Charging challenge

[Mach1E]

If you're planning for disasters then you're probably doing a solar and battery install. Under those circumstances, you can operate without difficulty even if the grid goes down - solar powers your home and charges the batteries, and the batteries fill in when solar isn't meeting your home's energy needs. I don't know the statistics on how many installs are solar-only compared with solar and battery.

On this topic, just another reminder to how amazing BEVs could be for powering things: a single Tesla Powerwall (version 2) has a capacity of 13.5 kWh. When I look at my home's usage - with two refrigerators, and four mini-split AC systems operating (although to be fair, we have the thermostat set higher) - overnight energy usage is about 10-12 kWh. We have multiple Powerwalls to account for vehicle charging and other usage. By comparison, our Mustangs have 72 kWh (standard range) or 91 kWh (extended range) - basically, 5-7 Powerwalls on wheels. Some rewiring of the house would be needed to accept charge from the car, but vehicle to load functionality could have some really good applications for disasters and overall grid efficiency. If you're stranded and the roads around aren't safe to drive on, use your car to keep your refrigerators going, boil water (assuming you have an electric range and/or kettle), and possibly control the climate in your home... or as we saw in Texas before, stay in your garage and run the heater in your car without needing to worry about ventilation.

So you could spend $50,000 to prepare for a disaster.

Or you could keep an ICE or hybrid as your 2nd car.

Or you could stay with a friend or family member for a few days until power comes back.

I’ve definitely done the 2nd two because of hurricanes.

On a related note, insurance companies HATE solar panels because they endanger your roof in a hurricane. Have heard from quite a few people around me they couldn’t get coverage or got dropped because of them.

Again, not one solution that works for everyone.

Sponsored

 

[Reign of Ravens]

So you could spend $50,000 to prepare for a disaster.

Or you could keep an ICE or hybrid as your 2nd car.

Or you could stay with a friend or family member for a few days until power comes back.

I’ve definitely done the 2nd two because of hurricanes.

I'm not trying to make an argument for what solution people should be going with right now. I see you saying a lot of things can't be done and I'm showing solutions about how it can be done, and it even has the potential to be superior to what we're doing right now. This technology is only going to get better and cheaper with time.

On a related note, insurance companies HATE solar panels because they endanger your roof in a hurricane. Have heard from quite a few people around me they couldn’t get coverage or got dropped because of them.

This one has been in the national news recently: home insurance companies seem to want to leave Florida, in general. I'm not going to say that solar panels don't make things more complicated, but unless you want to say that the news got it wrong (which happens), it's not like homes are becoming uninsurable in Florida purely because of rooftop solar.

 

[Mach1E]

I'm not trying to make an argument for what solution people should be going with right now. I see you saying a lot of things can't be done and I'm showing solutions about how it can be done, and it even has the potential to be superior to what we're doing right now. This technology is only going to get better and cheaper with time.


This one has been in the national news recently: home insurance companies seem to want to leave Florida, in general. I'm not going to say that solar panels don't make things more complicated, but unless you want to say that the news got it wrong (which happens), it's not like homes are becoming uninsurable in Florida purely because of rooftop solar.

Unfortunately that’s exactly what’s happening.

It’s true insurance companies are leaving Florida (has been happening for decades). But the panels are a specific issue. They don’t like them because of them making your home less safe in a hurricane.

Basically they’re separate issues (you being dropped for the panels vs a company leaving the state altogether).

A few news stories on the subject:

https://nbc-2.com/news/2023/05/18/i...-homeowners-with-solar-panels-in-florida/amp/

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/20...ing-their-home-or-having-solar-panels-column/

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/amp/...homes/77-20929c68-bb37-4ae8-b39c-cdf37bb1e2a5


There are dozens of similar news stories, but all with the same message.

Sponsored