Deal with an NV Energy Power Outage, Solar Style

Handling an NV Energy power outage can be as easy as flipping a switch. With time, grid failures have become less frequent, but they still occur. So, what can the average Nevadan do about the issue? Especially homeowners with children. If you think a crying baby is cranky, you should see a 12-year-old without power to run his video games. 

Three Main Types of Utilities: Which One Is NV Energy?

There are three main utility types in the United States that account for most utility sales. A knowledge of these utility types will give you a better picture of what utilities are out there.

Municipal, Co-op, and Investor-Owned Utilities

Municipal utilities are city-owned. On average, their customers experience the least amount of power outages per year.

Co-op utilities are customer-owned. These utilities are more concerned about customer service then they are about profit. Unfortunately, the data from EIA has shown that co-ops have the most power outages. Investor-owned or IOUs are shareholder owned. These utilities are more concerned about profit. NV Energy is an Investor-owned utility.

Average Power Outages in the United States

EIA has an annual electric power industry report. The latest recorded report was in 2016. In this report, the US experienced at least one power outage per customer that year.  These power outages lasted between 2 to 4 hours on average.

Nevada Power Outages

In the EIA report, there was a comparison done between states that had the highest and lowest outages. Although Nevada was on the lower end of this spectrum it was the highest of the low outage states. On average, Nevada had right under 1 outage per customer with a duration of about 2 hours. This is pretty close to the national average.

How Nevada Power Outages Affect You

A 5-minute power outage may not be that big of a deal, but a couple of hours could cause your food to go bad. If a major event happens then the amount of time you could be without power is likely to be even higher. You should expect at least one major power outage each year. Not having a way to charge your phone or laptop is challenging. Keeping your food cold for more than a couple of hours without power is tough.

However, if large-scale outages ensued these may be the least of your worries.  If something like an EMP occurred you wouldn’t have a chance. Electric appliances would be useless and heating and air conditioning would be rudimentary. You won’t have any communication, transportation, or banking. Survival of the fittest would turn into more than an entertaining TV show.

Survival in a Power Outage

Knowing what you need to do in a power outage will help you to better prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  No matter if it is a couple of hours or a couple of days you need a plan.

72-hour Kits

72-hour kits are a minimalist’s way to make sure you are ready for the worst-case scenario. You will need some sort of First Aid kit. Water and food are basic necessities. You will need at least 1 gallon of water per person for at least three days. A good 72-hour kit will also have 3 days of non-perishable food per person.

Best Way to Light up the Dark

Having some form of light will allow you to have greater mobility at night. Having flashlights and batteries on hand will be your safest form of light. If your flashlights don’t work candles are a good backup.

Faraday Cages/Bags

Although no one wants an EMP to happen, if one does occur, having some form of a Faraday cage or bag will help. Faraday’s protect essential electronics from electromagnetic pulses. Faraday containers are good for storing flashlights, crank radios, batteries, and walkie-talkies. If you want sustainable energy consider storing a portable solar charging station.

Solar Backup’s Role in a Power Outage

Although a solar installation will help you save money they won’t help you in a power outage. This is because most solar arrays stay connected to the grid. Fire code prevents grid-tied solar arrays from powering your home in a power outage. If however your solar power is routed away from the grid then you can use your panels to power your home. Go Solar Group has a couple of options that allow people to still have power during a grid failure.

Secure Power Supply

If you get a home with an SMA inverter, you are also given a secure power supply. This system can reroute the power from your panels to an outlet in your home.  If you only experience a couple hours without power during the day this is a good option. If on the other hand, you need power at night, this system will not work.

Solar Generator

To solve this issue Go Solar Group offers the Goal Zero Yeti and Yeti Home integration system. This solar generator will allow you to power a couple circuits in your home. This generator will work no matter if the sun is out or not. This generator will not power your whole home, though.

Battery Backup

If you are wanting to get completely off the grid, Go Solar Group is a certified Tesla Powerwall Installer. These systems will allow you to use your generated power no matter the time of day. Having solar backup will give you flexibility and security during uncertain times. If you fill out our quick survey we will set up a no-obligation appointment to learn more about backup.