Cities around the world are bemoaning the "new normal" of super storms and super floods. Fortunately, today's technologies provide some solutions.
In any natural disaster, Job One is to get the power back on. Communities that opt for local microgrids can provide their own power during outages while waiting for the main grid to be repaired. One secret is to install solar power, then use batteries to store the excess for use at night. Time was, this approach was far too expensive. Today, however, both solar PV and energy storage have plunged in price.
The report described in the press release below explains how Baltimore could use "surgical" installations at key locales -- government facilities, schools, senior housing -- to protect them against power outages. The lessons apply to any city. Have you put together your resiliency plan yet? You'll want to read this report for its excellent guidance. -- Jesse Berst
A New Report from Clean Energy Group Highlights How Vulnerable Communities Can Benefit from Resilient Power Technologies in Severe Weather Events
Solar and energy storage can protect cities from power outages, create resilient communities
Montpelier, VT (PRWEB) -- To become more resilient in the face of severe weather events, communities should rely on proven distributed energy technologies like solar with energy storage to protect residents during power outages, according to a new report released today by the nonprofit Clean Energy Group (CEG).
In a blueprint for how a city could become more “power resilient,” the report, Clean Energy for Resilient Communities, shows how Baltimore and other cities could use clean energy to create a more reliable electric system that protects vulnerable citizens during power blackouts. The report was written by CEG for The Abell Foundation, a leading private foundation in Baltimore, see http://www.abell.org.
“We have entered a new “normal” after Hurricane Sandy, where severe weather events are more frequent, leading to more power outages and increased risk to people and businesses,” said Lewis Milford, President of CEG and co-author of the report. “Last week over a million people in the US lost power during damaging ice storms. Today, due to a record ice storm developing in the Southeastern US, hundreds of thousands of people have already lost power, with those numbers expected to rise. We need new strategies like distributed solar with energy storage to protect communities against the harmful effects of power outages. Relying only on the utilities to do the job is no longer safe or dependable.”
The report is the first in-depth review of national policies and finance strategies to use solar and energy storage to provide more power protection in an urban setting. The report says that critical public facilities like hospitals, fire stations, gas stations, community shelters and schools should use more resilient power technologies to protect people during power outages. The report also recommends new business models and highlights the emergence of companies that now sell solar with battery storage services to customers-- to address the overlooked problem of stand-alone PV systems not working during power outages.
Although the report applies to Baltimore, its detailed policy and financing recommendations can be applied across the country. Among those recommendations are to:
- Deploy solar with storage at critical community and government facilities that serve low-income, disabled and elderly communities during emergencies.
- Promote targeted public funds to increase the use of clean energy in those communities.
- Use existing bond financing tools to finance solar projects in public and community facilities like schools, community centers and senior housing.
- Address the existing legal obligations of government agencies under the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide electricity so the elderly and the disabled can fully access emergency services during power outages.
The report notes the importance of reliable power to protect communities from harm: "Resilient communities need resilient power. Without dependable power, a community can be brought to its knees, and the most vulnerable will suffer the most."
The full report can be downloaded at https://www.cleanegroup.org/assets/Uploads/2014-Files/Clean-Energy-for-Resilient-Communities-Report-Feb2014.pdf and a Report Summary can be found at https://www.cleanegroup.org/assets/Uploads/2014-Files/Clean-Energy-for-Resilient-Communities-Summary-Feb2014.pdf.
About Clean Energy Group (CEG)
CEG is a leading national, nonprofit advocacy organization working on innovative technology, finance, and policy programs in the areas of clean energy and climate change. CEG also manages the Clean Energy States Alliance, a coalition of state and municipal clean energy funds. CEG has a Resilient Power Project that works with many states and communities to promote clean energy solutions to power outages. For more information about CEG's Resilient Power Project, visit https://www.cleanegroup.org/ceg-projects/resilient-power-and-climate/.
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Jesse Berst is the founding Chairman of the Smart Cities Council. Click to learn about the benefits you receive when you join the Council for free.
