Rooftop Solar Would have Prevented Hurricane Ian Power Outages – Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

Greens are using the power outages following Hurricane Ian to push solar power.

The Climate Emergency Is Very Much Here. Now We Must Act.

Climate impacts are here today so we need to double down on climate adaptation now.

ANDREAS KARELAS October 5, 2022

In Florida, Hurricane Ian ripped homes from their foundations, mangled boat docks and left at least 2.6 million people without power. Floridians shared pictures of flamingos sheltering from the storm in public bathrooms and sharks swimming up the flooded streets.

Welcome to the age of climate change.

As we assess the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian, it’s time to take a closer look at climate adaptation. How ready are we for the climate impacts that are here now and are on track to become scarily worse?

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Given that solar energy is now the cheapest form of electricity in history, according to the International Energy Agency, things are starting to look up. A recent study from Oxford found that a swift transition to renewable energy will allow us to decarbonize the economy by 2050 and save $12 trillion in the process.

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We must start building resilience right away. Clean energy powered micro-grids with battery storage will prove not only to be a cost-effective way to reduce carbon pollution, but they would also make us more resilient in the face of climate disasters.

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Read more: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/10/05/climate-emergency-very-much-here-now-we-must-act

KCRA-3 published a story of a solar powered Florida community which apparently didn’t suffer any outages, located just 12 miles from Fort Myers, where Hurricane Ian made landfall.

From Chariot Energy;

Can Solar Panels Withstand a Hurricane?

By: Matt Kundo
August 9, 2022

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All solar panels, regardless of brand, style, shape or material, are built to withstand high winds to some degree. In general, most solar panels can withstand up to 140 mph winds, which is around 2,400 pascals (the unit in which solar panel wind resistance is measured).³ That’s sturdy enough to withstand a Category 4 hurricane, whose wind speeds range from 130 to 156 mph.⁴ 

However, this story above is a rare case, in that these solar panels were specifically designed to withstand the highest possible hurricane-force winds. Plus, they were heightened so less debris impacted the panels. Wind hurling at 170 mph is much different than a rock flying at similar speeds. Thus, any ground-mounted solar panels or rooftop panels lower to the ground didn’t fare as well.    

The good news is that solar panels are being designed and built with materials to withstand more extreme conditions. So, even though the industry isn’t prepped for every weather situation, we’re working to becoming more resilient each year.

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Read more: https://chariotenergy.com/blog/can-solar-panels-withstand-hurricanes/

For most people, a gasoline backup generator would probably make more sense. My personal backup plan, a small, portable gasoline generator and a stack of 5 gallon gasoline tins, locked in a secure, flood proof storage space, kept my freezer and TV going after Cyclone Marcia passed nearby in 2015 – including a prolonged period when the sky was black with storm clouds. And of course, a $1000 generator is a lot cheaper than a $7000+ household solar battery installation – regardless of green fantasies about the cost of renewables.

I think there is a case for solar backup, at least to keep the freezer going, if you live in a district which suffers prolonged power outages and flooding after big storms. I was caught in such a place in 2012, my home became an island after floods cut all the roads. There was a gas station within reach, but the pumps weren’t working, because they didn’t have a backup generator. My gasoline tins were close to empty by the time power was restored.

Having said that, I would hate to rely on solar as my *only* backup. If a storm or hurricane was accompanied by large hail, or flying debris, anything outdoors would take a beating, including solar panel installations. And of course, solar panels wouldn’t get a lot of sunlight during the period the sky was full of storm clouds.

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