Learn how sunrun can help you keep your home running through outages

Recent wildfires across the western United States have exposed our electric grid's frailties in providing consumers with reliable and safe energy. High-power electric transmission lines passing through high-fire threat areas are a considerable concern. The 2018 California wildfires, for example, were started by active Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) high power lines¹ and affected millions of Californians―including killing 86 people in Paradise, California.²

Many utility companies have taken precautionary steps to avoid these catastrophes to reduce the risk of increasingly devastating wildfires. One of these steps is to preemptively shut off power to portions of the grid to prevent the possibility that live lines spark new fires. 

These rolling blackouts are known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) and can impact millions of homeowners. Each event is unique, but many have stretched beyond just a few hours to leave communities without power for days.³

During wildfire season, more and more households are looking for alternatives to the old way of doing things. And the best alternative is the most obvious: the sun. The sun is our most reliable and resilient renewable energy source, powering more homes than ever with solar power.

A Sunrun solar panel system with rechargeable solar battery power is an effortless way to keep your home running through blackouts. Our solar battery storage options can provide energy for the essentials or your whole house, and they recharge with each new sunrise as your solar panels collect clean energy from the sun.

Sunrun's solar panel systems are designed with cutting-edge battery storage capacity, ensuring you can access energy when you need to power your home. Our solar panels and battery storage are equipped with advanced solar inverters to maximize the efficiency of your solar power generation, no matter how many solar batteries you choose to install.

By investing in a solar panel system with high battery storage capacity, you're safeguarding your home against unpredictable power outages and contributing to a more sustainable future. Let Sunrun help you power your home reliably and sustainably with our solar panels and solar batteries.

This is the future of home energy: clean, abundant power you can rely on.⁴

What is a public safety power shutoff (psps)?

The state commission grants utility companies general authority to maintain and manage grid power. This includes periodically de-energizing the grid as a preventative measure to protect public safety and maintain its viability.

To do this, utilities can implement Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events (commonly called rolling blackouts) to protect against electric service disruption and possible harmful events caused by utility equipment to communities.

Here are four important aspects of a psps outage:

1. Both distribution lines (those typically found in your local community) and transmission lines (long-distance lines usually outside of densely populated areas) may be shut off. 

2. While those living in high-fire-threat areas are most likely to be affected, anyone connected to the public electrical grid could experience a power outage if their community relies on a line in a high-fire-threat area. The communities and total number of people impacted depend on weather forecasts and specific utility circuits needed for shut off.

3. In most cases, power is restored within 24 to 48 hours. However, PSPS outages could last up to five days, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses per event. Utility crews visually inspect power lines (and make repairs as necessary) to ensure they’re damage-free and safe to re-energize before restoring power after the wildfire or extreme weather has passed. 

4. PSPS outages could occur several times per year. Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity, which means the potential for your community to be impacted by a power outage multiple times annually is getting more likely.

Protect against power outages with sunrun solar panels

Wildfire season has now expanded to the point that severe fires occur year-round. Utilities actively monitor wildfire conditions and, when possible, notify customers of blackouts in advance. However, these events usually come with minimal warning and, as mentioned, may last for days.

Homes and businesses must power essential electrical systems during these outages to ensure safety and continuity. To protect your home and family, be prepared with a safe, reliable backup power plan for your essential electricity needs.

Sunrun’s rechargeable solar battery power offers a proven solution that lets you take control of your energy with a solar panel system. Sunrun solar power gives you greater freedom over your energy during PSPS and other outages by allowing essential appliances in your home (e.g., home security systems, water pumps, refrigerators) to continue running when the power grid goes down. The battery capacity of these solar systems ensures extended power supply during outages, even for device charging needs.

Unsurprisingly, home solar and battery systems installations in the United States have increased by more than 200% annually over the past four years, highlighting the growing importance of solar and battery capacity.

Our solar panels and solar batteries can efficiently handle refrigerator electricity usage, ensuring your food stays fresh, and your appliances run smoothly during a power outage. This includes water heating and heating an electric furnace to keep your home warm during colder seasons, ensuring comfort for your family.

With Sunrun, you can power your home even during prolonged outages by maximizing your solar system output. The ample battery capacity allows for a consistent power supply to these essential functions, as well as phone charging, powering space heaters, and running your laptop computer. Any excess energy generated by your solar panels can be stored for future use, ensuring you have reliable energy storage when needed.

Advantages of a home solar system and battery backup

Effective energy storage solutions are essential for maintaining a reliable and resilient home energy system. Understanding how much power your system generates and stores can help you manage your energy needs effectively.

Control of your home energy use

Sunrun’s solar batteries store electricity produced by your solar panels so you can use it when needed—during power outages and extreme weather. With a grid-tied solar system, you can also ensure a seamless integration with the power grid, allowing for efficient energy management.

Lower electric bills

You may experience lower utility bills as you draw less electricity from the grid.⁵ Battery storage can also be financially beneficial because it allows you to use the clean solar power generated from solar panels on your rooftop even after sundown and during peak-rate hours, leading to lower energy costs.

A grid-tied solar system helps optimize your energy usage, further reducing costs by synchronizing with the grid. Considering your battery storage budget can help you choose the best system for your financial situation while maximizing energy savings.

Reduced strain on energy infrastructure

Using solar energy lowers the amount of electricity pulled from the power grid. This reduced power load maintains safer circuit tolerances for a longer time, giving grid operators, line workers, and emergency responders more time to handle power outages and the impact of wildfires. The result is a lowered risk of future widespread power outage.

Reduced wildfire risk

Less consumer dependence on the grid can lower the chance of electric sparks from overhead lines potentially resulting in wildfires. 

A cleaner environment

Going solar allows you to create clean, stored energy and protect the planet for future generations. Sunrun has prevented 3.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to eliminating 9 billion passenger vehicle miles or recycling 1.3 million tons of waste. 

Solar technology provides a way to decarbonize our electricity system, much like how an energy saver cycle on appliances contributes to overall energy efficiency. By reducing reliance on fossil fuels, solar energy helps decrease pollution and combat climate change.

Monitoring your battery usage is also crucial to maximizing the benefits of your home solar panels system and battery backup system. By keeping track of how much energy you are storing and using, you can ensure optimal performance and efficiency.

References

1. California’s largest utility warns tens of thousands of people could see power shut off due to extreme fire risk. CNBC.

2. Camp Fire death toll reaches 86 after man dies in hospital; 3 remain missing. Sacramento Bee.

3. California Energy Companies Announce Wildfire Preparedness Campaign Around Public Safety Power Shutoffs. SDG&E.

4. Take Control of Your Energy With a Solar Battery Backup. Sunrun.

5. How Much Is My Electric Bill with Solar Panels? Sunrun.