NatyRepost: An account of experiencing the recent power outage. Are we prepared for this? I think not...
https://www.fastcompany.com/91326177/this-is-how-it-feels-at-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-world
mike805@eclecticpassions We have let our redundancy slide. The landline phone system had long-term power backup. Mobile not so much, and there are a bunch of new dependencies nobody thinks of. Radio stations were also required by law to have backup power.
After a couple of long power outages I got an off-grid inverter, which is good for about a day. Whether I will have Internet is out of my control though.
A friend is building and selling self-powered Starlink briefcases.
@ThatWouldBeTelling @eclecticpassions The ultimate doomsday vehicle is an older diesel. Diesel unlike gas keeps. You can stockpile it.
Cash yes, have some. I understand Starlink can self register now, so it might be possible to have a Starlink Mini that does not cost you money until you need to use it.
I wonder if the generators of older power plants could be used as flywheels, without any steam.
How did 15 GW of solar disappear? Just clouds? Or some software fault?
@ThatWouldBeTelling @eclecticpassions The generator would be powered by the grid, which would waste some energy as friction, but its inertia would be there to stabilize the grid.
Generators can also be used to produce reactive power, a shortage of which will drag down the grid.
You would need batteries to make a solar system provide inertia. Or people who buy electric cars with two way chargers get a discount for leaving them plugged in when not in use.
@mike805 @ThatWouldBeTelling Sorry, I missed this thread somehow. That's really useful information you two mentioned. 🙌 I really appreciate the insights you both mentioned. All my life I've been an urbanite, living mostly in cities not prone to natural disasters... I am afraid to say I know nothing much about living without electricity, being too reliant on mod cons. I will definitely read into ham radio, getting a shortwave radio for my emergency #bugout bag.