How to get my solar generators ready for a hurricane quickly – after years of emergency preparation

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Highlights taken by ZDNET

• Solar generators can help during emergencies.
• Prepare your setup before an emergency strikes.
• Severe weather events are becoming more frequent.

Solar power stations are becoming the rage. They are making their way into homes across the country and are being used for many things, from harvesting solar energy to save money on electric bills to creating a robust energy source that can deal with the increasing number of emergencies we now have to endure.

Just the other day, I was reading about how a major El Niño could be something we have to contend with this year.

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But the power stations themselves can present dangers that may not be immediately apparent to the owners, problems that can arise during an emergency, making a bad situation worse.

Here, I will explain the preparation steps you should take to get your solar generator ready for a weather emergency. I have been using solar generators for years, since a portable setup that I’ve taken to off-grid locations to a large setup that can power a home for days.

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I have also been an avid hiker, bushcrafter, and outdoorsman all my life, and have taken a number of courses related to outdoor survival, from first aid and land navigation to urban emergency preparedness and the UK equivalent of SERE (Survival, Avoidance, Resistance, and Atlantic Escape), called Survival, Atlantic Escape.

What is your most likely emergency?

The first step is to know what kind of emergency you will face, because that can change the way you work. And the bad news is that you have a lot to choose from, depending on where you live:

• Midwest and plains: Hurricanes, thunderstorms and floods.
• Southeast and Gulf Coast: Hurricanes, tropical storms, and floods.
• In the west: Wildfires, drought, and occasional winter storms.
• Northeast: Winter storms, snow storms, and occasional hurricanes.
• Coastal areas: Hurricanes, hurricanes, and rising sea levels.

Know the limitations of your equipment

Power stations, as a whole, are very safe pieces of equipment. I’ve spent many days with someone bouncing on the back of a truck or next to my head in a tent that slowly fills with water. But don’t lose sight of the fact that they are boxes that hold many lithium-ion batteries and can put out thousands of watts of easily lethal AC power.

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Power stations are designed to work best at room temperature — 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) — but are generally happy to charge in the 2°F (0°C) to 95°F (35°C) range and discharge between 14°F (-10°C) and 104°C (404°F). As for moisture, this is where things can get dangerous, and it makes sense to treat a power outlet the same way you would an AC outlet or extension cord. Power stations typically enjoy humidity ranging from 0% to 60% in operation and up to 80% in storage.

They also do not tolerate water well, and unless the unit is specially designed to deal with water, any rain, spill, or flood can damage the internal components and cause a safety hazard.

But there are additional risks to be aware of.

Fire is big, and it’s something to think about, but worrying about whether your power station has lithium-ion or lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries is not easy when a wildfire is about to consume your property.

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Wind can also be a major problem, tearing solar panels off a roof or balcony, snapping cables, and turning 100-pound power stations into projectiles.

What to do before an emergency

Every situation is different, but here is my list of things to keep in mind:

• Keep the electrical outlet as cool and dry as possible. Some people keep them in homes, some in garages or workshops, and some put them in the yard small shed outside. Keeping a power station a few meters off the ground is a good idea in areas prone to minor flooding, and placing it above ground or underground puts you at real risk of serious flooding. In hot areas, keep the unit in direct sunlight.
• Make sure any solar panels you have they are strongeven if you have a simple solar generator or plug-in solar setup. Wind can damage panels and cables, and a 50-mile-per-hour wind will whip them into missiles that can damage equipment and cause injuries.

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• If your power station is larger than portable units, think about getting a cart to help you move it. I have plans to weld the cart so that my Tower of Power can slow it down.

• If you live in an area where power may be out for long periods of time, you may want to consider pairing a solar generator with propane or gas generator which will be able to offer a strong, long-term support system. Be sure to familiarize yourself with how your generator works.
• Think about it your power station coverwhich can help keep it protected from dirt, dust and splashes. There is even a cover you can get to keep it outside.
• If you suspect an emergency may occur in the next few days, make sure your power station is fully charged (use AC mains if needed), and consider packing away any solar panels. Here, it’s better to err on the side of caution, and if an emergency doesn’t happen, think about what you did during the test.

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Tip: It is a good idea to keep all your important documents safe. I recommend getting a waterproof/fireproof lock box or it is safebecause lost documents can be a real pain to replace.

What happens during an emergency

OK, things are getting serious. Preparations have been made, and now it’s time to step up a gear. Here is my possible game plan:

• Use whenever you need to charge the power station and all your devices.
• Tune in to local weather and news. Heed any exit warnings. Get an idea of ​​how long a major emergency may last. For wildfires, keep a careful note of wind direction, and for floods, it’s a good idea to move valuables — including your power station and other electronics — off the ground.
• When charging is complete (or an emergency is imminent), disconnect the electrical outlet from the mains (this protects against power surges and lightning).
• Don’t waste your power station’s reserves. Prioritize essentials such as refrigerators, medical equipment, communication devices (smartphones, radio stations), and the light.
• Follow any instructions given to you by local authorities or emergency services.
• Remember that once the emergency is over, the dangers are gone. Flooding, building damage, overflowing sewers, downed power lines, and broken power lines are just some of the dangers that can come after a weather emergency.

And after an emergency?

Congratulations, you survived.

Now there are two possibilities to go forward.

The best outcome is that the emergency is over, and things are back to normal, or close to it, and there is less cleaning to do. You can expect things to return to normal very quickly.

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Another option is that the first emergency has passed, but left a second mess in its wake, which may take days, weeks, or more to resolve, depending on the extent of the damage.

If your property is not severely damaged, but the AC power is not flowing from the outlet, you need to think about keeping the power station sources up. Work on maintaining energy, focus on important things. Also, you need to think about putting power into batteries, getting solar panels to run again or firing up a generator.

And if you’re using a generator, fuel may be limited, so use it sparingly to charge the batteries.