Solar power stations are all the rage, popping up in homes across the country like mushrooms after a rainstorm. People use them to save money on power bills or to create a resilient energy source capable of weathering the increasing number of weather emergencies we now have to endure. Just the other day, I read about how a super El Niño could be something we have to contend with this year. But power stations can themselves bring risks that might not be immediately obvious to owners - issues that can surface during an emergency, turning a bad situation worse.
Here, I'm going to outline some preparatory steps you should take to get your solar generator ready for a weather emergency. I've been using solar generators for years, from portable setups I've taken to off-grid locations to big setups that can power a home for days. I've also been an avid hiker, bushcrafter, and all-around outdoors person all my life, and I've taken a myriad of courses related to outdoor survival, from first aid and land navigation to urban emergency preparedness and the UK equivalent of SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape), which over this side of the Atlantic is called Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract.
Step one is knowing what kind of emergency you're going to face, because that can change your approach. And the bad news is that you have plenty to choose from, depending on where you live. Power stations are, on the whole, very safe pieces of equipment. I've spent many a day with one bouncing around the back of a truck or next to my head in a tent slowly filling with water. But don't lose sight of the fact that they are boxes holding a lot of lithium-ion batteries that can output thousands of watts of easily lethal AC power.
Power stations are designed to work optimally at room temperature - 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) - but are usually happy to charge in the range of 2°F (0°C) to 95°F (35°C) and discharge between 14°F (-10°C) and 104°F (40°C). As for moisture, this is where things can get dangerous, and it makes sense to treat a power station the same way you'd treat an AC outlet or extension cable. Power stations are normally happy in humidity ranging from 0% to 60% when operating and up to 80% when being stored. They also don't tolerate water well, and unless the unit is specifically designed to cope with water, any rain, spills, or flooding can damage internal components and cause a safety hazard.
But there are more hazards to be aware of. Fire is a big one, and it's definitely something to think about, but worrying whether your power station has lithium-ion or the safer lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries is somewhat moot as a wildfire is about to consume your property. Wind can also become a serious issue, ripping solar panels off roofs or balconies, tearing wires, and turning 100-pound power stations into projectiles. Every situation is different, but here is my list of considerations to bear in mind.
Tip: It's a good idea to get all your important documents safe. I recommend getting a waterproof/fireproof lockbox or safe, because lost paperwork can be a real pain to replace. OK, things are starting to get serious. The preparations are done, and it's now time to step up a gear. Here's what my game plan would be.
Now there are two possibilities going forward. The best outcome is that the emergency has passed, and things are pretty much back to normal, or close to it, and there's just a bit of cleanup to do. You can expect things to get back to normal pretty quickly. The other option is that the primary emergency has passed, but it's left secondary havoc in its wake, which could take days, weeks, or more to sort out, depending on the scale of the damage.
If your property is mostly undamaged, but AC power isn't flowing from the outlet, you need to be thinking about keeping the power station's reserves up. Work on conserving power, focusing on essentials. Also, you need to be thinking about getting power into the batteries, either by getting the solar panels going again or firing up the generator. And if you are using the generator, fuel might be limited, so use it sparingly to recharge batteries.