Announcements

This month, we will discuss some available sources of power that can be used in our homes in case of electrical grid failure. The information below will pertain to solar generators. There is also the availability of gasoline generators which are less expensive but have some disadvantages over solar. These will not be discussed here. There are other solar applications for homes which involve batteries with no generators. These are options to consider which some people have in our subdivision and are also sold at the place I will mention later. With the increased amount of commercial and domestic buildings, especially the increase in data centers in the valley, and rising temperatures, comes the demand for more electricity in the future. This may cause more, or worse, power outages than we are accustomed to. What are some desires or essential needs we would like in our home in case of power outages? Some of these may be refrigerators, freezers, lights, stoves, microwaves, ovens, fans, air conditioning, rechargeability of our phones and other devices etc., television, radios, clothes washers and dryers, internet modems, medical equipment such as C-paps, oxygen machines, air and water filters, hot water heaters, etc. Determining what we need in our homes if the power is out. Each one of us will need to determine what is essential for our needs, such as how much electricity will be needed, the affordability of the equipment necessary to generate the amount of power desired, and what will work best at each location. Ways to determine how much power you will need will be discussed later. It is important we determine what our needs will be because generators are usually rated with a wattage output. In the lessons, mentioned at the end of this message, it will show how to calculate wattage, watt hours etc. It is not as hard as it sounds. The labeling on most electrical devices and appliances shows how much wattage the appliances use. Just add up all the watts on the items you want to be able to run at a time. That will help you know how big a unit you need. This is all explained in said lessons . What are some features to compare on different generators? There are many features that can and should be compared when choosing a portable generator and accessories such as solar panels. Some are as follows: cost, battery capacity, battery voltage, inverter size, inverter surge, the expandability to what watt hours, solar input, charging time, ways to recharge, what kind and amount of output receptacles are provided, shelf life before recharge, warranty, battery type, maximum recharge cycles, etc. It might sound like a lot, but as you compare it will make sense. Where can I go to learn more information about solar power using generators and view solar kits? I have worked with and purchased equipment from one company I will mention here. This is not a sales pitch for them, even though it may appear as such. They have been a source of good, professional information to me and this is only meant to be a source of information we can study on the subject. They have a group of 10 short lessons entitled ‘solar mini course’, totaling about 47 minutes, about determining our needs and discussing types of units, solar power, etc. They generally charge for viewing this course, but they have given me permission to make them available to our ward family, free of charge. To keep it limited to our ward family I will not include the link to those courses on the ward web site or in this message. If you are interested in learning more about solar, please call or contact me and I can give you the link to their course. I have noticed lately that there are more places like Costco, Walmart etc. selling a bigger variety of solar generators and kits. The different manufactures of the different brands of generators are also a source of information and equipment specifications. These can be found on the web. The company I have worked with and have the lessons I mentioned is ShopSolar.com. Until recently they were known as ShopSolarKits.com. The link to their home page is https://shopsolarkits.com/ The solar generator kits are under the drop-down of Solar Generator Bundles. Other no generator kits are under the drop-down of Complete Solar Kits, which you may be interested in. This is another link to one of their pages which is also helpful. Learning Center – Shop Solar – ShopSolar.com We own a solar generator and panels and have some knowledge of their operations. If I can be of any help answering any questions, please ask.
Bob Knox, member of the ward emergency preparedness committee.