Power in Emergencies
In an emergency, you will need to be able to supply your own power. Commercial power is one of the first things to go down in an emergency, either due to storms, or a sudden increase in demand (Think heat or cold wave). There are many ways to supply your own power, and we will break them down into the some basic categories below.
Batteries
Batteries generally have a fairly long shelf life and do not require a separate storage area like generators or fuel, nor are they a fire hazard*. Rechargeable batteries do not last as long as other types, or give as much power, but they can be recharged and used multiple times and can be charged via solar or your car battery if needed. Smaller (traditional) Alkaline batteries are available just about anywhere and can be stored for 1-10 years*. They also provide more power and longer runtimes than rechargeable batteries. Large batteries (Car/Riding Mower) can power Inverters, recharge devices, or provide power for an emergency jump-start if needed. The latest technology, LiFePO4 batteries, are affordable* and VERY light when compared to traditional large batteries (like the ones in your car or riding mower) and have a much longer shelf life and discharge percent. They are designed to be recharged for thousands of cycles.
Generators
A generator is generally a gas-powered engine (Gasoline, Propane, Natural Gas) that produces an AC output that can power essential items in your home. Generators are great if you have the money/room for them and are comfortable storing their fuel in quantity (if needed). Gasoline powered generators are the most common, but also my least favorite due to the upkeep required to keep them reliable and the necessity of storing gasoline, which has a limited shelf life.
Natural Gas generators are normally the “whole home” variety that are permanently located and attached to a Natural Gas line. You do not need to store fuel for these. LP generators can run off any LP (Liquid Propane) source, either a large tank provided by your gas supplier, or smaller tanks like those used for gas grills. An Inverter is a device that can take DC power (like from a car battery) and convert it to AC power that can power items in your home, like a refrigerator or lights.
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to supply emergency power is to use your vehicle as the Engine/DC supply and use an inverter to power a small number of essential devices in your home. This only requires you to connect the Inverter to your car’s battery and start your car. Your car already has an engine that you know will start, hopefully enough gas, and is designed to be outside and run in the rain without any problems. Extension cords will power select devices as needed (cycle them if needed). Advantages to this method are that inverters do not require any fuel in them, so they are easy to store and take up very little room. It also makes them easily portable if you need to move them to another location.
Some disadvantages to this method are that Inverters can be limited in their power output and may not be able to power as many devices as other methods due to limited outlets. Also, most inverters only provide 120V, which cannot 240V equipment (e.g., water heaters, stoves, and large Heat/AC’s). A UPS is a combination of a small battery and a small inverter all in one package. It can generally only supply a computer for 15 minutes to an hour.
Gas generators (Gasoline, LP, NG) generally supply more power and have more outlets for devices including 240V.
A whole-home generator can run your whole home without any effort from you to start or stop when power resumes. They use a transfer switch to switch the house over to use their power when the power goes out and switch back and shut down when it returns. If powered by Natural gas, you don’t have to worry about the fuel supply or storing fuel separately. If a generator is powered by LP, you can store as much Propane as you can afford, for as long as you want to store it. LP doesn’t go bad with time like Gasoline. LP can be delivered to the generator from a large permanent tank or small “grill” tanks that are cheaper to buy and more portable. Gasoline can be harder to store since it gives off vapors and can go bad in as little as 6 months. Ethanol gasoline is even worse to store, and I don’t advise you use it in a generator since it can “gum” it up faster and cause start/run issues. Gasoline is also a potential fire hazard when refueling the generator due to the possibility of spills.
Solar
Solar power can be a great way to produce electricity in emergencies and charge batteries. Solar is very versatile, and can be scaled easily to meet your needs. Solar panels can range from extremely small panels that only provide a few volts and watts, to very large arrays that can provide high voltage and amperage.