The Hidden Cost of Outages

A grid outage can make you feel helpless. In the moment it’s impossible to tell whether the power will turn back on in a few minutes, or a few days. The unpredictable nature of grid outages also makes planning for them difficult. In some cases, outages during extreme weather can even be deadly.

Apart from the safety issues and inconveniences that outages present, there also lies a hidden cost. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, power outages cost American households over $150 billion annually. With increasing instances of extreme weather and an aging grid infrastructure, outages are only becoming more common.

What do these costs come from?

The most common reported costs during power outages include spoiled inventory, production delays, purchasing emergency supplies (such as flashlights firewood, gas, candles), or hotel expenses.

As weather turns more severe, extended power outages can risk significant damage to a home or property. Outage-induced damages commonly include basement flooding, burst pipes and more costly issues. With many still working remotely, outages become even more costly to business owners and employees as productivity is halted for sometimes days at a time.

How can I protect myself from outage costs?

Fortunately, homes with solar panels and backup power storage don’t lose power when the grid goes down. The system’s backup battery allows customers to store excess energy generated by the panels on sunny days—making sure the home maintains an energy source 24/7 during an outage. The energy levels stored within a battery can even be monitored real-time so you’re always aware of your home’s energy status.

During a grid outage, some solar + backup power systems allow customers to choose the essential appliances that they would like to keep powered. These typically include temperature control systems, Wi-Fi, refrigerators etc., but these modern systems allow customers to customize the distribution of their backup power. This ensures the protection of the assets most valuable to each customer during a grid outage caused by a storm or extreme weather event.

The Bottom Line

Outages can be costly, inconvenient, and at their worst—even deadly. Fortunately, protecting yourself, your family, and your assets is possible with solar panels and backup battery power. As demand for energy storage has grown significantly, manufacturers such as Tesla, Generac, and Enphase have launched a number of solar backup power products ideal for home or business use.

Ready to make the switch? Contact us for a free consultation.