Can California prepare for an Outage-Free Summer with Solar?

If there is anything states could learn from the outages that affected Texas earlier this year, it’s that solar and batteries can be a lifesaver in extreme weather conditions. Texan homes with solar backup were able to sail through the outages by staying warm. These outages occurred due to extreme cold and last year, California witnessed rolling blackouts due to the terrible heatwave.

High demand for electricity during summers can stress the grid. Summer equates to continuous use of air-conditioners leading to higher demand than the supply. The high power demand can happen during extreme cold weather as well when the demand for power for heating peaks. With climate change and its effects becoming more evident and impactful by the day, it has become extremely important to make the power infrastructure more resilient. One of the most reliable ways to do so would be by depending on solar and batteries partly, to help restore balance when the demand-supply trends are disrupted.

Incidences of extreme weather occurrences are on the rise and Californians can expect energy to be affected as a result of some of these extremities. Can residents be prepared for such events and prepare themselves against blackouts? They may be able to do this by relying on solar and battery backup for power. 

Benefits of Solar and Battery Backup

• Reliable: Solar and battery backup allows its users flexibility in terms of when they want to use it. It can be a life-saver when there are outages. The power generated from solar can be used even after the sun has set.
• Environment-friendly: Contribute towards a greener and cleaner environment with solar energy.
• Financial Benefits: Relying on solar to power homes translates to lower electricity bills from the conventional grid. It can help users save money during peak-rate hours.
• A catalyst to a resilient grid: Using solar power can bring down the pressure on the grid making it more resilient and can even reduce the risk of wildfires that may result due to sparks in overhead lines.
  

Adopt Solar and Stay Cool this Summer

While the state tests out if a strong battery backup can support a grid completely powered by renewable energy, there are some measures that residents can take at an individual or community level.

Residents and property owners can adopt solar at a small scale. Solar power can be accessed either from an on-site solar asset or from an off-site community solar system. There is a growing network of household battery storage systems that may be a relief if rolling blackouts are to happen. These solar+ battery setups are now easily available even for multi-family units. Thanks to Ivy Energies virtual grid software and solar, residents in multi-family properties can enjoy energy savings even without having to invest in solar panels. With virtual grid artificial intelligence and utility grade data accuracy, residents get access onsite solar energy with guaranteed savings on a simple structure and owners can predict revenues and streamline otherwise complex administration. To learn more about Ivy's unique solar billing software solution visit https://www.ivy-energy.com/

Setting up Batteries is Important for Accessing Solar during Blackouts

Having solar panels installed is not enough for ensuring that you continue to get power during outages. Residents whose solar panels are grid-tied will not be able to escape outages without a battery backup. Without batteries, the excess power produced cannot be stored and used at a later time. 

Adopting greener sources of power is important not just for achieving the various energy goals set by the state or the country but also for ensuring that our lives carry on smoothly. Solar is a smart way to reduce one’s carbon footprint. And thanks to the various subsidies that help in installing/accessing cleaner sources of energy, going green is no more limited to elite and privileged residents of the state.