Be ready: fire season is here and PG&E has issued a warning of potential power outages.

California is experiencing a record-breaking drought. Nevada County is listed at level D3 - Extreme Drought. In these conditions, fires are inevitable. How we prepare for fires and react when they happen is the only control that we can expect to have.

At California Solar, we want you to be informed about how to best be prepared for local fires and how you can prepare for power outages that can impact your ability to communicate with the outside world during a PSPS power grid shut down. We’ll give you some short-term solutions and what works best for the longer term. 

First, let’s discuss the essentials. If you haven’t explored these resources yet, now is the time to go through them so you have some familiarity with the information and so that you can prepare your household for evacuation, if needed. 

1. Know your ZONE. 

   1. Evacuation warnings will be communicated by zone names, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with your zone, and subscribe to the updates where possible. Visit https://community.zonehaven.com/ to learn your zone number, and more about zones. It also has information about local fires and the weather in your area.

2. Ready, Set, Go!

   1. Nevada county has established a community hub around wildfire safety, The Ready Nevada County Dashboard, located here: https://nevcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=dfae8e3b36e3455bbf9dcc865349e72e

   2. They have an in-depth website for preparing your property for wildfires, as well as other important information and resources. The website is here: https://mynevadacounty.com/2707/ReadyNevadaCounty. Their “Ready, Set, Go!” handbook is available in printed form. The pdf version is available here: https://mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/38222/RNC2021_Handbook-WEB. There is also a Spanish version located here (una versión está disponible en español aquí): https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/36729/RNC2020_Manual_Espanol-spread-smV2

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but it should be enough to get you on the right path for preparation. The best way to rest a little easier during these stressful times is to be prepared as best you can. By preparing, you can gain a little peace of mind so that if something should happen, you at least have a plan to put into action to get yourself and your loved ones to safety.

How to prepare for PSPS outages.

Along with the risk of wildfires come the preventative measures of PG&E seeking to minimize the potential for their equipment inadvertently causing a fire. This means power will be shut down in certain grids to reduce the risk in that zone. These outages (known as PSPS) can last from a few hours to many days. 

Before a PSPS event occurs, it is important to consider and prepare for the potential impact this can have on your household. You will lose power to essential items such as:

• Your refrigerator. Be sure to have a large cooler on hand that is filled with ice to keep your important items from spoiling.

• Your telephone and/or internet connection devices. Wired telephone connections usually do not go out with the power, but if your telephone plugs into the wall, then it may not function during an outage. Your internet connection equipment will need to be plugged into an auxiliary power source in order to maintain a connection. Mobile devices might be able to connect but you will want to be sure to have a small backup battery to keep them charged. In order to keep these crucial items powered, you will need to invest in either a small generator or a solar generator. These are best purchased before an outage, as local supply will run out during PSPS events.

Coolers of ice and solar generators are great short-term solutions, but for the long-term, consider the advantages of a solar-system combined with battery storage solutions. By utilizing solar to generate electricity you can replace your utility bill with a loan payment for solar, which will save you money. When you add battery storage to solar, you provide your household with an emergency resource of electricity to use on your important items. Keeping your lights on, your refrigerator humming, and your internet connected. 

With these systems, when the grid goes down, the systems that are powered by your battery never miss a beat. They can run for many days if usage is minimal (say refrigerator, lights, and an internet connection), plus you can ‘stack’ several batteries if you have a greater need for power during PSPS events. If you would like to discuss how solar plus energy storage can make your household more energy resilient, fill out this form or call us at 530.274.3671 and one of our worker-owners will get in touch with you to answer any question you may have.