|
Updated 06/07/19
|
|
Power Outages :-(
|
Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)
Excerpts from PGE.Com: "Although you may not live or work in a high fire-threat area, or an area experiencing high winds, your power may be shut off if your community relies upon a line that runs through an area experiencing extreme fire danger conditions* ...." "While customers in high fire-threat areas (based on the CPUC High Fire-Threat District map) are more likely to be affected, a public safety power outage could impact any of the more than 5 million customers who receive electric service from PG&E. This is because the energy system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions." "We want all our customers to be prepared for this possibility no matter where they live or work ....." "We anticipate that a Public Safety Power Shutoff could occur several times per year ...." "Because extreme weather can last several hours or days, for planning purposes, we suggest customers prepare for outages that could last longer than 48 hours ...." Duration of Outages? "The length of the outage, which includes the weather event plus restoration time, could last several days. We will only restore power when it is safe to do so." Will this outage safety program be over when the system is fully upgraded? "Even where equipment has been upgraded, extreme weather and fire danger conditions could still warrant proactively shutting off power for safety...." How will PG&E determine the need to turn off power for safety? "No single factor drives a Public Safety Power Shutoff, as each situation is unique. PG&E carefully reviews a combination of many criteria when determining if power should be turned off for safety." "These (threat) factors generally include, but are not limited to:
(.....And, of course, during an actual fire or heavy wind event). https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-power-shutoff-faq.page * Am I in a hot spot.... ? Click several times on the map below to zoom down to street names .... view proximity of 'Tier2 Elevated' and 'Tier3 Extreme' California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) defined, fire-threat areas: https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/firemap/ Will residents with solar systems be OK? All 'grid-tied' solar systems must be automatically shut down during utility outages as a safety precaution for workers, per NEC regulations. "Solar installation companies that install grid-tie systems do not necessarily inform their customers that their systems will not function when the power grid goes down." https://www.naturalnews.com/036194_solar_system_grid-tie_power_grid.html Generators are an "off the grid" power option, but might be prohibited in residential neighborhoods and HOAs with CC&R 'quiet enjoyment / minimal noise' rules. Technology continues to improve for alternative hybrid solar systems off the grid, but these are not yet cost effective or sufficient over long haul ..... Special inverters need good sunshine for supporting just a few small appliances (no power at night); air conditioners tend to exceed capacity: https://www.yourenergysolutions.com/solar/inverters/ Storage batteries like Tesla Power Wall 2 ($7K-10K) are limited to just a few backup hours: https://www.energysage.com/solar/solar-energy-storage/tesla-powerwall-home-battery/ (I am currently exploring off-the-grid options with my HVAC company; updates to follow.) |
