connections to a generator.
After evaluating a building’s essential power needs, individuals may calculate their necessary generator sizes. Some building owners may need a large inverter, whereas other residents may require portable generators. Once individuals purchase the best generator for their energy needs, they may connect it to the circuit breaker and power their systems and appliances.
Protecting Your Home
Residents and building owners can protect their appliances and resources during outages to prevent adverse effects. Always remember to keep freezers and refrigerators closed to preserve temperature-regulated foods.
As our world becomes increasingly connected, it’s also important to protect household electronics. Power outages are often accompanied by power surges, which can be very damaging for electronics. Backing up devices before potential outages will help prevent the loss of data, and during brownouts and blackouts, individuals should unplug their appliances and devices to reduce surge-related damage risks.
Individuals should reach out to their local energy supplier about heating options in their area during outages. Do not try to heat your home using a gas stove when your power is off. When residents preserve their goods during storms, they can minimize their outage-related complications.
The Benefits of Taking Outage Preparedness Measures
Outage preparedness measures can protect individuals and households during unexpected brownouts and blackouts. You can protect your health and safety by installing a generator or accessing electricity through a microgrid. Residents may also minimize food and electronics waste by protecting their goods from rotting and surge damage.
