4 Min Read
IES Texas Solar cares about the Health and Safety of our community of Solar Energy Readers.
Below are a few tips to stay safe.
With the heat in Texas hitting historic highs, the grid has been pushed to the limit. ERCOT has been calling on Texans to conserve power while the power plants are skipping scheduled maintenance in order to meet the demand for power. With the power plants running non-stop, the skipped maintenance is bound to add up and experts are saying that the more that maintenance is put off, the longer the next outages will be. With the heat blazing its way to record heights and rolling blackouts reminiscent of the February freeze of 2021 on the horizon, you need to be prepared.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a checklist for you to use in order to keep you and your family safe in the event of a summer power outage.
PRE-POWER OUTAGE CHECKLIST
- Keep an eye on the weather!
This one seems like a no-brainer, but watching the forecasts for high temperatures can help you to know what to expect. You can also keep an eye on the power demand placed on the grid through the ERCOT website.
- Stock up!
Make sure that you stock up on water, food, and medicine. Be sure to store enough water to give each person one gallon of water per day. With medicine, make sure that you have your prescription medications filled and keep a one-month supply of other medications on hand. When stocking up on food, purchase non-perishables. Also stock up on flashlights, battery-powered lanterns, and batteries.
- Install a generator if possible
Having a backup generator can keep you from being out of power at all. If possible, install a generator. This is especially important if you have medical equipment that needs power such as CPAP machines or ways to refrigerate insulin and other temperature-sensitive medications.
DURING A POWER OUTAGE CHECKLIST
- Check for Boil Water notices
In many cases, power outages will cause cities to issue a boil water notice. If you do not have bottled water but have running water from the tap, be sure that you constantly check to see if your city is under a boil water notice. If so, most sources recommend boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes before using it for drinking.
- Use your phone only when absolutely necessary
Your phone is one of your most essential tools during a power outage. Only use it when you need to make important calls or to check on things like boil water notices, news on the power outage, or to reference something you need to get through the outage. If you need to charge it, use your car if necessary.
- Cover your windows with drapes or shades
Blocking out sunlight during a heatwave can help regulate your home’s temperature when you don’t have power. By blocking the sunlight, you reduce the overall heat that is built up in your home during a blackout caused by high temperatures.
- Unplug things that are not in use
Once the power returns, the sudden surge of electricity may damage the items that you have plugged in. To keep them safe, go through your home and unplug all things that are not being used.
- Use flashlights and battery-powered lanterns
Using things like candles, gasoline, or propane-powered devices indoors is extremely dangerous. Using these can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and start fires. Use flashlights and battery-powered lanterns to light your home in the event of a power outage.
ONCE THE POWER OUTAGE IS OVER…
- Check to see if boil water notices have been lifted
In many cases, if there was a boil water notice issued due to power outages, then it may take just a bit longer for the water to be drinkable again. Check to see if your boil water notices were lifted. Keep boiling your water for 10-minutes as instructed until the notice has been lifted.
- Plug your appliances back in
Now that your power is back on, it is safe to plug your devices and appliances back in.
- Clean out your kitchen
It’s definitely worth checking to see if anything in your refrigerator and freezer went bad during the outage. This is especially important to check for when you’ve been without power for an extended period of time. Dispose of any food that was spoiled during the blackouts.
While this list covers the main necessities to follow during rolling blackouts in order to keep you and your family safe, it is worth mentioning that there are other options available to you. You can keep your home running by installing solar panels with backup batteries and a Generac® generator in order to make sure that even when blackouts occur, regardless of whether it lasts for a couple of hours or a couple of weeks, you never have to worry about being alone in the dark.
If you are considering switching to solar for your home or business, reach out to us by going to our website, iestxsolar.com, or by giving us a call at (855) 447-6527.
