When
I wrote my blog “Candles, Canned Food, and Gensets?”
in October of last year, I was contemplating the relationship between emergency
power backup systems and onsite power. Last week, Santa Barbara was once again
under siege as the Jesusita fire blazed in the foothills and, at times, seemed
to threaten the entire city. Fortunately, in the midst of this crisis, Santa
Barbara was able to avoid large-scale power outages. Nevertheless, the very
nature of unforeseen disasters requires preemptive planning.
Click here to read “Candles, Canned Food, and Gensets?”
With 8,733 acres burned so far and
an estimated cost of over $10 million, the Jesusita Fire will be legendary, but
thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters, complete devastation and
annihilation were kept at bay. Although the immediacy of the crisis has faded,
it’s still important to prepare for the next disaster. We’ve covered energy reliability and backup systems
extensively in the magazine, and if you’re interested in how onsite power and
distributed energy can help protect you when your energy sources are
threatened, I direct you to some of our most
relevant articles:
* White
Gold: Microgrid with megapower keeps it snowing on the summit.
* UPS
Systems Reliable Power Delivery: The world’s increasing reliance on technology
translates to an equal demand on energy. That escalating dependence has taken
power interruptions from annoying to critical mass.
* Power...
Uninterrupted: One medical facility looks for self-sufficiency.
* Mission
Critical? —Mission Possible: The full backup power generator installation at a
Wisconsin lumber processing company is a key element in its utilization of
lean-manufacturing processes.
*
Dream
Machine: An inverter connection to the grid lets CHP stay on when the lights go
out.
* The
Spin on Flywheels: Flywheels are turning up in applications where
around-the-clock reliability is critical, including such diverse settings as
credit card centers, casinos, and health care centers.